Children’s and young adult books have been a bright spot for publishing even through the recession, showing growth where other categories have floundered. Naturally, publishers want their customers to enthusiastically buy their products. To do that, the publishers need to know what their customers want. A new survey put out by TeenReads and The Book […]
Look at her go! This is video of my daughter Antonia skating her personal best in the 500 meters — and opening the Olympic Qualifiers at the Pettit. Big events like these often have several young people forerunning, ie, skating a distance while the officials check the clocks. Toni skated with fellow Badger Club Member […]
I’ve been reading Karen Hesse’s work lately. She’s an American author out of the East Coast whose well known for her page-turning historical fiction. I’d recommend reading Out of the Dust, written in free verse in the voice of a young girl who lives through the Dust Bowl of the Great Depression. It won the […]
I am so excited to announce that one of my daughters will be taking part in the U.S. Speedskating Olympic Trials coming up at the Pettit National Ice Center! No, Antonia is not competing for a place on America’s Team — yet 🙂 — but she’ll be skating two distances as part of the clock […]
I can’t wait until Tuesday when I’ll have my first practice on my new short track skates! Check ’em out: Bont Jets with Maple Chrome blades. These boots have a higher ankle than the long track boots, and that’s really needed for the lean and the digging into the ice on sharp turns. I’m still […]
I’ve been doing quite a lot of research lately for a young adult story involving high school football. Frankly, I’d forgotten a lot of the rules that differentiate professional, collegiate, and high school ball — things like the height of goalposts, ball placement for kickoff, and two-foot/one-foot rules for completed passes. All this research is […]
You’re supposed to treat your speedskates really well. They’re expensive and touchy and easily broken. So what do I do today on the ice but goof off, doing figure-skating spins on my long track speedskates. Naughty. That’s really bad for blades, but I figured I’d be resharpening the blades tonight anyway. Harmless fun. Then I’m […]
Should authors and illustrators who come into contact with children at schools be required to undergo a background check? Before you answer, picture a school reading — either at the individual class level where there might be 15 children seated around an author, or at the assembly level where a hundred children or more are […]
It’s now going to be one of my favorite places to write. Sure, the Starbucks I usually hit has a lively atmosphere, which can help set the mood for knocking out a fast, tense scene, but when you need to settle into the emotions of a character, loud music can stymie your progress. Don’t get […]