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.
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!
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)!
Ever wondered who the real superheroes of the reading world are? In my latest behind-the-scenes YouTube video, I spill a little secret about authors, fangirling, and the unsung champions who make reading magic happen.
Spoiler alert: I may or may not embarrass myself gushing like a middle schooler at a boy band concert.
Ever wondered what a children’s author really does all day? (Spoiler: there’s no official job description and no two days look the same. 🌟) Take a peek behind the scenes in my latest YouTube video!
Wherever there are books (and especially libraries), I’ll be there… spreading the joy of reading one story at a time.
I’m so excited to share one of my favorite literacy programs — Read to Them’s amazing One School, One Book! 📚✨
They’ve just featured me as their back-to-school author and I’m giving you the inside scoop on how this program gets whole schools — students, teachers, and families — reading the same book together.
Why it’s awesome:
💡 Whole-school reads create shared experiences.
📚 Shared stories build connections.
✨ Reading becomes something everyone celebrates.
And guess what? My books Fenway and Hattie and Fenway and the Bone Thieves are part of it! 🐾💖
That’s the magic of a story shared by an entire school!
Ever lost a document full of important notes? I did; and at first, it felt like a total disaster. But in my latest Behind the Scenes video, I’m sharing how that loss turned into an unexpected win for my work-in-progress.
Sometimes the best writing happens when you have to start fresh.
Turns out, losing my notes was like dropping my ice cream… and finding out there’s cake. 🍦🎂 Come see how it all turned out!
🎬 New Behind-the-Scenes episode: Who Decides What a Book Looks Like?
(Spoiler: Not the author!)
In traditional publishing, authors don’t pick the illustrator or direct the art. That’s the magic of the art director and design team—they choose the look, guide the visuals, and bring the story to life in ways that often surprise even us!
🎨 Making a children’s book is a true team effort.
📚 Great art directors match words + images to elevate the story.
🤝 It takes more than just the writer or illustrator.
Next time you read a kids’ book, give a little love to the whole creative crew!