What's New?

VIRTUAL AUTHOR VISITS What a year it's been and how I miss visiting actual schools! However, I am available for both full-day and single-presentation virtual author visits this fall and winter. I'll be booking in-person visits for spring 2021, with contingency plans in place as needed. Go to my School Visits Page for more details and stay safe! 

 

Super honored that LIFEBOAT 12 is the winner of the 2019 Connecticut Book Award AND the 2020 Oklahoma Children's Sequoyah Award. Now in its sixth printing, it is also nominated for state awards in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Vermont. These awards mean the world to me because librarians nominate the books and then kids vote! LIFEBOAT 12 has been named an 2019 ALSC Notable Book, a 2019 Bank Street Best Book of the Year and the winner of the 2019 SCBWI Golden Kite Award for middle grade fiction. (See the NYC awards ceremony below!) And now you can get it in paperback and as an audiobook!

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Fall, 2018

It's Been a Busy Year! 

Two new books—SHAKING THINGS UP and my first middle grade novel LIFEBOAT 12; many school visits; Princeton, Chappaqua, Warwick, and Rhode Island children's book festivals; NCTE in Houston; NCSS in Chicago; and a brand-new picture book coming in May, 2019. Here are some of the highlights! 

 

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                    Launch Party at the Pequot Library in Southport, CT

 

                                      Happy news announced at NCTE! 

 

                     DOUBLE TAKE wins the 2018 Connecticut Book Award

 

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                           NYC school visit with a surprise special guest! 

 

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                     One of many wonderful school visits all over the country

 

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         Spreading the book love at the Connecticut Reading Association Conference.

         Thanks to all these authors and illustrators for donating books to give to CT

         educators. 

 

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                                  Barbara McClintock and David Johnson

                                  hosted a lovely gathering

                                  to celebrate a visit from Dylan Teut. 

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     Meeting THE Ruby Bridges at Smith College and giving her a copy of 

SHAKING THINGS UP featuring Oga Mora's art of young Ruby on the cover

 

 

    Thanks to Susannah Richards for inviting me to the Confratute Conference. 

 

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 The Pinkneys, me, and my husband at the Rhode Island Children's Book Festival 

 

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             The Rhode Island Children's Book Festival authors and illustrators

 

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Proud to participate in the Connecticut Children's Book Fair where I got to meet Tomie dePaola and debut illustrator Doug Salati 

 

Spring, 2018

SHAKING THINGS UP

14 Young Women Who Changed the World

It's here, it's here! The book I worked on days, nights and weekends all last year is on the bookshelves now. Check out the book trailer, an interview with Mr. Schu, and a podcast on All the Wonders with Matthew Winner. Couldn't be prouder of this book written, illustrated, edited and art-directed by women! And P.S. Check out the gorgeous case cover hiding under the jacket!

 

Fall, 2017

Highlights

You know what they say about pictures and 1000 words. 

    2017 Américas Award at the Library of Congress with ADA'S VIOLIN illustrator Sally Wern Comport

 

   Chappaqua Children's Book Festival

 

  2017 Connecticut Book Awards at the Mark Twain House with Doe Boyle, Leslie Bulion, Mary-Kelly Busch, Bina Williams, Leslie Connor, winner Karen Fortunati, and Paul Meisel

 

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School visits!

 

July, 2017

 

DOUBLE TAKE Book Trailer

"Who is AHEAD and who is BEHIND is different for everyone standing in line." It's all about perspective! Here's a peek inside my newest book, with art by debut illustrator Jay Fleck, published by Candlewick. Julie Danielson writing in Kirkus Reviews calls it "a thought-provoking book that will prompt questions for child readers about perspective and point of view. ... a powerful notion for children, particularly at the me-me-me stage of development." See more reviews here.

June 2017

E. B. White Awards

One day ago, on May 31, this happened—the E. B. White Awards at Book Expo America in New York. DU IZ TAK? by Carson Ellis was named the winner and ADA'S VIOLIN was named one of five honor books. (See the complete list here.) I can still hardly believe I got to share the afternoon with these kidlit superheroes!

 

Clockwise from top left: Richard Peck, honoree for THE BEST MAN; Julie Fogliano, honoree for WHEN GREEN BECOMES TOMATOES; Marla Frazee and Gene Luen Yang, Indie Champion Honorees. 

May, 2017

The Christopher Award! 

Blown away to have Ada's Violin awarded the 2017 Christopher Award for books, ages 8 and up. The medal is inscribed with the words "Better to Light One Candle Than to Curse the Darkness" and is given annually to books, movies and television shows "that affirm the highest values of the human spirit." Congratulations to all the other winners, including the children's book authors and illustrators of Baby Wren and the Great Gift; What Do You Do With a Problem; Ida, Always; Soar; and Unbound.

 

                                     The awards ceremony with Father Jonathan Morris and Ada's Violin illustrator

                                     Sally Wern Comport

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Author Visits

I'd love to come to your event! Click here to contact me about scheduling a visit to your school, library, bookstore or book festival.

 

 

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