Young George Moses loved how words danced. When Bible verses were read, he listened. When children read books aloud, he listened. When songs were being sung beneath the hot sun, he listened. But George wanted to do more than listen to the music that words made when spoken. He wanted to read those words, too. 
So George, by listening, learned the alphabet. Will he be able to read now? His mother gave him a book of hymns, but he couldn't read it. Not yet. 
George found an old spelling book--tattered and torn--and night after night, despite being tired after working all day on his master's farm, George studied the letters. He sounded out the words. He worked until he had taught himself how to read those words. And soon words became sentences, sentences became paragraphs, paragraphs became stories. George was reading! And how he loved being able to read!
George read books. George read the Bible. George read poems. George read hymns. George read newspapers. George read anything he could get his hands on. 
With all those words dancing inside George's head, a wondrous thing happened. Those words began to line up together into their very own song, a song of George's making, a song that needed to be heard aloud. George had become a poet, and not just any poet, but a poet of the finest kind. Now it was his own words that were dancing above the tilled fields like a musical breeze.  

POET: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton, written and illustrated by the talented Don Tate, is a picture-book biography that every classroom should have. Students will see that even during the dark days of United States history African-Americans could read and write. It was slavery's chains and oppressive laws, especially after Nat Turner's rebellion in 1831, that stole their opportunity to do so. But they certainly had the ability. Language is a gift all humans normally possess, even the oppressed. And I am sure that any child today who struggles to read and write, no matter their ethnicity, will find George's determination to learn to be absolutely inspiring.
There is so much to love about this book. The color tones that Tate used mirror the brightness and joy that words infused into George's life. I love the illustrations where George stands tall while he is reciting his poems for college students. I love seeing George dressed in his finest as he wrote out his poems for the wife a professor, the one who helped him become published. And I absolutely love how the book's designer at Peachtree Publishers took George's poems and placed them about the page like they are dancing on the air.  

Louis the Third is in fourth grade and he is a boy with dyslexia. Dyslexia can make a lot of things hard for Louis. Sounds can get garbled. Writing can be difficult. Even math can be confusing. Then there's that problem with trying to read. Why do words on the page like to do backflips? And why do those pesky Ds and Bs have to be so troublesome! For Louis, school can be hard, as hard as untying a knot. 
Of course, Louis won't give up on school. He won't give up on reading. But Louis would sure like to find something that he can do that is easy peasy. 
Will it be stamp collecting? Dog walking? Kick ball? Or maybe, just maybe, shooting hoops will be his forte. I mean, look at those knees. Don't they look like springs! I bet those knees won't get all knotted with dyslexia. I bet those knees will make playing basketball easy peasy.
I'm sure parents, teachers, and guidance counselors will appreciate adding KNEES: The Mixed Up World of a Boy with Dyselxia, written and published by Vanita Oelschlager and illustrated by Joe Rossi, to their libraries. All profits from Knees will be donated to Lawrence School, an independent, coeducational day school serving students with learning differences and attention deficits.

What I love about this spin-off from Gulliver's Travels--that classical tale written by Jonathan Swift in 1726--is the illustrative work of Alice Ratterree. She captures each moment with detailed skill, not dissimilar from the work of a clock maker. Eighteenth-century London is dressed majestically by Ratterree's pencil and watercolor drawings. She infuses Lily's spunk, determination, and bravery into every illustration. Just look at Lily as she wields her needle like a sword! She's a tiny force to be reckoned with, to be sure!
Lilliput is written by Sam Gayton, illustrated by Alice Ratterree, and published by Peachtree Publishers. 

llustrations © 2015 by Alice Ratterree. Permission to use granted by Peachtree Publishers.

Does being a consultant for children's television and toy companies influence your writing decisions? If so, how? 

While my consulting work doesn't directly influence the specific stories I choose to tell, I think it does help inform my writing.  A big part of my job involves spending a lot of time talking to children about what’s important to them. There's no better way to key in on authentic kid needs, wants, and dialogue than to surround yourself with them!

Although you write for the YA audience, what writing skills, tips, or techniques did you carry over from your years doing research for Sesame Street?

I think the biggest thing I carry with me from my years at Sesame Street is a true respect for children of all ages. There is never a reason to dumb things down for them, whether they be preschoolers or teens. 

Explain how you drew upon your experiences with your Hungarian grandmother while writing your novel Impossibly Perfect.

