Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Kelly Milner Halls
Today we continue the Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep series with an essay by author Kelly Milner Halls. Thank you, Kelly. In my early years as a writer, I envied dozens of books written by other nonfiction authors. I had not yet discovered how important it is to find and cling to your inner flame—your core […]
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Traci Sorell
Today we continue the Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep series with an essay by author Traci Sorell. Thank you, Traci. When I write nonfiction (or fiction for that matter), I focus on making the invisible visible. If someone had asked my focus five years ago when I began writing for children, I wouldn’t have answered that […]
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Lita Judge
Today we continue the Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep series with an essay by author Lita Judge. Thank you, Lita. As an author and illustrator of both fiction and nonfiction picture books, I’m often startled when someone asks if my fictional books are harder to create and if I turn to nonfiction projects, in between, as […]
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Anita Sanchez
Today we continue the Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep series with an essay by author Anita Sanchez. Thank you, Anita. I sit at my desk, fidgeting and fuming. This is intolerable. I mean, I know my rights. I gaze out the window at green fields edged with trees. The sun glows in a cloudless June sky. […]
It’s a Book! Seashells: More than a Home
I’m excited to announce that my new book, Seashells: More than a Home, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen, has just entered the world. It’s a Junior Library Guild selection and has received a starred review in Booklist. The idea for this book popped into my mind when I saw Sarah gorgeous sketches for our book Feathers: […]
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Jennifer Ward
Today we continue the Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep series with an essay by author Jennifer Ward. Thank you, Jen. “Write what you know.” It’s a phrase often shared to encourage students with their writing process. I am a firm believer in “write what you know,” having been a teacher and someone who now writes full-time […]
Language Matters: How We Talk about Nonfiction
Recently, I read an article that contained this sentence: “While writing nonfiction, I use every single fiction technique a novelist uses.” The author then provides a series of examples of how she includes characters, scenes, conflict, rich language, voice, etc. in her writing. Sounds good, right? Not to me. While I applaud authors who draw […]
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Jess Keating
Today we continue the Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep series with an essay by one of my favorite children’s book authors–Jess Keating. Thank you, Jess, for your heartfelt essay. I’m one of the lucky ones. I know exactly why I’m here on this earth. That doesn’t mean I’ve always known what I wanted to do as a […]
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Laura Purdie Salas
Today we continue the Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep series with an essay by Laura Purdie Salas. Thank you, Laura. I’m excited to be back sharing how my own personality and experiences have influenced my nonfiction writing. I love this growing awareness among educators, writers, and readers that nonfiction writing is creative and grows out of […]
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Jennifer Swanson
Today we continue the Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep series with an essay by author Jennifer Swanson. Thank you, Jen. For as long as I can remember, I have always loved science! Curiosity about the world has fueled my passions throughout my life. Some of my earliest memories are examining grass and flowers under a magnifying […]