I was super excited and humbled to be invited to participate in TLA’s Spirit of Texas Middle School list this year. Texas librarians know how to make an author feel loved – and this list makes it clear that teachers … Continue reading →

I am delighted to announce that my book was selected for the Florida Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award for 6-8 graders! They made a very cool video, too. With music! And fancy graphics! If you watched the video, you discovered … Continue reading →

The week all the Texas librarians and ALL the Texas authors look forward to is almost here! The annual Texas Library Association Conference starts next week in Houston. I’ll be there on Wednesday, April 20, signing books at the Overlooked … Continue reading →

Wow! There’s a lot going on this spring for me, so much that it’s hard to do it all, and find time to write all the books and keep the kids fed and alive… I’ve pretty much given up on … Continue reading →

Happy Sunday! And happy March MG Madness over at Aeicha’s superb blog, Word Spelunking. If you love middle grade books, you’ll want to keep an eye on that blog all month, as the giveaways are off the hook! I’m delighted … Continue reading →

Hi, friends! Last week I had the amazing opportunity to go down into the Rio Grande Valley in Texas as a part of the Reading Rock Stars program. I presented alongside Carmen Tafolla, Jon Scieszka, Steven Weinberg, Diane Bertrand-Gonzalez, and … Continue reading →

Hey, y’all! Big news! I joined a group of amazing Texas-based writers this month, the Texas Sweethearts and Scoundrels. I am beyond thrilled to be in the company of some of my favorite writers. P.J. Hoover, Jo Whittemore, K.A. Holt… … Continue reading →

Happy book birthday to me! Today is the release date for Wish Girl in paperback, and I am SUPER happy to share with you the lovely book trailer that’s rolled out today on Cynthia Leitich Smith’s fabulous blog, Cynsations. Trot … Continue reading →

I have this great friend named Lynda Mullaly Hunt, who writes the most phenomenal books, and who knows pretty much ALL the other MG authors out there, and once a year holds a contest for librarians and teachers to win … Continue reading →

Wow. Want to know how to make an author cry with happiness? I ran a contest to give away five paperback copies of Wish Girl to a librarian or teacher, and asked those commenting on my blog to post their … Continue reading →