Watch. Connect. Read.

Happy, happy Wednesday! I'm thrilled Alicia D. Williams returned to Watch. Connect. Read to finish my sentences. We discussed Mid-Air, poetry, Genesis Begins Again, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and she wrote the words in black. Thank you, Alicia! 

Daniel Egnéus cover illustration for Mid-Air is fire. I love the color scheme and that Daniel captures Isaiah on his skateboard flying midair. Isaiah is free and light and embodies the feeling I want him to have about himself. Yes, the cover is dynamic!

Mid-Air tells the story of three best buds, Isaiah, Drew, and Darius. Friends who do wild stunts, tell silly jokes, skateboard, bike, and are on a mission to break Guinness World Records. It’s a story about wanting to embrace yourself, but hiding your true self to fit in.

Thank you for discussing Louder Than Hunger with me, Scott Simon!

Happy, happy Sunday! I'm thrilled to welcome back Doug Cenko to Watch. Connect. Read.! He stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed Merv, writing, illustrating, story, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and he wrote the words in black. Thank you, Doug! 

Somebody Needs to Do Something About That Monster! tells the story of Merv. Merv is a giant, but friendly monster who spends his time sitting outside of a village and snacking on plants.

Dear Reader,

Today is Louder Than Hunger's book birthday. 

Writing it was a journey. 

A journey of self-discovery. 

A journey of bravery and vulnerability. 

A journey that hurt and healed my heart. 

Jake, the main character, is based on me in middle school. I spent two years in and out of multiple inpatient and outpatient treatment programs and facilities for anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depression.

Happy Tuesday! I'm excited Mae Respicio returned to Watch. Connect. Read. to finish my sentences. We discussed Isabel in Bloom, gardening, novels-in-verse, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and she wrote the words in black. Thank you, Mae! 

Isabel in Bloom tells the story of a girl who’s starting her brand new life in a brand new country.

Happy, happy Monday from Virginia!  I'm excited to welcome Lindsay Currie to Watch. Connect. Read. She stopped by to share The Mystery of Locked Rooms' book trailer and to finish my sentences. We discussed Eleanor McCormick, mysteries, story, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and she wrote the words in black.

Happy, happy Wednesday! Bob McKinnon stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed Thai My Phuong's illustrations, picture books, @Tribution, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and Bob wrote the words in black. Thank you, Bob! 

America’s Dreaming tells the story of a child whose simple dream is to feel welcomed in a new school, what happens when they aren’t, and the power of books and teachers to inspire us all to stand up and be seen.

Happy, happy Monday! I'm excited to welcome back Dana Alison Levy to Watch. Connect. Read. She stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed Not Another Banned Book's cover, Molly, story, The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and Dana wrote the words in black.

Happy, happy Tuesday! I'm honored Tina Cho and Deb JJ Lee stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed The Other Side of Tomorrow's cover, graphic novels, story, and more. I wrote the words in purple, Deb wrote the words in black, and Tina wrote the words in green. Thank you, Deb and Tina! 

The Other Side of Tomorrow’s cover was made with homemade reference pictures.

Happy, happy Monday! I'm thrilled Maria Scrivan stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed All Is Nat Lost, Philadelphia, cats, her AMAZING syndicated comic, graphic novels, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and Maria wrote the words in black.