free online kids writing workshop!
Join me for an online creative writing workshop for kids (around 7-12 years-old)
through Studio City Library on Wednesday, June 17th!
Join me for an online creative writing workshop for kids (around 7-12 years-old)
through Studio City Library on Wednesday, June 17th!
It’s here! It’s free! It’s a downloadable, printable PDF from my website!
That’s right, it’s:
My Writer’s Life Creative Writing Activities Journal for Kids (volume one)!
This journal contains 10 creative writing activities aimed at 8 to 12-year-olds that can be used in conjunction with corresponding This Writer’s Life episodes on YouTube or explored on their own. I hope it’s of use to budding writers to explore story, language, and imagination, all things they might need right now.
Here it is in my webshop.
And if you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll not only get new episodes of This Writer’s Life, but a welcome email that automatically sends you a link to this writing journal for kids.
Take care of yourself and each other during this time of compassionate physical distancing for the greater good, and happy writing to the kids in your life!
Here’s a little snippet of me talking about this resource.
Zinnia and the Bees was published one year ago today! To celebrate, I finally made a bookface!
And here are some favorite snaps to recap the past year.
Plus, I’m giving away one signed copy of the book over on twitter—come see!
I’m absolutely thrilled that Zinnia and the Bees is a finalist for the 2018 Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Awards in the Middle Grade category! Mostly, I’m thrilled to be among such stellar kids’ books and their creators! The Children’s Awards Luncheon will be on October 20th at the SCIBA Trade Show.
I made a short video about Zinnia and the Bees for teachers or librarians (or anyone!) to show to students in order to give them a sense of the story. Plus, there’s a show and tell!
Come see!
Very happy to be appearing at a small business/indie bookstore on Small Business Saturday/Indies First.
Saturday, November 25th, I’ll be at Once Upon a Storybook in Tustin, Orange County at 11am, and I hope to see you there!
It was a treat to have a fun conversation with teacher and podcaster Corrina Allen of the wonderful Books Between Podcast for teachers, librarians, parents, or anyone interested in middle grade literature. I’m a listener and fan of the podcast, so it was especially neat to have a chance to be on the show!
Corrina and I talk about Zinnia and the Bees, the metaphors of yarn-bombing and bees, adolescence, recent books I’ve loved, when Roald Dahl visited my school, my favorite picture books of all time, and vermicomposting. You can take a listen here.
My last stop was Collage Collage in Vancouver BC (and my first time to that fantastic city!). It’s a very special art space for kids and we had a two hour slot to talk about the book and make yarn bees! How wonderful is that?
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My second tour stop was Seattle, and the Third Place Books Seward Park! Big thanks to Michelle who took care of the event there, and to all who were able to attend. It was such a wonderful evening!
(That’s Sanae Ishida, author and illustrator I admire big time, whose latest book is Chibi Samurai Wants a Pet.)
First stop on my trip up the West Coast last week was the gem of a bookstore, Green Bean Books in Portland! (Hi Green Bean!) I hope you get a chance to hang out on their porch someday. I have so many special memories of the weekend there, and so many talented kidlit folks live nearby too. Huge thanks to Jennifer and Earl for hosting me, and to Zoey Abbott Wagner for taking pretty much all of these photos! I gave a presentation and then we made yarn pompoms. (If you’d like to make some, instructions here.)