Author: Beth Anderson

Children's Writer

Behind the Scenes Halloween Edition: “Making It Scary Meant Facing My Haunted Past” by Stan Yan

October 31, 2025

Happy Halloween! There’s a lot of scary stuff out there. But there can also be a lot of scary stuff inside oneself! With THE MANY MISFORTUNES OF EUGENIA WANG, amazing author/illustrator Stan Yan faced his fears. Here he shares his process of digging into the personal. GIVEAWAY! Stan is offering a copy of THE MANY … More Behind the Scenes Halloween Edition: “Making It Scary Meant Facing My Haunted Past” by Stan Yan

Mining for Heart: “Diving Deep Past First Impressions” by Anne Lambelet

October 24, 2025

I “met” Anne Lambelet when she created phenomenal art for CLOAKED IN COURAGE: UNCOVERING DEBORAH SAMPSON, PATRIOT SOLDIER. Today you get a peek behind and inside Anne’s latest release, I’M A DUMBO OCTOPUS! A GRAPHIC GUIDE TO CEPHALOPODS. I have to tell you, it’s totally fun! And I learned a lot! GIVEAWAY! Anne is gifting … More Mining for Heart: “Diving Deep Past First Impressions” by Anne Lambelet

Behind the Scenes: “The Evolution of a Picture Book Biography from Sub to Pub” by Danna Zeiger, Ph.D.

October 17, 2025

Looking back over the process of a book can be really informative. So much is forgotten over the course of the several years it takes from idea to published. Here’s an interesting post from debut author Danna Zeiger on the journey of REWRITING THE RULES: HOW DR. KATHLEEN FRIEL CREATED NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR BRAIN RESEARCH … More Behind the Scenes: “The Evolution of a Picture Book Biography from Sub to Pub” by Danna Zeiger, Ph.D.

Behind the Scenes: “The Unexpected Lessons from Building a Children’s Reading Roadmap” by Bianca Schulze

October 10, 2025

How do we as parents, teachers, librarians, and authors decide which books are important for kids? With the range of possibilities delightfully wide, deep, and ever-growing, it’s hard to know where to start, and impossible to finish. But lucky for us, Bianca Schulze took on the task! Here she shares her thoughtful and insightful process … More Behind the Scenes: “The Unexpected Lessons from Building a Children’s Reading Roadmap” by Bianca Schulze

Especially for Educators: “From Story to STEAM: Building Project-Based Learning from Picture Books” by Lindsay Moretti

October 3, 2025

If you’re not familiar with Lindsay Moretti’s endeavor for educators called KIDLIT GROVE, please…read on! In this post, she shares her process of using picture books as a springboard for creating Project-Based Learning (PBL) units. I totally agree with her—books don’t end with the last page! GIVEAWAY! Lindsay is offering winner’s choice: a free 1-month … More Especially for Educators: “From Story to STEAM: Building Project-Based Learning from Picture Books” by Lindsay Moretti

Mining for Heart in the Absence of Compassion: WORTHY: THE BRAVE AND CAPABLE LIFE OF JOSEPH PIERCE by Andrea Wang

September 26, 2025

Author Andrea Wang’s latest book is beautiful in text and art, and at the same time heartbreaking and inspiring. The path to the heart of WORTHY: THE BRAVE AND CAPABLE LIFE OF JOSEPH PIERCE she shares here is such a perfect example that shows how “heart” arises from the connection between author and research, that … More Mining for Heart in the Absence of Compassion: WORTHY: THE BRAVE AND CAPABLE LIFE OF JOSEPH PIERCE by Andrea Wang

Especially for Educators: “Who Helps You Shine? Embracing a Growth Mindset to Reach Your Dreams” by Lisa Rogers

September 19, 2025

Here’s another fantastic book from one of the Kid Lit for Growing Minds members! In this post for educators and librarians, author Lisa Rogers, a former library teacher, shares how WOODY’S WORDS: WOODROW WILSON RAWLS AND WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS can be used as a springboard for students to practice a growth mindset. GIVEAWAY! … More Especially for Educators: “Who Helps You Shine? Embracing a Growth Mindset to Reach Your Dreams” by Lisa Rogers

Mining for Heart: “Digging into the Heart of the Land” by Stacy S. Jensen

September 12, 2025

I too am enamored with the view of the Rocky Mountains. Along with the wonder they inspire, somehow, they anchor you. In writing the story of a piece of land, Stacy Jensen faced the challenge of finding the heart of a story about something that’s not human. Here she shares the process of writing BEFORE … More Mining for Heart: “Digging into the Heart of the Land” by Stacy S. Jensen

Behind the Scenes: “How Primary Sources Can Grow Your Nonfiction Nature Picture Book” by Lynn Street

September 5, 2025

It’s quite amazing when you find primary sources that provide the seed, or acorn, that allows you to tell a story that for a while seemed lifeless. Check out this great post from debut author Lynn Street about how THE BLUE JAYS THAT GREW A FOREST grew from deep research and personal immersion in the … More Behind the Scenes: “How Primary Sources Can Grow Your Nonfiction Nature Picture Book” by Lynn Street