Blog

I just got the ARC for my new novel Storm Runners. The publisher is Scholastic. It will be in bookstores in March, and in the Scholastic Fairs and Clubs in January. I’m always thrilled when new book is born!

Contest #6 is over and winner has been picked.  I will be sending out an autographed book to them today or tomorrow.  This leads us to Contest #7 which happens to coincided with my birthday MONTH.  (Yes, I celebrate the whole month of November…one day has never been enough for […]

I had a fabulous 4 day visit to Illinois last week… Friendship Jr. High with Trish Bowman, Station Middle School with Kathy Hempel, Grove Jr. High with Merry Lee (and a life size duct tape elephant and dozens of smaller elephants), Barrington Middle School (Prairie) with Mary Stek. The teachers […]

I’m on my way to Illinois today to visit schools near Chicago.  I’ll be picked up at the airport by my good friend Kathy Hempel who has the coolest ‘how I became a librarian stories’ of all time.  A few years ago Kathy was a library aid.  She wanted to […]

I had a wonderful visit with the students and staff at Black Diamond Elementary on Friday, hosted by the outstanding Sara Davis.  The teachers were fantastic and they really had the students prepared for the visit.  The kids put together beautiful artwork, some of which is posted below.  (I wish […]

Check out the Spring book preview from Scholastic including my new novel Storm Runners. Scholastic Preview.

Two years ago Mario Wesa (11 yrs) came from a rural village in Egypt to America and knew less than ten words of English. With his English Language Learners (ELL)classes at school, he now understands English, but it was challenging to get him to read. He was ensnared by TV […]

Marie and I got back to the farm last night after few days in AR and MO.  We got a chance to to see Bethany and Lee and grandsons #1 and #2. On Wednesday I drove down to Clarksville, AR, a couple hours from Bentonville, to talk to a fabulous […]

I’m a bit late with this, but my excuse is that when I got home I got hung up writing… I had a wonderful time in Tennessee last week visiting schools.  The visit was arranged by librarian Scot Smith who is incredibly well organized.  It could not have gone better.  […]