EXIT 13 — Here We Go!

September 10, 2022 / / No comments

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I published my first book in 1986 at age 25 and this new one arrived yesterday. 36 years. Still a thrill. And actually this one especially so, written during one of the most challenging periods in a long career. A new series with Scholastic, “Schitt’s Creek” meets “Stranger Things” with a touch of Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary.” Fast-paced, creepy, mysterious, and hopefully addictive. The first book will be offered exclusively by Scholastic Book Fairs this Fall, available far and wide in February. EXIT 13!

Here’s the cover of the second book, which is — amazingly — even better. 

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Category: EXIT 13 / Tags: , , , ,

Let Us Push Pause Before Leaping to Judgment

September 1, 2022 / / No comments

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If we’ve learned anything these past few years, let one of those things be that we pause before making judgments, criticizing, finding fault in others. Because we just don’t know what is going in the lives of other people.

And beyond merely giving pause, let us also bring a generosity of spirit to our perceptions: compassion, tolerance, hopefulness. So many of us in today’s world seem primed to leap at the worst conclusions. Sour, bitter, angry people. 

So let us hit pause & open our hearts to the native goodness in our world.

Carry on!

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For me as a writer, this single idea — that we just don’t know — fueled my most recent novel, Upstander, a sequel/prequel to Bystander that can be read as a stand alone. 

In this book, I take a minor character from Bystander, Mary, and make her the main character. We enter her home, meet her family, and begin to see all the cares and concerns that fill her life. Most notably, an older brother (growing up, I had four older brothers) who struggles with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). 

Everyone has a story that most of us simply don’t know. 

Category: In the Classroom, Upstander / Tags: , , , ,

VIDEO PRESENTATION: All Welcome Here!

August 31, 2022 / / No comments

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It’s that time of year again. Here’s a video presentation of All Welcome Here, a book dedicated to teachers everywhere who open their hearts, and their classrooms, to every student who comes through that door. 

Note: I was asked by an Oregon bookstore to create a brief video talk (under ten minutes) about my new picture book, All Welcome Here. This is part presentation, part read-aloud, targeted for young readers. I had a little production help this one, and I think it turned out okay.

Teachers, feel free to share with your students. And parents — hey, why not? — share away. 

Hopefully this book celebrates the best of us, sending positive signals about acceptance, kindness, and community. Good luck, be smart, and stay healthy! 

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“Caldecott Honoree GrandPre captures the day’s variable moods in pictures of absorbed, interacting kids of various skin tones and abilities . . . a cheery take on the joy of camaraderie.” — Publishers Weekly.

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“Lively haiku pairs with vibrant art to showcase various facets of the first day of school . . . Expressive, mixed-media illustrations are an eye-catching blend of bright colors, patterns, and perspectives: the multicultural kids and adults further the sense of inclusiveness. With it’s reassuring and upbeat elements, this may also help alleviate first-day fers as it highlights the many positive opportunities that await.” — Booklist.

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Category: All Welcome Here / Tags: , , , , ,

Madeleine L’Engle: I Am Still Every Age That I Have Been . . .

August 15, 2022 / / 2 comments

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“I am still every age that I have been.
Because I was once a child, I am always a child.”

 

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“Because I was once a searching adolescent,

given to moods and ecstasies,

these are still part of me, and always will be…

This does not mean that I ought to be trapped or enclosed in

any of these ages…the delayed adolescent, the childish adult,

but that they are in me to be drawn on; to forget is a form of suicide…

Far too many people misunderstand what putting away childish things

means, and think that forgetting what it is like to think and feel

and touch and smell and taste and see and hear like a three-year-old

or a thirteen-year-old or a twenty-three-year-old

means being grownup. When I’m with these people I, like the kids,

feel that if this is what it means to be a grown-up,

then I don’t ever want to be one.

Instead of which, if I can retain a child’s awareness and joy,

and be fifty-one,

then I will really learn what it means to be grownup.”

-Madeleine L’Engle

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Category: Readings, the writing process / Tags: , , ,

Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival: October 15th!

August 10, 2022 / / No comments

 

I am happy to remind everyone about the upcoming Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival on October 15th. As always, I am grateful and honored to be invited — I never take that for granted — privileged to participate in this great, book-centered event. The poster art was done by my pal, the redoubtable Hudson Talbott. This year’s festival will be a celebration of getting through the pandemic w/ grace and good will. But best of all, it comes with a sense of relief and heartfelt joy for Dawn Greenberg’s recovery and return to good health after a serious illness. Dawn is one of the prime movers behind this festival, she puts her heart and soul into it: a treasure to her community. There’s so much to be grateful for in this crazy mixed-up world.

Save the date. Come see what it’s all about. And please say hello if you do. 

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Category: Current Events, Happenings / Tags: ,
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