Comics and other graphic texts are one of the fastest growing areas of publishing, and they seem to be getting stronger each year. If you haven’t considered getting graphic, you might want to. This post is for creators, especially writers, who are interested in graphic story-telling. Even if your art skills are limited to crooked, one-armed stick figures, […]
The One Thing I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Creating Characters
April 24, 2019 by · 5 Comments
There’s a lot of conflicting advice out there about characters. Do you make them quirky and unusual (like Amelia Bedelia), or more ordinary (like Charlie Brown)? Do you make them heroic (someone readers might aspire to be, like Atticus Finch), or deeply flawed (like FH in Jesus’s Son)? Do you make them raw and human […]
Writing Advice Part II (my top six other best pieces of advice)
April 19, 2019 by · 10 Comments
The single best piece of writing advice I ever got was to write the book you most want to read (more on that here). After that, here are six other bits of writing advice that have made the biggest difference for me (and that I need to keep reminding myself of to keep on going). […]
The Last Panther Teaching and Book Club Kit
April 21, 2017 by · 2 Comments
Looking for materials to enhance using The Last Panther in the classroom or book club? This is the place to find and share those. Although my first goal is always to write an entertaining story, it’s my hope that The Last Panther will help students creating vivid, personal connections to several areas of interest for 4th-7th grades, including: —Understanding […]
Do Something Good (and get a Protector Pendant!)
October 19, 2016 by · 8 Comments
Ever wish you were living in a fantasy book, fighting monsters and questing to save the world? (I sometimes do). Fortunately, there are plenty of real causes in need of heroes. BECOME A PROTECTOR! Being a protector is easier than you might think. You can: —Sell lemonade or homemade crafts to raise money to protect endangered species […]
I’m now a Talkabook author!
May 1, 2021 by · Leave a Comment
Talkabook is a new way to connect with authors in interactive, virtual visits. I’m also continuing my normal in-person and virtual Author Visit options for schools, libraries, and reading groups, but Talkabook is another way to connect personally and virtually. With Talkabook you can bring me (or other authors) out to a gathering, a writing group, […]
Why English Teachers Must Talk About the Climate Crisis (and how to do it)
December 9, 2020 by · Leave a Comment
*Note: This material was originally shared as part of a NCTE presentation titled “Responding to the Climate Crisis in English Language Arts.” LEARNING FROM DISASTERS: QUICK TIPS FOR EXPLORING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES WITH 4TH-12TH GRADERS. “Take two breaths. 100 years ago, you would have breathed in 300 ppm of CO2. Today, you breathed in over […]
CCIRA Session Handouts
February 7, 2020 by · Leave a Comment
Dear Teachers, Sorry I wasn’t able to make it in person today to CCIRA (Colorado weather knocked me off the road, then got sunny). If you’re one of the brave souls who attended my sessions anyway (and saw me stumble through virtually), thank you! Below please find PDFs of my session handouts. Click here for […]
