Category Archives: Guest Blogger Post

Authors, illustrators, educators, and other industry professionals visit the blog to share their expertise.

Making Connections, Creating a Companion: A Guest Post by Christy Hale

In this guest post, author Christy Hale connects the dots between her companion books just as she connects the dots between themes in her writing. Copycat: Nature-Inspired Design Around the World is available wherever books are sold.

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When We Come Together, Our Voices are Stronger: A Guest Post by A. M. Dassu

This post by A. M. Dassu originally appeared on SLJ Teen Librarian Toolbox. Fight Back is available now wherever books are sold!

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Honoring My Grandfather: Recognizing and Preserving My Asian American Heritage: A Guest Post by Emeline Lee

In this guest post, author Emeline Lee pays tribute to her engineer and storyteller grandfather in her debut picture book. Bonnie’s Rocket will be published October 18 and is available for pre-order now.

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When You Get to the Other Side: Mariana Osorio Gumá in Conversation with Translator Cecilia Weddell

Days before When You Get to the Other Side published, its author, Mariana Osorio Gumá, and translator, Cecilia Weddell, sat down to have a conversation about the book, what inspired it, and the process of its translation. Osorio Gumá joined the video call from her patio in Amatlán de Quetzalcóatl, where she spends most weekends; the enormous leaves of monstera plants decorated the scene behind her as she told Weddell about the decades it took to get the story onto paper and her experience seeing the novel find its way into English. Their conversation, transcribed and translated below, has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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Ties That Bind Across Generations: A Guest Post by Monica Brown

In this guest post, author Monica Brown shares the magic that is passed down through generations of women in her family in the form of creativity and dreams. El cuarto turquesa / The Turquoise Room will be published September 27 and is available for pre-order now.

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The Mysterious Case of Writing with Grace: A Guest Post by Guadalupe García McCall

In this guest post, author Guadalupe García McCall unravels the personal and shared traumas and experiences of women that inspired her newest novel. Echoes of Grace will be published August 16 and is available for pre-order now.

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Word in Black Articles: Why Resources for Black Students and Black Books Matter

Senior Literacy Manager Katie Potter weighs in on how we can meet the needs of Black students and the importance of Black books in these two articles from Word in Black. Word in Black is a groundbreaking collaboration of the nation’s leading Black news publishers, and they strive to be the most trusted news and information source for, about, and by Black people. Discover excerpts of the articles below and click the links to read more!

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Planting Trees with the Green Belt Movement

Jen Cullerton Johnson, author of Seeds of Change and The Story of Environmentalist Wangari Maathai, is visiting Kenya to explore the legacy of Wangari Maathai. Along with a group of educators, scientists, and community partners, they are tracing the footsteps of Wangari’s life; planting trees, visiting elementary students, meeting with community members, attending university-led mini-lectures, and participating in environmental and wildlife conservation field experiences. Jen shares more about this experience in today’s post.

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Utilizing Picture Books in Upper-Grade Curriculum

Many middle school teachers are skeptical of utilizing picture books in the upper-grade curriculum. While they have positive attitudes toward picture books in general, there can be hesitancy to add them to core curriculum. Taraneh M. Haghanikar, Associate Professor of Children’s Literature at the University of Northern Iowa, shares four tips on how to integrate picture books into upper-level curriculum.

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A Tale of Two Crescent Cities: A Guest Post by Chris Clarkson

In this guest post, author Chris Clarkson discusses his inspirations for his debut novel and the duality of its setting, the city of New Orleans. That Summer Night on Frenchmen Street will be published June 28 and is available for pre-order now.

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