New York Public Library Top 100 — Part Two!
Friday, October 24th, 2008 Posted in Along Came Spider | 3 Comments »Well, this is crazy. I just got a call from Shannon Penney, the Scholastic editor for Along Came Spider, who informed me that Spider, too, was named by The New York Public Library in its 2008 list of “100 ...
Readings: Autism
Monday, October 20th, 2008 Posted in Along Came Spider, Readings | No Comments »Recommended reading: A fascinating article in The Sunday New York Times Magazine, October 17, 2008, titled "Reaching an Autistic Teenager," written by Melissa Fay Greene. The article focuses on a small private school that serves -- educates -- teenage boys with ...
Inside Scoop: Book Covers, Along Came Spider
Sunday, October 19th, 2008 Posted in Along Came Spider, the writing process | No Comments »On Sunday night I began to write a post about my new "Jigsaw Jones" cover, but didn't have all the info I needed to make it happen. So, instead, let's just dub this COVER WEEK and begin here: A while back, ...
Fan Mail Wednesday: #15
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 Posted in Along Came Spider, Fan Mail, the writing process | 3 Comments »Okay, imagine that I'm holding a large cardboard box filled with thousands of paper scraps. I roll up my sleeve, reach in my hand, stir things up a bit, and pull out a note. Wow -- what are the odds? ...
Backstory: A Sense of Smell
Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 Posted in Along Came Spider, the writing process | No Comments »Like most people, I have a nose. But mine doesn't seem to work very well. Smells don't really register with me on a conscious level. I mean, sure, I get the big unavoidable ones, like fresh brownies in the kitchen ...
More Backstory: Writing Spider
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 Posted in Along Came Spider, the writing process | 1 Comment »Teachers often ask about "the writing process." That's an uncomfortable thing for me, since it seems fertile ground for pretentiousness. But to answer the question honestly, "my" writing process is the only one I can speak about with any author/ity. ...
Various & Sundry
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 Posted in Along Came Spider, Six Innings | No Comments »I'm feeling scattered -- first day of school tomorrow! -- and can't quite get focused for much blogging. I'm also trying to help organize Fall Ball for Little Leaguers, where I'll be coaching two teams, so I'm feeling a little ...
Spider Review
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 Posted in Along Came Spider | No Comments »It's a quiet time of year, isn't it? That lull before the shift into Fall and the coming school season. People are on vacation or shopping for school supplies, cleaning out closets, pulling out old sweaters. Nobody seems to be ...
Fan Mail Wednesday #10
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 Posted in Along Came Spider, Fan Mail | No Comments »Wow, these Wednesdays sure do creep up on a guy? Here I am, literally minding my own business, when -- DANG -- up comes another Fan Mail Wednesday banging me upside the head. Whap, whap, whap. Amazingly, fan mail-wise, I had ...
Kirkus Reviews Spider
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008 Posted in Along Came Spider | 1 Comment »Here's what Kirkus Reviews had to say about Along Came Spider: Spider Stevens and Trey Cooper have lived next door to each other their entire lives and have been best friends throughout their years at Spiro Agnew Elementary School. Trey has ...