Adeus, livro!
Wrapping Up My Portuguese Class
My final exam in Portuguese prompts reflection on the importance of reading in learning languages and developing as a writer.
Bookcases with winners of the Newbery and Printz medals, with autographed copies of other books on top.
Ed Spicer Has a Lot of Books
Children's book reviewer and teacher Ed Spicer conveys his enthusiasm for book culture and reflects on building the foundation of a reading life.
Riding the Graphic Novel Wave at Comic Arts Brooklyn
A report on Comic Arts Brooklyn, where publishers large and small showed off their comics and graphic novels and the CBLDF pushed its anti-censorship efforts.
UConn Co-op decked out for Halloween.
Speaking to the Teachers of Tomorrow at UConn
At the University of Connecticut I shared my experiences of growing up "different" and offered advice to both young writers and future teachers.
Sparks Flew: Letting Your Words and Pictures Show the Story
Rather than telling how a character feels, or what the reader should think, the writer creates an image and lets the reader draw conclusions.
These plates and tiles are not coming off so easily.
Waylaid in Winter Village: Setting
Details are important, and a story with a well-drawn and well-integrated setting cannot take place anywhere else.
Thwarted in his quest for ice cream, Patricio finds another kind of refreshment.
Complicating the Minifig: Layered Narrative
In contrast to linear, chronological narrative, a layered narrative plays with time sequence to reveal character bit by bit and to build curiosity and suspense.
Elvis is cool, and Fiona is happy-go-lucky, an attitude that will be tested when she elopes with Elvis and her parents kick her out
Minifigs: Character, Personality, and Action
By keeping the expressions and clothing of my minifigs consistent, I give them identity and personality. Writers must do the same with characters.
The main street of Little Brick Town, along with a glimpse of its dystopian underworld
LEGOctober
A preview of October's blog posts, which will explore what Lego building can teach us about writing short stories and novels.
Advising a Nine-Year-Old Who Wants to Write
At a middle grade authors' panel with Caroline Carlson and Catherine Gilbert Murdock at the Big Blue Marble Bookstore we gave advice to a 9-year-old writer.