Today is the day that Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy, illustrated magnificently by Archana Sreenivasan and written by me, releases into the world. It is intended for readers aged 4-8 (but, of course, readers older and younger than that are very welcome). It is the first picture book I’ve written, and the best-reviewed book yet of… Read more »
Writing
So you want to get your children’s book published?
Updated May 2023 With some regularity, I get e-mails from people who have written a book for children and would like advice on how to get it published. The first thing I always tell them is “Congratulations! Writing a book is a huge accomplishment!” (Seriously. It took me seven years to write my own first children’s… Read more »
Great hopes for THE GREAT HIBERNATION
Well, friends, the day is here. My fourth novel, The Great Hibernation, is out in the world. This is definitely my weirdest book, and in some ways, also my most personal. Writing it was a long journey that spanned 2013—before I was a published author at all!—until very late 2015 (two days before I gave… Read more »
Cover reveal for THE GREAT HIBERNATION!
Let’s not beat around the (thistleberry) bush. Here it is, the cover for my next middle-grade novel, The Great Hibernation, coming September 12 from Wendy Lamb Books/Random House! The illustrator is the incredible Rebecca Green. Why yes, that is a sheep wearing snowshoes. And a boy in a 17th-century mariner’s costume. And a fjord, and an… Read more »
#FCSDay and The Food Side of Things
People who’ve read my novel All Four Stars and its sequels often ask me how I became a writer. Sometimes they also want to know where my book ideas come from. (Ha, if only I knew! I’d go back and grab a few more.) But recently, a friend asked a different question: How did I… Read more »
Book recommendations!
I recently Skyped with a terrific book club in Massachusetts, and the members asked me to recommend some other middle-grade novels that they might enjoy. I ended up putting a list together and e-mailing it to them, and since this isn’t the first time I’ve had a question like this, I thought that I’d share… Read more »
And a one, and a two, and a one, two, THREE!
Exciting news to share this morning: There will be a THIRD Gladys Gatsby book, coming out in 2016! Here’s the announcement from my agency. I’m so excited that the foodie adventures of Ms. Gatsby and her friends will be continuing, and that I’ll get to work with my wonderful editor Shauna Rossano and her team at… Read more »
Interview with Colorado author Kita Murdock!
Hey, check it out: the Colorado is for Writers interview series is back! Every other Tuesday, I talk to different Colorado-based authors about their work and their connections to this beautiful state. Today, I’m happy to welcome Kita Murdock to the blog! Kita’s middle-grade novel, Future Flash, was published this summer by Sky Pony Press. Read on to learn… Read more »
Interview with Colorado author Renee Collins!
Welcome back to the Colorado is for Writers interview series! Every other Tuesday, I talk to different Colorado-based authors about their work and their connections to this beautiful state. Today, I’m happy to welcome young adult author Renee Collins to the blog! Renee’s debut YA novel, Relic, was published by Entangled Teen in 2013. Welcome, Renee! First things… Read more »
Interview with Colorado author Emily Hainsworth!
Welcome back to the Colorado is for Writers interview series! Every other Tuesday, I talk to different Colorado-based authors about their work and their connections to this beautiful state. Today, I’m happy to welcome young adult author Emily Hainsworth to the blog! Emily’s debut YA novel, Through to You, was published in 2012 by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins and… Read more »