Behind the Scenes: “Fake News?” by Patricia Newman

It’s a nonfiction writer’s worst nightmare! All your research, meticulous questioning, and writing suddenly hit with a sledgehammer of doubt…YIKES! It’s stressful just to think about it! But fortunately author Patricia Newman and her editor found their way through, and even added another layer of “interesting” to a gorgeous book! Fake News? by Patricia Newman … More Behind the Scenes: “Fake News?” by Patricia Newman

#AmericanRevolution250: “Revolutionary Virtue: How George Washington’s Weakness Saved a Nation” by Selene Castrovilla

Like a liberty bell, the relevance of history rings loud and clear in this timely post from author Selene Castrovilla. I absolutely love GEORGE WASHINGTON’S SPECTACULAR SPECTACLES and the deeper understanding it brings to the Revolutionary War on a personal level. GIVEAWAY! Q&A VIRTUAL VISIT with Selene! Leave a comment below for a chance to … More #AmericanRevolution250: “Revolutionary Virtue: How George Washington’s Weakness Saved a Nation” by Selene Castrovilla

Behind the Scenes: “Social Media for Authors: How to Show Up Online Without Losing Your Mind” by Kristin Tobias

Today’s guest blogger, Kristin Tobias, has some valuable tips and strategies for us! Kristin is founder of Scenda and a social media strategist for authors like Caitlin DeLems. Caitlin and Kristin are spearheading a book giveaway for Black History Month, and I’ll be participating! Check Caitlin’s Instagram or Facebook next week to enter.   Social Media for Authors: How to Show Up Online … More Behind the Scenes: “Social Media for Authors: How to Show Up Online Without Losing Your Mind” by Kristin Tobias

Behind the Scenes: “Should I Write This as a Picture Book or a Middle Grade?” by Elizabeth Brown

It’s so exciting to see budding authors I met at a retreat in 2016 releasing books like this! The title of this post by author Elizabeth Brown is a question I’ve heard often from writers. I was surprised by the length of this amazing book, but I have to say, the pace never faltered. Such … More Behind the Scenes: “Should I Write This as a Picture Book or a Middle Grade?” by Elizabeth Brown

#AmericanRevolution250: Cover Reveal—The Patriots and the Pox by Beth Anderson

Welcome to 2026!  I’m kicking off the #AmericanRevolution250 blog series with a cover reveal—your first peek at THE PATRIOTS AND THE POX: GEORGE WASHINGTON’S BATTLE TO SAVE THE CONTINENTAL ARMY, illustrated by Ashley Yazdani, who came up with creative ways to depict disease, contagion, and immunity! Releasing September 29, 2026, it’s up online now! While … More #AmericanRevolution250: Cover Reveal—The Patriots and the Pox by Beth Anderson

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

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

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.

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

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

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