Next to Mexico by Jennifer Nails

In Next to Mexico, Lylice (rhymes with Phyllis) has skipped 5th grade, meaning she is starting 6th grade at the middle school in Tucson.  She spent all summer excited about the possibilities and getting ready.  When her new principal is far from kind and understanding, Lylice starts to worry.  Anxious to make friends, she jumps [...]

Create Your Debut YA Cover

Travis over at 100 Scope Notes invites us to create our own debut YA book cover.  Apparently, my debut YA novel will be about the timeless struggle between doing laundry and drinking a martini.  As a teen.  See, no parent will suspect you are an alcoholic if you volunteer to do the laundry!  ;)   CREATE [...]

Gary Paulsen Interview!

Today I am thrilled to present an interview I conducted with the amazing Gary Paulsen.  His newest novel, Notes from the Dog, is available in stores today.  A beautiful and touching story about the impact of breast cancer and the importance of friendship and community, I can’t recommend it enough.     Mr. Paulsen, it is [...]

Bella & Bean by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Back in April I was lucky enough to have coffee with Kathi Appelt, who was in the area for a school visit.  We had a great time talking about books, writing, and blogging.  Before parting ways, Kathi told me she had a book I absolutely must read.  She said she knew I would love Bella [...]

Notes from the Dog by Gary Paulsen

Every year, I have a few students that I refer to as my “Paulsen Posse”.  They read every book Gary Paulsen has written, use him as a mentor in their writing, and talk about all of the Paulsen-like adventures they plan to live.  Now, I like Gary Paulsen as much as the next guy- maybe [...]

Meso-American Books for Kids?

I need your help!  This year I will be teaching an enrichment course based on monarch butterflies.  One of my focuses will be the Meso-American cultures in central Mexico, where the monarchs migrate. I am looking for great kid’s books(picture book to YA)about Aztecs, Mayans,Purepechua, etc.  In other words, I need fiction or non-fiction books [...]

Last Day to Win an autographed copy of “The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl”!

Don’t forget, today is the last day to enter my contest!  Thanks to the ever-so-generous Barry Lyga, I have an autographed copy of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl to one lucky email subscriber! How to Enter:There are two simple steps you have to follow to win the autographed book: 1. Subscribe to [...]

Pat Conroy’s Response to Censorship

Pat Conroy, the author of The Prince of Tides: A Novel, recently discovered (EDIT:  Apparently this is from 2007) that a group of parents in West Virginia are attempting to ban the teaching of two of his novels. He wrote an amazing letter to the Editor of the Charleston Gazette. The letter sings the praises [...]

Perfect Game or What I Learned from Reading

I’m not a baseball fan.  In fact, you could say I am the exact opposite.  If you wanted to somehow put me to sleep, stick me in front of a TV with a baseball game on.  I’m more of a soccer, basketball, Olympics girl.  Fast. Aggressive.  High-scoring.  That’s how I like my sports. However, I [...]

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 4!

Big news! Tomorrow, Abrams Books will reveal the cover, color, and title of the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book!  Be sure to visit www.wimpykid.com to view a special presentation by Jeff Kinney tomorrow.   I know my students and my youngest sister have been making bets for months about the color of the [...]