Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m terrified of public speaking. When I became an author I had ZERO intention of doing school visits because of this fear. But I have been working hard lately to push myself to do things that scare me, so when I was asked to share BRAINSTORM! with the almost 200 Kindergarten and PreK students at Wilson Primary Center in Summit, NJ, I decided to go for it! (GULP!)

And it was FANTASTIC! I read BRAINSTORM!, signed books, and gave the kids some fun tips and tricks for coming up with new ideas to play with when making their own stories. I was definitely nervous, but the kids were so adorable and engaged and made me feel like a superstar! I’m so glad I’ve finally conquered this fear and can’t wait to do it again. Thanks, Wilson Primary!

There’s nothing better than receiving unexpected Google Alerts in my email box! Especially when they lead to beautiful reviews of my books like this one for WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW from the  Youth Services Book Review, a group of librarians in Massachusetts. So grateful they love the book! Read the full review here.

Here’s something kinda cool. So, from Pre-K through 6th grade, I was fortunate enough to go to an amazing private elementary school called Nueva, in Hillsborough, CA. This place was so special to me because I literally spent my entire early childhood growing up there. I remember being so emotional at my graduation from 6th grade that I wrote the school a poem and framed it as a gift to the school! How thrilled was I when I was contacted by the school saying that they had found my poem in their storage and then asked if I would be interested in being featured in the school’s alumni magazine — 37 years after I graduated! What an honor. It was so fun to reflect upon my time there and to remember how much the teachers and school’s philosophy toward learning helped shape me into the person I am today. You can read the whole article here.

I’m so proud, once again, to have had a poem of mine, “Encouragement,” selected for one of Pomelo Books FABULOUS poetry anthologies for kids! This anthology is called What Is A Family? and it is the follow-up to What Is A Friend? (in which my poem, “Here,” was featured!) Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell are the creators of this beautiful series of books that feature poems that were inspired by various black-and-white photographs. Yes, that’s right! The photos came first, and then poets were asked to develop poems based on the photo prompt. I love this method of creating poems! I hope you have a chance to take a look at a copy and see all the poems created by so many talented creators.

If you would like to learn more about the book and purchase your own copy, check out the Pomelo Books website.  100% of the profits of this book will be donated to the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund (IBBY.org), which provides support for children whose lives have been disrupted through war, civil disorder or natural disaster by providing books for therapeutic use.

I am so honored to be a part of this project!

For those of you not in the publishing world, let me just tell you: reviews are A BIG DEAL! Librarians and teachers don’t have time to read ALL the books out there, so they often rely upon professional reviews to decide whether or not they will add a title to their collection. That’s why I am SO thrilled that School Library Journal gave WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW a glowing review! If you are a subscriber, you can read the full review here. If not, here a few blurbs! You’ll get the gist! 🙂