Back when the author was the school librarian at Little Elementary School in Arlington, Texas, she started writing and publishing books for children. She had completed her master's and PhD in Library Science from Texas Woman's University while working full time, and when she finally finished, she had such well-honed time management skills that she…

Secondary school libraries often look much like research centers with banks of computers linked to databases related to curriculum topics. A glance into the library shows teens using online resources for research while trying to check their MySpace or Facebook page when they think the teacher or librarian is not looking. The librarian's weekly…

Web 2.0 tools enable today's writers to connect with their audience in unprecedented ways. The advent of social networking and other Web 2.0 tools have changed the rules for how authors and book publishers market and communicate with their audience. Through tools like blogs, Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook, Young Adult (YA) lit authors can choose…

A list of hundred history-making ethnic women who have created history in their respective fields and become successful writers is presented. The list includes Alma Flor Ada, Julia Alvarez and Oprah Winfrey.

Hearing some fun facts about books and authors can bring books to life and help ignite students' interest in books and reading. Because most elementary school media centers and public libraries have many of the Newbery Medal books, students will have a better chance of finding books they decide they want to read once they hear about them. Reading…

Bringing a "real live" author into the school can be a great fun for both kids and staff. However, it can also be a disaster. In this article, the author offers ideas on how to host a school visit. Library media specialists can help ensure a successful visit by preparing in advance: define the goals, communicate the expectations, provide…

Jack Gantos, an author who has 37 books to his credits with "Rotten Ralph", "Joey Pigza" and "Hole in My Life" being the widely acclaimed ones, describes how he set about righting his transgression from the dire life as an inmate to his dream of becoming an author. Gantos states that the true function of a writer is to write a masterpiece and no…

In this article, the author gives some ideas on how to find funding for author and poet visits. Author and poet visits are very important for children of all ages. Young children learn much from meeting real people who write professionally. Good speakers inspire students to write and communicate in an articulate manner while in school and later in…

This article presents the how the author came about writing nonfiction novels. Here, he described some of his works and how he wanted to do it following his own compass, not handcuffed to the realities of an actual person. He discovered that book making was like pistachio nuts: one leaves you yearning for more.

The Pinis are creating a vast and intricate saga to stories involving different groups of elves, trolls, and humans. In the fall of 2004, the conversation between Fiction Reviews Editor Julie Scordato and the Pinis about ElfQuest and their perspective on the student artist is presented.

Chuck Richards, author/illustrator of "Jungle Gym Jitters," shares his views on art education and artistic process. Details on how Richards moved from creating art for adult audiences to creating his picture book for children are presented.

Kid's Stuff game will introduce students, parents, teachers and educators to authors and illustrators who have consistently created books for children and young adults that are of superior quality and interest. The research-base games for use in library media center, classroom and at home game also helps students learn to use computer card catalog…