My Hungarian grandmother--my Omama--was a huge influence on my childhood and even though she passed away fifteen years ago, she remains a regular topic of family conversation as we all strive to live up to her standards. 

She accomplished so much in her life. As a Jewish girl growing up in Hungary in the 1930’s, there were very few educational opportunities. Still, she managed to enter, and eventually be named valedictorian of, an all boys’ Catholic high school. She moved to Prague for medical school and graduated a year early so she could leave before the Nazis closed in. In America, she worked as a successful OB-GYN for over 50 years.

But moving beyond her accomplishments, it was her larger than life personality that inspired me to write about her. She was strikingly beautiful and always dressed like a queen, delivering babies in high heels, full makeup, and jewels. A Hungarian word we often associate with her is “csinos” (pronounced CHI-noshe). It’s the standard of beauty and all-around excellence that she lived by, and expected us to as well. 

Here is a passage from my manuscript IMPOSSIBLY PERFECT, explaining what "csinos" means:

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight at that [retracted] word. Csinos. I’d looked it up once in a Hungarian-English dictionary and couldn’t believe it when it said the definition was “pretty.” Pretty! As if that even began to cover it. 

You see, in our family, csinos was the ultimate goal, the impossibly perfect standard.  If you looked csinos, it meant that you looked the best you could ever possibly look in your entire life. It meant that you looked beautiful, tall, thin, young, or old (depending on if you were young trying to look old or old trying to look young). 

It also meant no torn jeans, no underwear showing, no black because I’m too young to wear black, nothing too tight, nothing too baggy, nothing too old, nothing too trendy, nothing wrinkled, nothing that would embarrass Mom or Omama.

Omama was always csinos.

Mom was usually csinos.

I wanted nothing to do with csinos.

How does living in New York City influence your writing?

New York City is a great place for writers, there is so much inspiration everywhere! Just walking down the street you can overhear something that sparks an idea. There are also so many other writers who live here and it’s great to be a part of that community.

How did being nominated for the SCBWI's Sue Alexander Award in 2013 encourage you to keep on writing for young adults?

First of all, I can’t say enough good things about SCBWI. I highly recommend that anyone who writes for kids join and go to events and conferences!  I’ve been going to conferences for about six years now and I can honestly say my life is better for it. I have been inspired, my writing has improved, and I’ve made lifelong friends.

Being nominated for the 2013 Sue Alexander Award was pretty mind-blowing. It validated that even though I’m not published yet (or rather, that I’m pre-published, as they say in SCBWI), I’m on the right track, doing what I’m meant to do. I am so thankful for the boost of confidence that the nomination has given me!
Jen Shulman grew up in Syracuse, New York where she read, and then re-read, everything she could get her hands on. She went on to earn a BA in Communications and English from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA in Communications and Education from Columbia University, Teacher’s College. When she's not writing YA contemporary novels, she work as a consultant for children's television shows and toy companies. Jen started out her career in 1995 at Sesame Street and now consults for many different companies, including Nickelodeon, Disney, and LEGO. She can be found online at jennifershulman.com and Tweeting @jenshulman.

Why do you think listening is an indispensable writers' tool?

So many possibilities! Listening to characters—they tell me where the story needs to go. Listening to children—they know so much more than the world gives them credit for. (The best advice I ever received as a parent was never to ask a child a question I already knew the answer to.) Listening to feedback from critique partners and of course from professional critiquers like Carrie Howland, my agent—an essential reality check about how the words on the page compare with the story in my head. Listening in general—because it’s so easy to fall into the habit of describing things only visually, when sounds, smells, tastes, and textures/temperatures can make a scene so much more alive. And listening in coffee shops—because a really nice perk of being a writer is that eavesdropping counts as professional development.

In what way would you say writing is therapeutic?

Oh, I don’t know: “therapeutic” suggests fixing a problem, but for me writing is more often a reminder to accept, even embrace, imperfection. My eighth-grade self is still very much with me most days—which can be challenging at a staff meeting or social event, but writing validates that she’s an essential, and sometimes not totally unlikeable, part of who I am.

I will say that most days at lunchtime, when the weather allows, I bring my laptop outside to Franklin Square, on K Street in DC—and the Vitamin D from the sunshine is definitely therapeutic. I would imagine this would be much harder for someone who works in a different art form, like a harpist or a sculptor.

Why do you think community should play an important part in your characters' journey?

