Libby Strout is no longer “America’s fattest teen,” but her biggest fear in returning to school for the first time since fifth grade is that her classmates won’t look past her weight. Nonetheless, she’s ready to leave the house where she’s been grieving her mother’s death, and embrace everything high school has to offer. Meanwhile, Jack Masselin’s devil-may-care attitude may seem effortless, but nobody knows how hard he has to work, because nobody knows about his face blindness—how, even among his closest friends, he feels as though he’s surrounded by strangers. That is, until a vicious prank lands Jack and Libby in the same counseling group, and they’re forced to see beyond each other’s masks.
Read moreBook Review: Phantom Limbs
Otis and Meg were neighbors, best friends and sweethearts, until tragedy left Otis’ little brother dead and both families shattered.
Read moreSoapbox: Casting Judgment on YA Lit
Every once in a while (at least once a month) someone writes an article using one or two examples to cast judgment on all of young adult literature and all of its readers. Usually I just skim, sigh, and move on. But sometimes I’m compelled to jump up on my soapbox and respond
Read moreBook Review: Riverkeep
The Fobisher men have been tending the river for generations, keeping it clear of ice and weeds and hauling corpses from its depths. As soon as Wulliam turns 16, he will become the new Riverkeep. But, just a few days before his birthday, Wull’s father is pulled underwater, and when he surfaces, he’s no longer himself. Wull sets out in search of the mysterious sea-dwelling creature that may hold the key to saving his father.
Read more4 Rules for Writing Groups
You’ve finished your first draft and you’re ready to get some feedback before you start the editing process. Or else you’re stuck with a half-baked plot or a series of scenes without a thru-line, and you need some help figuring out where to go next. Either way, you’re ready to join a critique group. But where to start?
Read moreKids learn more “rare words” from books than from the adults around them
The other day, I came across a scholarly article called, “What Reading Does for the Mind.” It’s an oldie, originally published in 1998 in a journal from the American Federation of Teachers. It discusses kids’ unique sponginess, and the notion that most of the vocabulary we develop when we’re young comes from exposure in our environment, rather than through direct instruction. But it goes a step further, suggesting that written word has a much greater influence than spoken on kids’ developing lexicons.
Read moreBook Review: You Know Me Well
High school seniors Mark and Kate have sat next to each other in class all year but have rarely spoken. On the first night of Pride, the two run into each other in a San Francisco bar, where Kate is avoiding a setup with her (likely) soul mate, Violet, and Mark is trying to impress the (definite) love of his life, Ryan.
Read moreAudiobooks: A Life-Changing Discovery
A couple weekends ago, I was headed to my parents’ house, about four hours away, so I started up my 30-day Audible trial and downloaded The Nest to keep me company. Mostly because Kimmy Schmidt said I should.
Read moreGuest Post: Why an Author's Online Presence Matters
These days, any author of note has some kind of online presence — at the very least, a website or Twitter page where they can keep in contact with their fans. Chances are, you follow a couple of your favorite writers yourself. But, with the time and legwork it takes to get these profiles off the ground and attracting followers, it’s no wonder authors question whether it’s worth the effort to create an online presence.
Read more5 Inspiring Commencement Speeches from Authors I Admire
It comes as no surprise that authors often offer the best words of wisdom. Here, I collected the five most inspiring commencement speeches given by authors.
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