I’m so excited to announce that Animal Allies: 15 Amazing Women in Wildlife Research is a finalist for the Russell Freedman Award for Nonfiction for a Better World presented by the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund. The Russell Freedman award is given to a work of nonfiction that contributes to our understanding of how to make our… Read more »
Book Review
Fall for the Book Festival Video!
Enjoy this incredible video featuring books from the Women of Power series from Chicago Review Press and shared at the Fall for the Book Festival!
ANIMAL ALLIES featured in Kirkus Review article
I’m so thrilled that ANIMAL ALLIES is featured in a recent Kirkus Reviews article “Books that Demystify the World of Work for Teens.” One of my goals with this book is to inspire teens to explore a variety of paths and being included in this article feels wonderful!
Check Out this Review of my new book Animal Allies
I’m so excited about this positive review from Kirkus! Read the full review here!
Looking for excellent STEAM books?
Over the weekend, someone asked me what kind of books I write. I mentioned I write books that fit into the STEAM category. “I thought it was STEM,” this person said. “There is STEM and there is STEAM,” I explained. “The A is for arts, and it makes sense as so much of art and… Read more »
How a Book Smells
I love how a book smells. I love that slightly dusty, dry papery smell mingled with the chemical odor of ink. Unfortunately that smell can often fade, but it’s in my memory. Writers are encouraged to use smells in their books because when our brains read the description of the smells, our sensory areas light… Read more »
Wild About Reading Books
We love reading books in this house. We also love reading books outside, on the bus, while we’re walking, and even in the parked minivan in the garage. Graphic Novels The book that has captured the attention of this van reader is a graphic novel in the Amulet series. He got book 4 in his… Read more »
Books to Read on a Visit to the Southwest
At the end of 2016, we took a family vacation to Arizona. Like all good vacations, I prepared a little reading list for the trip. The Books While we were traveling, I read Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin and Turtle Dream by Gerald Hausman. There were little pearls of word wonder in both books…. Read more »
A Little Free Library – Finally!!
We finally have a Little Free Library in Tyler Park! About a year ago, I was in Minneapolis, MN, for a volunteer conference. While I was there, roaming around the very flat city, I walked by my very first Little Free Library. I had heard of these delightful book boxes, but never seen one. As… Read more »
Why Did This Book Win a Newbery Medal?
I’m working my way through the Newbery Award winners, and while I’ve read some books I really loved, there are some serious duds in the list. So far I have to say Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon and Ginger Pye are real disappointments compared to some of these books. While I gave both of… Read more »