middle grade

The Writer's Guide to Children's Book Genres

The Writer’s Guide to Children’s Book Genres

Genres carve up all the works we call “literature” and put them into helpful categories. For kids, the most helpful categories are developmental stages. So children’s book genres really equate to age categories or developmental stages. Why developmental stage? What’s interesting and appropriate to a toddler is wildly different from what would make the cut …

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2019 Kids books for every age and stage

2019 Book Gift List for Kids at Every Age and Stage

Yay! It’s time for me to gush about some books and convince you to buy them for every child you know. This has become a yearly tradition for me. (For five years now!) I admit – I get excited going through my Goodreads list and rediscovering the books I’ve read that year. I get less …

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Horse books for kids

Horse books for Kids: True stories and Favorite Fiction

For this month’s Kidlit book roundup, I’m happy to welcome my friend, Deb Aronson. Deb was one of my first writer friends; she welcomed me into our local writer community way back when I was just beginning to learn the ropes. Somehow she stayed my friend despite seeing those early draft.  *Shudder* We’re still friends …

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How Children's books are Made: Part 1. The Truth About Illustrations

How a Children’s Book is Made: Part 1. The Truth About Illustrations

Being an author is a funny thing: everyone has heard of your job. (Unlike my husband – a systems architect.) But people don’t know what it is I actually do. (My husband and I have that one in common.) Whether you’re a writer hoping to publish a book or a kidlit lover who is curious …

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New Year 2019

Happy New year! Goodbye 2018, Hello 2019

It’s nearly the end of 2018, folks. It’s been a great year for me writing-wise.   Looking Back at 2018   2018 in Writing I published my second board book, I Pray Today, and I had my first-ever blog tour.    I revised my novel and got two new work for hire picture book contracts – …

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2018 List of Books to give to kids: Kids books for every age and stage: Baby to Teen and everything in between

BIG List of Books for Kids: 2018 edition

It’s that time of year again: where I try to convince you to buy books for every child you know this holiday season. This is my fourth year putting together this list (!!!). It’s always a lot of fun to look back at what I read over the year – like revisiting old friends. I …

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