Well, it’s played a huge part in my journey as a writer: undergraduate writing workshops; the 12 x 12 online community where I became brave enough to cross over into picture books; the Children's Book Guild of Washington DC, an invaluable source of friends and mentors; my beloved writing group that evolved to become "family" somewhere in our second decade together . . . and of course SCBWI!

In terms of my characters’ journeys—I’ve always felt that their journeys are theirs to experience, and my job is to convey them as accurately as possible. So while community definitely is part of many of those journeys—Tillmon County Fire is told from multiple characters’ points of view, as the community itself is maybe a character in the novel—but I find that anytime I try telling my characters what “should” be part of their journey, they remind me that they have plans of their own and that my role is to sit down and type.

Why do you think it is important for writers to include a diverse lineup of characters in their books?

Earlier this year, I read Robert Putnam’s book Our Kids—and it’s alarming how, even in the course of a generation, kids are more and more often spending their entire childhoods (neighborhood, school, summer, activities) with kids who, by any demographic measure, are exactly like themselves. Authors and illustrators have a big role to play, because sometimes we may be a kid’s best hope at meeting someone different. What a  responsibility, to remember that the books being written today will shape the worldviews of people who will be leading countries and movements 50 years from now. My (Jewish) 10-year-old feels this need as well: she is currently organizing an effort to convince the American Girl company of the need for a Muslim American Girl book and doll.

So—while I don’t think we can dictate our characters’ journeys, I do think we have a big responsibility to ensure that the stories being written reflect the many, many lives of children today. And we need to keep reminding publishers, booksellers, and the book-buying public that their help is needed to launch these stories out into the world.

PJ Library has been such a wonderful partner to work with in the arena of Jewish children’s books—I so wish that another nonprofit would jump on this idea and begin mailing out free books with other multicultural emphases. What a great way to get publishers to take a chance on titles that might not be obvious bestsellers…I wonder if your blog audience might include any diversity-minded philanthropists who are searching for a next project!

What does "writing with your feet" mean?

When I was a sophomore in college, I skipped a class (felt so rebellious!) to attend a presentation by one of my favorite authors, Bobbie Ann Mason. I arrived early and sat in the front row—then found myself unable to focus on what she was saying, because I kept noticing her shoes: plain canvas sneakers similar to ones that I and almost everyone else I knew wore all the time. I kept imagining her standing in line at a big box store, having her purchase rung up, and paying for her shoes—without the cashier having the slightest idea that this was a super-great and amazing author buying sneakers in his check-out line!!! To that imaginary cashier, Bobbie Ann Mason was just a regular person. And if authors could be regular people—that was my first glimpse that regular people could sometimes maybe be authors. Maybe even—dare I hope for it?—me.

In a row of feet, no one can tell which ones belong to a writer. For me, writing with our feet means embracing the most ordinary parts of ourselves and our experiences—and trusting our voices to convey their humor, interest, and value.
Pamela Ehrenberg is the author of Ethan, Suspended & Tillmon County Fire, both published by  Eerdmans Books for Young Readers; and Planting Parsley, forthcoming from PJ Books. She lives in Washington, DC, with her two favorite young readers and can be found at pamelaehrenberg.com and Tweeting @PamelaEhrenberg. 

When you are imagining the worlds in which your stories take place, where do you start? With a picture? With a historical place? With a phrase?

Before I imagine anything about the worlds, I imagine characters. For all of the stories I'm juggling now, my first entry into the worlds was the image of a single character. All of them have had very distinct aesthetics in terms of clothing, hair, etc., which have immediately placed them in a certain type of world, in the broadest sense (pseudo-historical vs. modern, for example). I can also usually picture the character within a certain type of natural environment, as well, which also greatly informs the world-building. The specific details begin materializing pretty quickly once I have that first character.

Did you have a very active imagination as a child? If so, please share a story where your imagination either served you well or got you into trouble while in school?

I had an extremely active imagination as a child. I was also a total goody-goody, though, so I don't think it ever really got me in trouble. It did often stave off boredom, though. When I was in kindergarten, I had this whole soap opera-esque story that I would revisit every nap time. I don't remember all the details, but I know it involved a tearful deathbed farewell song (because it was also a musical, naturally). I really looked forward to reclining on my little 101 Dalmatians towel and staring at the darkened ceiling while I pondered this Great and Meaningful Tragedy I had created. I'm not sure where all the doom and gloom came from, since I wasn't consuming a whole lot of tragic media at age five--except for The Lion King. Maybe that had just made a really big impression on me!

