In first grade, I was a rule follower. I hated being in trouble. (I still do.) I was what people called “a good girl.” I behaved nicely, I did all my lessons. (I had a LOT of lessons.) And I loved reading. I started reading with my mom on her bed at night, huddled together […]
July
17
Cover Reveal: Tear This Down by Barbara Dee
posted by CBethM
I’ve always thought that the most powerful scene in The Wizard of Oz has nothing to do with wicked witches and twisters and flying monkeys. It’s the anticlimax, the moment when Toto exposes the Wizard for who he is: a weak, flawed man hiding behind a curtain. To me this scene is so powerful because […]
July
15
WHO’S IN CHARGE? by Stephanie Allain & Jenny Klion
posted by CBethM
Children’s literature has always been a reflection of the times. It’s the adults in the room who are ultimately in charge of kids lit and its rollout—of what social messages get bought and sold, how they think kids should live the life they’re selling them, and most importantly, how kids themselves can add value to […]
July
01
Good Grief: On Reading Books and Loving the World by Maggie Philpot
posted by CBethM
It was late. We were past bedtimes, but we couldn’t stop. I was about to finish reading aloud The Trumpet of The Swan to my six- and eight-year-old. There is not bittersweet to this beloved book by the wondrous E.B. White (unless you count the rather strange arrangement with the Philadelphia Zoo to leave a […]
June
30
Knowledge Spelled Backwards by A. R. Capetta
posted by CBethM
Mrs. Petruny’s third grade classroom wasn’t just a classroom—it was a kingdom. Specifically, it was the Kingdom of Edelwon. At first, I thought this name was simply magical and musical. I later learned from Mrs. Petruny that it was also Knowledge spelled backwards, with a few letters missing. I’d already spent an enormous amount of time in fantasy realms by third grade. I’d portaled through as many […]
June
04
Birth of a Blob: An Author/Editor Q&A with Constance Lombardo and Jill Davis
posted by CBethM
Available today from Constance Lombardo and Micah Player, ITTY BITTY BETTY BLOB is a charming picture book with an important message: Being yourself is MORE than enough. Learn more about the behind-the-scenes story in this exclusive Q&A between author Constance Lombardo and Jill Davis, Editorial Director at Hippo Park. Jill: Thanks for welcoming us to […]
May
28
Names Have Power by Suma Subramaniam
posted by CBethM
“Names have power,” says acclaimed author, Rick Riordan in The Lightning Thief. Have you ever mispronounced someone’s name? What do you do when someone mispronounces your name? Do you correct them? Ignore it? Get mad and storm away? My name is Suma Subramaniam. Or is it? My name story is a common one in India where I was born. I was given […]
May
15
Self-Edit by John David Anderson
posted by CBethM
7972. That’s how many changes I made to my latest novel, Keep It Like a Secret. Microsoft Word has this nifty feature allowing you to compare versions of the same document, the writing equivalent of a before and after pic. It highlighted everything I’d altered in a nice red font so I could see the […]
May
14
A Story Bigger Than A Volcano by Rebecca E.F. Barone
posted by CBethM
Volcanoes are awesome. They’re huge, unstoppable forces that answer to exactly zero human input or consideration. Our very home is constantly being shaped and reshaped by what’s going on far beneath our feet every single day. Well, what’s going on far beneath our feet…until it’s brought to the surface, often in spectacular and violent ways. […]
May
12
Mother’s Day by Elisha Cooper
posted by CBethM
I have never given birth, but some of my favorite people in the world have. One of them, on the days our daughters were born, did something so powerful and raw that the memory of it still fills me with awe. I often wonder why on birthdays we celebrate the person who was born, and not the person who gave birth. The day really should be called Giving Birth Day. Or, Giving Day. This feeling of awe made me want to write a children’s book about birth. I wanted to celebrate women, mothers, females of all species. It’s […]
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