Wow! I just got back from an incredible weekend sharing my books with teachers at the NCTE (National Council for Teachers of English) conference in Boston! It was HUGE! I think I heard there were something like 8-10k (?!) educators, authors, and publishers from all over the country! And man, teachers are SO nice!! I loved getting a chance to share my books with them, to learn from them, and to get to meet up with author friends — many of whom I’d never met IRL. I’m exhausted, but my heart is full! Here are just a few pics from the amazing weekend!

I couldn’t be more thrilled to finally share the cover of my upcoming book, FINDING FORGIVENESS, illustrated by the absolutely incredible Diana Mayo, which releases on August 5, 2025 from FSG/Macmillan! Available for Pre-Order now in all the places!

Wow! I was so thrilled to see that the Association of Jewish Libraries’ Sydney Taylor Schmooze gave a glowing review of LITTLE DREIDEL LEARNS TO SPIN! Read the full review HERE!

I’m super excited to share my latest book announcement, BRAVE LIKE ESTHER: A Purim Story, illustrated by Asya Aizenstein, which comes out for Purim 2026 with Kalaniot Books!

BRAVE LIKE ESTHER is a picture book that modernizes the story of Queen Esther, recited each year during the joyous Jewish holiday of Purim, by telling it from Esther’s plucky first-person point of view.

While many Purim picture books emphasize Esther’s “extraordinary” bravery, this humorous yet inspiring retelling focuses on Esther as a regular girl with lots of big feelings and reminds all kids that their ability to be courageous and confident is just as extraordinary. They too can choose to be heroes in their own lives by facing their fears and speaking up for what is right. They too can be BRAVE LIKE ESTHER.

My poem/story “THE MATO-TATO SQUAD” was published in the November 2024 issue of Highlights High Five! This is the first time I’ve had a multi-page story published in the High Five, so it’s very exciting. And check out the absolutely adorable illustrations by Monika Filipina! I’m obsessed!

What an amazing day at the The Warwick Children’s Book Festival in Warwick, NY showing of my new LITTLE DREDEL LEARNS TO SPIN Hanukkah tights , along with my trusted ‘ol BRAINSTORM! hat and WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW earrings . Next time I’ll have to figure out a way to also get in my AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO? promo gear! lol. Yes, my outfit was a little all over the place, but at least most of it was purple!

As always, I loved sharing my books with kids and their families and spending time reconnecting with my Kidlit pals. Thank you to the incredible organizers and volunteers who made the whole day run so smoothly! One of my absolutely fave children’s book festivals. See you next year!

My latest “spooky” poem appears in the October issue of Blast Off magazine, one of the fabulous children’s magazines in Australia! Check out the AWESOME art by Cheryl Orsini!

Check it out! WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW is now available in board book format! So not only can kids READ the book, they can also CHEW on it! 🙂 I was so surprised to see how BIG the board book is (I usually think of board books as small), but this one is almost just a tad smaller than the regular hardcover, so you can still enjoy all the gorgeous illustrations from Mariona Cabassa. So thrilled that this book will now get a chance to make it into more hands (and mouths!)

What an honor to chat with creator Nancy Miller on her wonderful podcast, My Creative Life! I’d actually almost forgotten about this one because we’d recorded it back in the spring. However, I absolutely stand by all the advice I gave and insight into my writing journey that I shared back then. Hope you’ll take a listen!