Category Archives: Guest Blogger Post

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

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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Behind the History: A Guest Post by Shirley Reva Vernick

In this guest post, author Shirley Reva Vernick shares her personal connections to historical events and how they led her to write about history in her novels. Her latest historical fiction book entitled The Sky We Shared will be published June 7 and is available for pre-order now.

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Art from the Everyday: A Guest Post by Alison Goldberg

In this guest post, author Alison Goldberg explores how found objects can reveal their stories when turned into art, just as El Anatsui’s sculptures reveal the stories of the objects that they are made from. Bottle Tops: The Art of El Anatsui will be published on June 14, 2022 and is available for preorder.

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Predicting the Pandemic in Nobody’s Pilgrims: A Guest Post by Sergio Troncoso

In this guest post, author Sergio Troncoso reflects on writing a pandemic story before the pandemic and the many themes of his latest novel, including “the border beyond the border,” survival, identity, and more. Nobody’s Pilgrims is available for purchase now.

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Finding My Accent: A Guest Post by Yasmín Ramírez

In this guest post, author Yasmín Ramírez describes how embracing her name helped embrace where she comes from and who she has become, tilde and all. Yasmín is a Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Author Fellow and recipient of the Woody and Gayle Hunt-Aspen Institute Fellowship Award. Her debut memoir ¡Ándale Prieta! will be published April 19 and is available for preorder.

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