News Flash! Check out #KidLitforAleppo on Twitter today. Many prizes are available for those who donate to organizations supporting Aleppo/Syria. We’re giving away query/first chapter critiques today on Twitter. Check out Dana Levy’s post here! Please share the news! Continue reading #KidLitforAleppo
Which Book Should Win the 2016 National Book Award for Young People? Time for a little fessing up. Before 2013, I read 0 out of 5 of the finalists for the National Book Award for Young People. Shameful, I know… In 2014, I picked up a book called BROWN GIRL DREAMING. You may have heard of it. 😍 Unbelievably amazing. If you have the chance to hear Jacqueline … Continue reading 2016 National Book Award for Young People
The window to nominate YOUR Favorite Children’s and Young Adult books for prestigious Cybils Awards is open now through October 15th! What are Cybils Awards? The first Cybils Awards were presented in February 2007. If you are really sharp, you probably just figured out that makes this year the 10th anniversary for Cybils! 10 points to your favorite Hogwart’s house for being a genius! Yay! Congrats, Cybils! … Continue reading 2016 Cybils Awards
Today, I’m excited to chat with Megan Shepherd. She’s well-known for her brilliant, edgy young adult fiction, but her latest novel, THE SECRET HORSES OF BRIAR HILL, is an unforgettable middle-grade story that reads like historical fiction rolled into a sweet magical fantasy. There are winged horses that live in the mirrors of Briar Hill hospital. In the mirrors that line its grand hallways, which once … Continue reading Interview with NYT Bestselling Author Megan Shepherd
Today I wanted to talk about something near and dear to my own heart: STEM Women who are Authors! Let’s get right to it! Andrea Beaty She attended Southern Illinois University and studied biology and computer science. Andrea has published over a dozen books. Her two most recent books have a place of high regard on my reader’s bookshelf. Why I liked ROSIE REVERE, ENGINEER: … Continue reading Five Amazing STEM Women Authors
The Winged Pen hit a couple of exciting milestones recently. Drum roll please! We now have over and over 100 blog subscribers! Yay! Thank you followers!!! Thank you subscribers!!! Thank you to everyone who has shared our posts and recommended us to their peers!!! To celebrate we thought we’d do something a little fun—a contest to say thank you to the KidLit writing community who has … Continue reading Winged Pen Celebration!!!
In a previous Killer KidLit First Lines post (click here to read), I revealed my obsession with revising first lines. I’m almost equally obsessed with writing a banned book (I’m a rogue at heart), or winning the Newbery. Either way, I’m happy. The idea for this quiz came to me after the January American Library Association award announcements. I wondered, “Can you identify books … Continue reading Award Winning KidLit: First Lines Quiz
I had the COMPLETE PLEASURE of chatting with Kelly Barnhill, author of THE WITCH’S BOY, THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON (which I reviewed here last Friday), and many other beloved middle-grade fiction and nonfiction books. THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON is my ✨Favorite Middle-Grade 2016 Read ✨ so far, and I couldn’t think of any better way to celebrate #NationalBookLoversDay AND THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON’s book birthday than to share our … Continue reading Interview with Kelly Barnhill: Author of THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON and THE WITCH’s BOY
Prepare to be enmagicked! It happened to me before I even read Kelly Barnhill’s THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON. When I saw the enchanting cover art so many months ago, I knew the book would have to be mine. It called me. And then I won an ARC from Goodreads, like it was my destiny. It arrived the day I got back from vacation. I opened the … Continue reading Book Review: The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Kristi Wientge is one of my supercool CPs here at The Winged Pen, and her debut middle-grade novel KARMA KHULLAR’s MUSTACHE releases next summer. It reads like a contemporary Judy Blume novel, and I CANNOT wait to get my hands on it. Because I’m TOTALLY obsessed with Kristi and want to know MUCH MORE about her, I jumped on the chance to put her in the FELLOWSHIP … Continue reading FOWP Spotlight Interview! Featuring Kristi Wientge!!!
Today I am THRILLED, THRILLED, THRILLED, to tell you about summer school! WHAAAT? Summer school? Yep. Summer school for KidLit writers. I’m proud to say that I’m a third year, so I know my way around. I can tell you what to do if you forget your homework and, even better, how to win prizes. Yep, I won a nice prize pack last summer, a half-dozen lovely books. … Continue reading Summer School is Cool!
Thank you to all the brave souls who entered this month’s 8 on Eight contest! Sharing your writing takes courage, and we appreciate your enthusiasm for our contest. If your name wasn’t drawn from the Triwizard cup this time around, keep an eye out for when our next contest window opens at 8 PM on June 30th. Below, we’ve posted the first 8 lines from this month’s winner, … Continue reading 8 on Eight: June Contest Feedback
