Hispanic Heritage Month Feature!
A Thousand White Butterflies is featured by the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators(SCBWI) for the month of September, Hispanic Heritage Month. See it here with the other fantastic books by SCBWI members featured this month: https://www.scbwi.org/scbwi-reading-list/?cat=pb A shout out to Jessica Betancourt-Perez, coauthor. As an immigrant child, I never imagined that a picture book, reflecting part of my earliest, most bittersweet memories in a foreign country would get published 15 years later. Jessica with her Grandmother My grandmother, Maria Luisa Cruz had a vision for her family and she worked very [...]
A Beach Tail Spotted at REI
Have you seen this book? I am getting texts from friends at REI around the country. Sightings of A Beach Tail. Let me know if you have seen this little book of a beach journey and adventure this summer. Or you can see it at this REI sight. https://www.rei.com/c/kids-books In more good News, A Beach Tail is coming soon in the paperback edition. It is with regret that I share this sad note as well. I wish that illustrator Floyd Cooper were here to share this fun. He passed away last month. [...]
Sharing at Voices Against Violence Summer Camp
"Cheetah" goes to summer camp. A great day! Placing our thumbprints on a cheetah. Playing Seven Rocks. Posters for endangered species. How did Roblay become a man even before the race was won? Patience, grace, speed, perseverance, practice...
Facing Our Fears Together
With life returning to some kind of normal where many kids can be at libraries and camps and school, it is a delight to meet readers near and far. The readers at Harbor House in Oakland California had a lot to share about their fears: What it feels like when you don't speak English and people laugh at you when you try to talk. And questions: Have you ever been bullied? They had wise suggestions too: Find someone who is quiet and shy like you are and make friends with that [...]
Cheetah visits Plum Borough Library
A beautiful evening outdoors and masked. Readings, Art and games. Like Roblay's friends we played the seven stones game. Like Roblay some of us put our thumbprints on a cheetah. Others made Save the Cheetah posters. Great listeners, great questions. So good to be back with my readers!
Why I love Writing for kids/Writing for Reading Programs
Reading has been one of my passions since....well...since I could read or even earlier... since my parents began reading to me. Sharing books, trips to the library, communicating, understanding, laughing, crying, diving in, escaping. Stretched out on a towel on a summer day, next to the cool pool in our yard or at the beach. Curled up in an easy chair in winter or on a sick day from school, in bed late at night. Read alouds as a family. Those books where I kept reading to find out what happens but didn't [...]