In your opinion, how important do you think it is for a fantasy writer to have imagination in her tool bag?

I can't think of any way someone could be a fantasy writer without having a big imagination. It's not the only necessary tool: fantasy writers also have to be diligent observers of their own world in order to come up with viable new ones. Every time I come up with a new detail about my fantasy worlds, I have to think of how characters would realistically react to that detail. To do that, I have to draw on my knowledge of how real people act, and then use my imagination to apply that to the made-up situation I've concocted. This is also why it's important for aspiring fantasy writers to listen to and read about experiences that are very unlike their own. I mean, it's important for all people to do that, of course, but all writers should remember that the more you learn, the more you can imagine.

Why do you find sketching your characters and their worlds to be an invaluable step in getting your stories out?

I really enjoy drawing my characters. I have a sketchbook full of pictures of them. I'm not the best artist in the world, but sometimes I manage a decent portrait! Mostly, it's just something I do for fun, but I will occasionally start drawing if I feel stuck. I needed to come up with an idea for a grad school project once, and drawing the first characters that popped into my head helped me unlock a whole story that is now in its second year and sixth draft! For another project, drawing helped me hammer out the details of the end of a trilogy. I think when I'm drawing a character, I'm very focused on them, but I don't feel the pressure of "I have to figure this out right now" because I'm not actively outlining or writing. It's almost like I'm just meditating about who this person is, and that often leads to good ideas about what will happen to them.

Did your AmeriCorp experience inspire any ideas for any new projects? Did it broaden your outlook on life and therefore impact your writing decisions? Please, explain.

I'm still only a little over three months into my AmeriCorps experience, so I don't quite know yet how it will impact my writing yet, but I'm sure that it will. I'm learning a lot of things I never knew before, and I have no doubt that some of this knowledge will trickle into a story one of these days. To be honest, my writing actually informed my decision to do an AmeriCorps term. I write about all these young people who are struggling to make something good and positive happen in their world, even when the odds are stacked against them. I got to a point where I felt like I couldn't just write about people like that--I had to be one of them myself. I feel like I'm in over my head a lot of the time, not gonna lie! But I'm glad that I found an opportunity to help some people in my beloved home state of New Jersey. I hope that someday, when my books are out in the world, they can help people through tough times, too.
Kathleen Kellett is a doctoral student at Rutgers Camden, where she is pursuing her PhD in Childhood Studies. She received her MA in Children's Literature and MFA in Writing for Children from Simmons College. To date, she has written three fantasy manuscripts, two YA and one middle-grade, and is particularly interested in the figure of the monstrous adolescent. She can be found online at kathleenwriting.com and on Twitter under the handle @KathleenWriting.

What was it like growing up as one of six kids?

I am the oldest (AKA the boss). Growing up with so many siblings meant we were never alone--there was always someone to fight or play with. Quite simply, it was the best. We've remained best friends. 

How does your experience of growing up in such a big family influence your writing?

My books tend to focus on love of all kinds, which is what I felt most in my large family. There were always so many people to love me and in turn, to love back.  

Are any of your characters biographical sketches of people you grew up with?

I'll never tell. *wink 

Have any of your siblings recognized themselves in your work?

I think there's a saying that the people you write about in your books never recognize themselves. That said, I do believe writing tends to be emotionally autobiographical by nature. We write what we know, especially emotions. My siblings aren't in my book, but the emotions we've shared together certainly show up.

How has your family supported your decision to become a full-time writer, and how has that helped you reach your goals?

My husband Shea is the number one supporter of my work and dreams. In fact, he said one of the reasons he wanted to date me was because I was a writer. He's a rare gem, he "gets it", and without him, this journey would have been much harder. 

The rest of my family is supportive, too, but I think all authors would agree that there are few in our lives who truly "get it" and that's okay. 

If the dedication of your book includes your siblings, please share. 

From the acknowledgements: To my sisters and best friends, Crystal, Tasha, Emily and Laura, and my brother Josh, for knowing me since they were born and loving me anyway. (BTW, I’m the boss.)
Melissa Gorzelanczyk is a young adult author who believes love is everything. A dreamer for life, Melissa has been writing books since she was nine years old when she penned her first story about a beloved black horse. She is a member of the SCBWI, The Sweet Sixteens, and the Class of 2K16. She lives in Green Bay with her husband and family. Her debut novel ARROWS is being published by Random House/Delacorte Press, January 5, 2016. She is represented by agent Carrie Howland of Donadio & Olson. She can be found online at MelissaGorzelanczyk.com and on Twitter @MelissaGorzela. 

