News, Notes & Inside Info from a Children’s Book Author

Archive for the ‘School Visits’ Category

School Visits: Small Treasures

Monday, May 13th, 2013 Posted in School Visits | No Comments »


I am preparing to hit the road tonight, three nights away from my home and family, and I'll be honest: a big part of me hates being away. The leaving is the worst part. No, there are no tearful farewells. My ...

KINDNESS: My Trip to the 2013 Youth Writing Festival at Calvin College

Thursday, April 25th, 2013 Posted in In the Classroom, School Visits, Uncategorized, bullying | No Comments »


I just returned from a wonderful, two-night trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I was invited (by Gary Schmidt!) to participate in the 2013 Youth Writing Festival at Calvin College. At one point it looked exactly like this: As my Nation of ...

Nice Article Based on My Recent School Visit to Fair Lawn, NY

Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 Posted in In the Classroom, School Visits, the writing process | 2 Comments »


A local reporter, Tracey Putrino, sat in for one of my presentations during a recent school visit to Fair Lawn, New Jersey. The school itself was spectacular, warm and clean and bursting with pride, one of the sweetest elementary schools ...

Three Things

Friday, January 11th, 2013 Posted in School Visits | 1 Comment »


Today I concluded a presentation to a group of students, grades 4-6, with this quote (because the kids are always clamoring for more Henry James):

Fan Mail Wednesday #162

Thursday, December 20th, 2012 Posted in Fan Mail, Jigsaw Jones, School Visits | No Comments »


I'm one of those people who doesn't feel particularly proud or accomplished, much more aware of what I haven't done -- and maybe can't ever do -- than what's already past. I know, I know. But that's just how I'm ...

The Perils of Skype: There’s the Giant “Oz Head,” for Starters

Monday, December 10th, 2012 Posted in In the Classroom, School Visits | No Comments »


Let's start with the horror: Run for the hills, people. On a Thursday morning in late November, I Skyped with students in Pine View Middle School, somewhere in Florida. The basic setup was that a small number of students gathered in the ...

First Review for “Home Sweet Horror,” Book #1 of SCARY TALES Series

Tuesday, November 27th, 2012 Posted in Scary Tales, School Visits | 2 Comments »


Question #1: If your friend writes a review of your book, does that negate it as an objective critical assessment? Question #2: What is friendship, anyway? I first "met" Franki Sibberson through her blog, A Year of Reading, co-written with Mary Lee ...

Writing Process: Using Index Cards, Developing Character, Creating an Outline

Thursday, October 4th, 2012 Posted in Scary Tales, School Visits, the writing process | No Comments »


On school visits, I'm frequently asked about my writing process. I'm always a little stumped by this, since I'm not usually aware of having one, exactly. Certainly not a consistent one, from book to book, year to year, decade to ...

A Few Snaps from a School Visit

Wednesday, September 26th, 2012 Posted in Bystander, School Visits | 2 Comments »


I had a great visit to Thomas Middle School, north of Chicago, a couple of weeks back. First-class all the way, the administration, teachers, students, everybody. They even sent me a bunch of photos from the visit. Here's a few ...

I May Have Just Met the Best 6th-Grade Poet in America

Tuesday, September 11th, 2012 Posted in In the Classroom, School Visits | 8 Comments »


When I speak at schools, a teacher will often come up to ask if I wouldn't mind wearing some kind of amplifier/microphone thingy around my neck for a student who is hearing impaired. And of course I don't mind. I put ...