Countdown to ALA Newbery Winners!
Many schools and libraries put together Mock Newbery Award book clubs, rallying their students to read the books that are getting “winner buzz” each year and then putting together discussion groups to...
View ArticleTake the Polar Plunge! (into reading and writing)
Happy 2014! It’s that time of year. Who’s up for a Polar Plunge? You know, the thing where crazy — I mean awesome people decide to jump into the frigid ocean or lake on in the month of January to…...
View ArticleWhy It’s Okay to Judge
With the ALA Youth Media award announcements just a little under a week away, I can’t help reflect over my own experiences this past year as a part of the Asian-Pacific American...
View ArticleWhen not to recommend a book
A dad I know searched used book stores and sites until he came across the book he thought would be perfect for his nine-year-old son. No matter that it had been out of print since 1985; the dad himself...
View ArticleWelcome Super Librarian and Author Louise Simone!
Nobody knows the books kids love better than someone who’s surrounded by lots and lots of kids and lots and lots of wonderful books, which is exactly how I’d describe elementary and middle school...
View ArticleLiving Lincoln’s Words
On this 205th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, I’m grateful for our 16th President’s lasting legacy. Lincoln shepherded this nation through some of our most trying times, a life beautifully...
View ArticleWaiting is the Hard Part
So when you read the title of this post did Tom Petty’s song “Waiting is the Hardest Part” come to mind? If not, it probably did now. (Cue music in your head). We all have problems with waiting. Well,...
View ArticleOne Hundred Years Later
This year is the centenary anniversary of the start of World War I, an event that for most of today’s middle graders ranks as ancient history. World War I for Kids aims to help young readers...
View ArticleInterview and Giveaway with Anne Blankman!
In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her “uncle” Dolf, has...
View ArticleEverything You Need to Know About Teacher’s Guides-Plus Book & Critique...
I’m thrilled to welcome Natalie Dias Lorenzi back to the Mixed-Up Files. Natalie’s first novel for children, Flying the Dragon, was published in 2012 and has been honored on best-of-the-year lists from...
View ArticleEarth Day 2014: Inspiring a new generation of stewards
There is no power for change greater than a child discovering what he or she cares about. Seymour Simon April 22, 2010 Earth Day 40th anniversary Prolific nonfiction writer and Earth advocate Seymour...
View ArticleDiversity in Children’s Literature: The Search for the Missing Characters...
A recent study conducted by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin discovered something shocking. Of 3,200 children’s books released in 2013, a mere 223 were by authors...
View ArticleThe Nonfiction Family Tree
A few weeks ago, I attended the New England SCBWI conference in beautiful Springfield, MA. I had the pleasure of sitting in on a workshop given by Melissa Stewart and Sarah Albee on Nonfiction. It was...
View ArticleBook Expo America – Photo Essay & Musings
I just got home from my first ever BEA (Book Expo America) bookseller convention held at the Javits Center in New York City. It’s been nearly 10 years since I visited New York and, though I came very...
View ArticleFreedom Summer 1964: Looking back with a new generation
Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around traditional song that became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960′s Fifty years ago this month, the arduous efforts of civil rights advocates through...
View ArticleCelebrating Stories about America’s National Parks!
Happy Birthday America! In honor of July 4th, and family travel season, I thought I would write about one of this country’s greatest treasures: The National Parks System. I’ve come to more deeply...
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