The Jazz Fly read by 4th grade Korean students

Wishing warm snuggly layers of clothing for everyone facing the brunt of winter. Even parts of Mexico, from where I just returned, were chilly, but the bright colors and hot cups of champurrado (corn and chocolate drink) warmed the soul. Last month,…

Again, I’m wowed by the creativity and dedication of school librarians in south Texas. Ada Mendoza, the librarian of North San Juan Elementary School posted this mash-up of an author assembly I just presented last week at her school. Keep…

The resilience of Migrant students is a moving thing to behold! This summer it was my honor to provide three weeks of creative writing workshops for TK-8th Migrant students. The children—some U.S. born, others from Mexico, Central or even South…

Since spring, with schools closed due to the new Coronavirus, teachers and librarians have taken to story time by remote. And my in-box has been filled with requests from around the country for permission to read my books, including The…

As this year like no other finally lurches toward an end, I want to take a moment to appreciate my locale. Sonoma County, roughly an hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge, boasts natural beauty, state parks, diversity, and a…