Gratitude
Every night before bed, my children and I go through a list of things, people or events of the day for which we are grateful. No matter how stressed (or…
The Kidlit Compass Blog
Family Stories
November is “Family Stories Month”. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage kids in reading and writing activities… and you never know when or how it might pay off! My…
10 Reasons Why I Love to Write
Today is “I Love to Write Day”! Here are ten reasons why I love to write: 1) I can do it anywhere. All I need is my laptop, or a…
Who Inspires You?
November is “National Inspirational Role Models Month,” so it seemed like a good time to write about my own role models, and whom I look to for inspiration and ideas.…
Children’s Book Titles: How to Name a Children’s Book
One of my students asked a question this week about how to name a children’s book and how to come up with good book titles. It got me thinking. …
The 3 Little P’s of Picture Books
Writing a good children’s book is hard. Selling one to a publisher is even harder. Getting it bought, and read – by librarians, booksellers, and most of all, kids –…
Why You MUST Write That Children’s Book
I was recently interviewed for the esteemed blog “Cynsations,” run by the very talented YA author Cynthia Leitich Smith. It was a real honor – Cynthia’s site is among the…
Conferences, Festivals, Bookfairs and Other Opportunities for Writers to Eat
Our MFA in Writing and Literature team spent the week in Denver at the annual AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) conference. This got me thinking about the value…
