Doctor My Eyes
Every morning, before I open my eyes and sit up, I steel myself. This will be the day. Today I am going to open my eyes and they will work. I will see. I lost my eyesight so young I’m…
Category: Children’s Books
YA Wednesday: 9/11 Books, Exploring the Marginalized, The World of Sabaa Tahir, and Turning to Dear America Books for Strength
Another anniversary of 9/11 has come and gone. Like everyone in the country, I can tell you exactly where I was when the planes hit the twin towers. But what about today’s teens, who were only infants or toddlers…
YA Wednesday: World History Through YA, Alternate History, Political YA Reads, Is Political Dystopian YA Bad for Teens
With the political conventions going on this week and next week, social gatherings are a lot more complicated. Coupled with the humidity, heat, and a drink or two, differences of opinion can rapidly escalate into shouting matches. Personally, I’m searching…
YA Wednesday: Matters of Race
After the horrific events of this past week, the blogosphere is buzzing with posts about race in America and the Black Lives Matter movement. When I was a kid, there weren’t a lot of books tackling issues of race, identity,…
YA Wednesday: Is YA Really Grown Up Fiction in Disguise, Why Adults Write YA, Why Adults Read YA, Teen Book Reviewers, YA/ Adult Pairings
I recently participated in a Barnes & Noble B-Fest teen book festival event with fellow YA author Melissa Schorr in which we shared our favorite YA reads, and teens shared theirs. I was completely bowled over by the group of…
YA Wednesday: BookCon, Children’s Literature History & Trends
BookExpo America (BEA), the book industry’s long-running trade expo, took place in Chicago last week. Within BEA, teens and YA book lovers convened at BookCon, a convention for book lovers that combined storytelling and pop culture in a daylong event….