Author: Michelle Leonard

Michelle is a We Need Diverse Books advocate and volunteer, a member of SCBWI Carolinas, and a Masters of Library and Information Studies student on her way to becoming an academic STEM librarian. She blogs about libraries and information studies at michelletleonard.com (More Than Stacks). You can also find her on Twitter @mleonardwrites.
Book Recommendations, Creativity and Craft, Graphic Novel, Middle Grade

Featured: Graphic Novel SHARE YOUR SMILE

Know any budding graphic novelists or writers? SHARE YOUR SMILE is exactly the book to put in their hands. Telgemeier breaks the creation process down into easily understood chunks from inspiration to finished drawings. She takes you through the research and drawing process, using her popular graphic novels SMILE, SISTERS, DRAMA, and GHOSTS as examples. SHARE YOUR SMILE is filled with writing prompts and exercises, giving … Continue reading Featured: Graphic Novel SHARE YOUR SMILE

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Author, Book Recommendations, Interviews, Middle Grade

THE LIBRARY OF EVER: Author Interview with Zeno Alexander

Today we are thanking our lucky stars to have landed an interview with the elusive Zeno Alexander, author of a new middle-grade fantasy adventure that will speak to the hearts of librarians and all who love books and information. THE LIBRARY OF EVER Eleven-year-old Lenora escapes from her inattentive nanny through a secret portal at an arch in her local library and lands in the … Continue reading THE LIBRARY OF EVER: Author Interview with Zeno Alexander

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Author, Book Recommendations, Picture Books

Interview with Bea Birdsong, author of I WILL BE FIERCE!

I recently had the pleasure of hanging out with author Bea Birdsong at the Whirlikids Festival at McIntyre’s Books and was thrilled to get a sneak peek of her debut picture book, I WILL BE FIERCE!, releasing on 4/23/19.  Here’s the publisher’s description:  It’s a brand-new day, and a young girl decides to take on the world like a brave explorer heading off on an epic fairytale quest. … Continue reading Interview with Bea Birdsong, author of I WILL BE FIERCE!

Michelle Leonard2 Comments
Book Recommendations, Middle Grade

AUGUST ISLE by Ali Standish

I’ve longed to read AUGUST ISLE since the second I heard about it. It is the second middle grade book from THE ETHAN I WAS BEFORE author Ali Standish. Miranda longs to visit August Isle, the town where her mom spent summers as a girl. In part, she thinks it might help her bond with her busy and aloof mother better. But then, Mom takes … Continue reading AUGUST ISLE by Ali Standish

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Author, Book Recommendations, Interviews, Middle Grade

Interview with Gillian McDunn, author of Caterpillar Summer

We’re reviewing an upcoming middle-grade release today,  CATERPILLAR SUMMER by debut author Gillian McDunn, perfect for fans of THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH and FISH IN A TREE.  With an overworked widowed mom and a rambunctious special-needs brother, twelve-year-old Cat barely has any time to be a kid. Ever since their dad died of cancer, Cat has been dedicated to helping her brother, Chicken, navigate perils and find … Continue reading Interview with Gillian McDunn, author of Caterpillar Summer

Michelle Leonard1 Comment
Middle Grade, Windows & Mirrors, Young Adult

Featured: Graphic Novel MANUELITO, a refugee story

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 are featuring MANUELITO, written by Elisa Amado and illustrated by Abraham Urias. Kids hear adults talking all the time about the refugee crisis, families seeking asylum, ICE, deportation, and problems at our borders. It must be confusing … Continue reading Featured: Graphic Novel MANUELITO, a refugee story

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Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: GAME OF STARS

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. This week we are featuring GAME OF STARS, book #2 in the KIRANMALA AND THE KINGDOM BEYOND series by Sayantani DasGupta. Princess Kiranmala is back home in plain old New Jersey, trying to readjust to normal middle school life. Just four months ago … Continue reading Featured: GAME OF STARS

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Book Recommendations, Windows & Mirrors, Young Adult

Featured: WATCH US RISE by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan

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. This week we are featuring WATCH US RISE by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan. Chelsea and Jasmine grow frustrated with the way girls are treated at their supposedly progressive New York City high school– body shaming, stereotyping, and unapproved … Continue reading Featured: WATCH US RISE by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan

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Middle Grade, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away by Ronald L. Smith

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. This week we are featuring The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away by Ronald L. Smith. I have been wanting to read The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away since before I knew the title! Ronald. L. … Continue reading Featured: The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away by Ronald L. Smith

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Middle Grade, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: THE BRIDGE HOME by Padma Venkatraman

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 are featuring THE BRIDGE HOME by Padma Venkatraman. Eleven-year-old Viji and her younger sister Rukku quickly discover how vulnerable they are when they run away from their abusive father and try to make a home for themselves … Continue reading Featured: THE BRIDGE HOME by Padma Venkatraman

Michelle Leonard1 Comment
Creativity and Craft, Writer's Life

Should You Get an MFA in Creative Writing?

I’ve asked myself this question AT LEAST thirty times. I’ve listened to my friends recount their incredible MFA experiences. I’ve dreamily reviewed the MFA program websites and calculated the expenses. I even started an application for an MFA program at least once or twice. But then I revert to my lingering question: Instead of investing all that time and money, should I spend my time … Continue reading Should You Get an MFA in Creative Writing?

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Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Young Adult

Celebrate Multicultural Children’s Book Day- Featuring TWO Wonderful Biographies: VIRGINIA HAMILTON-AMERICA’s STORYTELLER by Julie K. Rubini and DELORES HUERTA STANDS STRONG by Marlene Targ Bill

It’s my honor to participate in Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 to celebrate the gift of story and diversity in children’s books. To celebrate, I’m featuring two recent biographies about important women trailblazers. First up, Virginia Hamilton: America’s Storyteller by Julie K. Rubini. Virginia Hamilton was a shy, quirky, and extraordinary author that I knew very little about before reading VIRGINIA HAMILTON: AMERICA’S STORYTELLER. In this biography, … Continue reading Celebrate Multicultural Children’s Book Day- Featuring TWO Wonderful Biographies: VIRGINIA HAMILTON-AMERICA’s STORYTELLER by Julie K. Rubini and DELORES HUERTA STANDS STRONG by Marlene Targ Bill

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