How do you juggle being a stay-at-home mom and a writer serious about her craft?

Well, in some ways I always feel like I'm failing at something. Some days I don't write. Some days my kids watch TV. And most days, my house is a mess. But I do place a lot of priority on writing time. It helps keep me sane. If I've gotten a good writing flow going, I never feel awful about the day.

How does your hubby support you in your writing endeavors?

First of all, he takes my dreams seriously. It's always been a matter of "when" with him, not "if." But obviously, I need his help to write. He watches the kids. He forgives me when he walks through the door and I'm at the computer and only realize then that I should have made dinner. And he reads my stuff and tells me I'm awesome. 

When did you first decide you wanted to write for young adults?

I think that writing for young adults is a product of the fact that I started writing when I was a young adult. I wrote for teenage-me and I still do. I took a break and studied playwriting and screenwriting in college. When I took my first stab at a novel, my critique partner was the one to point out that it was young adult. Then I started reading young adult voraciously and fell in love with it!

How do your kids feel about mommy being a writer?

Well, my daughter is still a little young to totally get what I'm doing. (She just turned two.) But she has sat down at the keyboard and mashed at it and informed me she was "working." A proud moment was when my son (who is turning five next month) answered a survey about me for mother's day and when he was asked what I did as a job he said "writing" and when he was asked what I like to do, he said "writing." He wants me to write books he can read. So I've started doing just that. I will say, one of the joys with my son is that he writes books too. He dictates them, we print them out and he illustrates them. I love fostering his imagination.

Do you have any writing friends who are also stay-at-home moms? If so, how do you support each other as writer-moms?

Yes! Thank god! My critique partner and dear friend is also a write-at-home-mom. She's the one who encouraged me to take a stab at writing a book. I was sort of bored being a stay-at-home-mom; I needed some mental stimulation. It was easy enough to do while my son played. And pretty soon, the two of us would get together a few times a week. Our kids are the same ages so they play while we work, or talk publishing, or gossip. It's basically the ideal situation.
Olivia Hinebaugh is a write-at-home-mom with a five-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl. Along with parenting articles, she writes young adult novels. This means a) she writes whenever the kids are sleeping and b) her house is often messy. Some people can do it all. Olivia is not one of those people. Recently she's been writing about: hippies, a teen midwife, a theater prodigy, and night club D.J.s. She's on the fence about the Oxford comma. (Put down your pitchfork!) Olivia can be found online at oliviahinebaugh.com and Tweeting at @OliveJuiceLots. 

Ashley Spires has crafted a delightful tale of a determined little girl who sets out to create a magnificent thing. The girl knows exactly how she wants her creation to look. She knows exactly how it should work. And she makes exact plans to accomplish her task. 
With her canine assistant by her side, she gathers an assortment of gizmos and gadgets and begins to create. But when she steps back to admire the first thing she has produced, it is not at all magnificent. So she tries again. Nope. Not magnificent. Time after time, and time again she tries, but to no avail. None of her inventions are magnificent! And when she smashes her finger, not only is she frustrated, she’s a hot-mess MAD! 
She throws her tools aside, stomps on her latest creation and says, "I'm not good at this. I QUIT."
Will that be the end of our girl’s plans? Will she let her frustration conquer her determination? Or will she listen to the advice of her canine assistant and discover an alternate solution? Will the girl's magnificent thing ever become a reality? You’ll have to read this picture-book, published by Kids Can Press, to find out. 
What I like about this picture book is how Spires uses our little girl’s journey to show the swing of emotion a person experiences when his or her best-laid plans fail. And, in my own life, I've seen that the canine assistant’s advice really works, especially when frustration has built to the point when you feel like stomping and crying and giving up. (So in my opinion, this book is a must-have for elementary-school guidance counselors everywhere.) Yet, the story is not at all didactic. It’s just a cute yarn with delightful illustrations.
Speaking of illustrations, Spires, the author and illustrator, uses white space in a magnificent way. The line-drawn cityscape makes for a visual treat. I love the way the girl’s polka-dot coat pops red on each page. And how those matching facial expressions of girl and canine assistant made me smile one magnificent smile!