Happy 10th Birthday, Fenway and Hattie 💙🐾
When you write a book, you hope - trying not to freak out - that someone will like it. One kid. One teacher. One reader who laughs at the right part. You don’t imagine that more than a million kids will read it. You don’t imagine that 10 years later it will be on its 31st printing, or that it will be chosen as the Global Read Aloud, or that every year you’ll visit elementary schools - or entire districts - where Fenway and Hattie is read together as a community, all across the country.
You definitely don’t imagine teachers pulling you aside to say, “Your book turned this kid into a reader.” (And hearing that again. And again. And again.)
You don’t imagine you’ll be invited to present at conferences, speak on panels, or teach other writers who carry their own dream of writing books for children - sometimes even at your alma mater (I’m looking at you, Barnard College💙). You don’t imagine sitting on classroom floors, shoulder to shoulder with kids, connecting over stories. You don’t imagine the look on a child’s face when you sign their book. Or the sheer number of hugs. So. Many. Hugs.
You don’t imagine you’ll go on to write and publish 10 more books (and counting). Or see your stories in bookstore windows, on the shelves of your hometown library, or on the front of a Scholastic Book Club flyer.
I could go on… but here’s the heart of it:
In the 10 years since Fenway and Hattie (my very first book) was published, my life has changed in ways I never knew were possible. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said, “I need to start dreaming bigger dreams.”
So to everyone who helped make my dreams - and dreams I didn’t even know I had - come true:
To every teacher and librarian who put Fenway into a child’s hands.
To every reader who laughed along with that rambunctious little dog.
To every kid who discovered they were a reader after all.
Thank you, from the very bottom of my heart.
Here’s to Fenway and Hattie at ten.
Here’s to stories that surprise us.
And here’s to the next chapter, full of gratitude, wonder, and dreams that just keep getting bigger. 💫
A Love Note to a Very Good Boy
Kids always want to know: Who is the dog on the cover of Fenway and Hattie?
The answer: Deke.
Deke - the Fenway cover model - had star quality from the start and brought pure joy to every moment, on and off camera. Though he enjoyed a hot show business career, his favorite role wasn’t commercials or photo shoots. It was being Fenway, and making kids smile.
Deke passed away over the weekend, but his bright spirit lives on - right there on the book covers, and in the hearts of readers everywhere.
Stop Dreaming, Start Writing!
That children's book or YA novel you've been dreaming about isn't going to write itself, but we totally get why it feels overwhelming to start! If you're stuck in the "idea phase" and can't seem to make the leap to "typing words," meet your new best friend: Kidlit Quick Bites!
This is our brand-new, super-fun series of 10 ebooks, serving up fast, focused lessons pulled directly from Writing Kidlit 101: A Self-Guided Course. For only 99c, each mini-guide delivers a bite-sized chunk of expert advice you can literally read in minutes and put to work on your manuscript right away - no massive commitment needed! Stop agonizing over the whole book, and start building the skills you need step-by-step to turn that beautiful dream into a finished reality.
Want professional feedback on your writing?
If you’ve written a chapter book or middle grade novel for young readers (or want to), don’t miss this amazing opportunity from The Writers’ Loft to get professional feedback on your story! And if you don’t have pages ready to submit, you can listen and learn from critiques of other writers’ work.
Dec 3, 7pm ET, virtually, plus 2-week replay. $25 for non-members
Submit 5 pages of your work by November 23rd, and TWL volunteers will pick the manuscripts that get critiqued during the virtual session. Even if your pages don’t get chosen, it’ll be a night of incredible learning!
Before I got my first publishing contract, I would’ve JUMPED at an opportunity like this. I hope you’ll consider taking the leap and joining me on December 3rd!!!
So You Want an Agent (Psst! Do the Research!)
Do you have to know someone to land an agent in the kidlit world? Spoiler: Nope! But having a little insider perspective can make all the difference. In my newest YouTube video, I’m sharing what it really takes to land the right agent for your work.
The secret? There isn’t one. Just good old-fashioned elbow grease, patience, and a stubborn refusal to give up.
Confessions of a Slow Scribbler (Oops, still typing...)
Ever breeze through one of my Fenway and Hattie books and think, Wow, that must have been quick to write? Spoiler: it’s usually the opposite. What looks effortless on the page can take months - sometimes years - of drafting, revising, and polishing.
In my latest YouTube “Behind the Scenes” video, I pull back the curtain on why writing “quick reads” are anything but quick (at least for ME), and why the slow, messy process is worth every minute when the end result connects with young readers.
P.S. This post only took me two hours to write. You’re welcome!
Guest Author Reporting for Duty
When I’m off-stage at a school visit, I can be found in surprising places around the school - where the real connection happens! I LOVE to become part of the community in unusual ways you don’t see from the audience (or in the promo pix)! And I’m spilling the beans in my latest YouTube video.
While every moment with kids is my favorite, I also love rolling up my sleeves and pitching in (and sometimes I discover talents I didn’t know I had)!