Writing Neurodiverse Characters Responsibly

Who is ready for WriteOnCon? You know we are! For those who can’t wait until next week, I am going to give you a sneak peek into my presentation about neurodiversity. The entire presentation will be shown on Sunday, February 23, 2020, from 12:00 – 12:30 pm EST. Of course, if you get an extended ticket, you can view all events throughout March 22, 2020. … Continue reading Writing Neurodiverse Characters Responsibly

Windows & Mirrors: Kelly Yang’s FRONT DESK

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we’re featuring Front Desk by Kelly Yang!   Fifth-grader and immigrant Mia lives with her Chinese parents in a small room at the Calivista Hotel. When they arrived in America, they expected to work hard but they had … Continue reading Windows & Mirrors: Kelly Yang’s FRONT DESK

Windows & Mirrors: The Poet X

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences.   Today we’re featuring The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Fifteen-year-old Xiomara longs for the simple relationship she had with her mother before she became a curvy Afro-Latina, turning neighborhood boys’ heads despite wanting to be invisible to them. … Continue reading Windows & Mirrors: The Poet X

A Windows & Mirrors Love Letter – The Hate U Give

Welcome to a special Love Letters edition of Windows & Mirrors where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to hear Angie Thomas, author of the National Book Award-nominated, NYT best-selling The Hate U Give, speak in New York City. I loved putting a face … Continue reading A Windows & Mirrors Love Letter – The Hate U Give

Introducing Windows & Mirrors

The phrase “windows and mirrors” has become a catch-phrase of the movement for more inclusivity in children’s literature. Borrowed from a scholarly paper written more than twenty-five years ago by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, the words remind us why children need to see themselves, and others who are not like them, in books: Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real … Continue reading Introducing Windows & Mirrors