I live with a family of gamers. Board games, video games, D&D, Magic the Gathering – all of it. Although I was never into video games growing up (unless you count a frustrating addiction to “Space Invaders” played on a TI-99 – in case you were wondering how old I am), my husband always played […]
I’m late to this 2016 Neal Shusterman novel that’s the first in the Arc of the Scythe series, but with so many great YA books out there, who can keep up? If you haven’t read this yet, it’s a fast-paced read from the dual points of view of Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch. These two […]
I’m thrilled to announce that my young adult novel, THE APOLOGY BOX, is coming out this winter!! I’m so jazzed to have this book out in the world. I’m especially honored be working with my long-time writing partner and colleague, Cynthia Huijgens with Idle Time Press. Cynthia and I met at an Association for Writers […]
One of my favorite authors and an all around fantastic human being is Kate Ristau. Kate is the author of the middle grade series, Clockbreakers and the young adult series, Shadow Girl. Her essays have appeared in the The New York Times and The Washington Post. Her forthcoming book, Wylde Wings will be out this […]
In my work with young adults in the Job Corps program, I’ve become well-aware of the disparities among our young people. While some are born into families with supportive, stable, loving parents, others aren’t so lucky. Those young adults not only have to work harder to obtain the opportunities they need to make a better […]
I finished this book about a month ago. I’ve been reluctant to write up my quick review, because that will mean there’s no excuse to have this book lying on the coffee table anymore. Because that will mean it’s time to put it on my shelf and my experience with this book will be over. […]
Dasia Taylor, a teenager in Iowa, likes beets. She may or may not like to eat them, but she likes to use them to save lives. When her high school chemistry teacher encouraged the students to enter a state-wide science fair, Dasia got to work on her beets. Now I usually just use beets to […]
Julie Carpenter is the author of one of my favorite books of short stories, Things Get Weird in Whistlestop, as well as the creative force behind the Sacred Chickens website. You can find all kinds of strange and wonderful tidbits there. Julie is pictured here with Uncle Morty. She’s an excellent writer, a passionate gardener, […]
Nic Stone’s Dear Martin is not an easy read. But life isn’t always easy. Sometimes it’s really tough, like it is for Stone’s main character, Justyce. Although Justcye has a lot of opportunities others may not have (great school, loving mother), he also has to deal with the challenges of just being a young, African-American […]
R.L. Maizes is the author of We Love Anderson Cooper, a book of short stories, and her novel, Other People’s Pets, was released in 2020. Both were published by Celadon Books. In this interview originally published in The Rumpus in 2019, Rachel and I got to chat about the writing process, writing community, and one […]