It’s summer road trip season, and in our family, that means I’m on the lookout for great books for reading out loud. That’s our favorite way to while away the hours speeding down the highways and back roads. Not all books are great for reading aloud. To me, the key is that the plot has to be relatively straightforward (in case someone zones out for … Continue reading Summer Road Trip Read Alouds
I’ve never really been one for writing prompts. Like everyone else, I am busy, and so have always felt the writing time I had needed to be as productive as humanly possible. If I wasn’t adding to my word count, I was wasting time. It will probably come as no surprise to those of you who have been writing for a while that I got … Continue reading Why You Need to Try Writing Prompts
Some fellow Pennies and I recently attended the New England SCBWI Conference. New England’s is the largest SCBWI regional conference; this year there were 699 attendees. Despite its size, the conference had the feel of a family reunion, punctuated with many shrieks of recognition and tackle hugs. When individual members were honored with awards, the collective joy and pride in the room was palpable. In … Continue reading Wisdom from the New England SCBWI Conference
Whenever I read those Proust questionnaire-type interviews, I always get lost in reverie, answering the questions myself. The New York Times Book Review has one each week, and one of the questions is, “Who is your favorite hero of literature?” I have spent a fair amount of time mulling that one. Cool, clear-eyed Holden Caulfield? Kind-hearted, optimistic Anne Shirley? Atticus Finch? Jo March? Then the … Continue reading My Favorite Hero of Literature
