One of my favorite parts of being an English teacher/librarian is going to conferences and meeting authors. Over the years, I have honed my “author meeting techniques” so I...
I love how amazingly approachable and kind authors are, especially those who write for children, middle schoolers, and teens. I am lucky enough to attend NCTE and ALAN each...
Last spring, my favorite bookseller, Tami, at Fundamentals Bookstore in Delaware, Ohio, called to ask if I wanted to go to dinner with children’s book author Brandon Mull....
When I presented vocabulary strategies to teachers in Texas, I was anxious to show them this particular video, as it is one of my (many) favorites. When I introduced the...
I just love Libba Bray’s insightful analysis, quirky characters and her ability to write such diverse yet equally fantastic books! She was incredibly gracious to allow me...
In honor of President’s Day earlier this week, I’d like to say that I have interviewed President Obama. Unfortunately, he is a bit hard to reach, but I do have three awesome...
My students are obsessing over James Dashner right now. If one of them picks up The Maze Runner, as soon as they finish, they must grab the sequel right then and there and...
A.S. King and Jackie Morse Kessler are not only amazing authors, but also speak out against bullying. Plus, their books send an anti-bullying message that is realistic and...
Deborah Hopkinson writes great children’s books! I was amazed by the vast number (over 40) of picture books and chapter books she has written. All her books are...
I want to bring Allan Wolf to my school-his energy and enthusiasm are catching. Not only is he is a great writer who can discuss all the books he’s written for kids and...
I have been a huge Jack Gantos fan for many years now, and so I am thrilled that he won the 2011 Newbery Award for his latest novel (and pseudo memoir) Dead End in Norvelt.
Patrick Carman is a truly amazing and prolific author! He has three series of books where kids go online at certain points during their reading to watch videos and listen...