BEFORE I LIVED HERE: A Journey Through Time

Earth has an incredibly long history prior to any form of life emerging. Then, as anyone who ever scanned a planetary timeline knows, life ...

unpackingpicturebookpower.blogspot.com

Behind the Scenes: “Creating a Distinct Cast of Characters” by Julie Rowan-Zoch

What a treat to share the work of another one of my critique partners, author/illustrator Julie Rowan-Zoch! I am endlessly fascinated by the illustration process and always enjoy learning how it pl…

bethandersonwriter.com

Mining for Heart: “Tune + Topic = the Heartbeat of Story” by Lynn Becker

As one of author Lynn Becker’s critique partners, I have to tell you that her tuneful stories can keep you humming and tapping long after the meeting! But it’s not all fun and songs, sh…

bethandersonwriter.com

Behind the Scenes: “The Power of Place to Find Story” by Darcy Pattison

This post from author Darcy Pattison is a perfect sequel to Colleen Paeff’s post last week. Both authors experienced the power of place as they approached a story. A trip to Poland helped Dar…

bethandersonwriter.com

Mining for Heart: “Finding a Story’s Heart in the Place Where it Happened (and How to Get There Without Leaving Home)” by Colleen Paeff

Visiting a place is magical, but authors can’t always do that to research a story. Here’s a fantastic post from author Colleen Paeff on how she landed on the heart of her puffling rescu…

bethandersonwriter.com

Mining for Heart: “Kindred Spirits”—Gary Golio on Silence Sounds Simple

Finding your own deep connection to a person, topic, or event can create the path to finding the heart of the story. In this post, author Gary Golio shares his experience with his latest release, S…

bethandersonwriter.com

#AmericanRevolution250 Behind the Scenes: “Illustrating Her Name Was Mary Katharine” by Dow Phumiruk

It’s truly a treat to share illustrator Dow Phumiruk’s process for HER NAME WAS MARY KATHARINE: THE ONLY WOMAN WHOSE NAME IS ON THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE! If you haven’t sha…

bethandersonwriter.com

Mining for Heart: “Widening the Scope of an Animal Concept Book” by Zewlan Moor

The pandemic a few years ago put us all in the throes of history and pushed thinking in many ways, not only medically, but also regarding human connections. And here we have a children’s book…

bethandersonwriter.com

Behind the Scenes: “Deconstructing Debug This Book” by Omar Abed

What a treat to share this post from author Omar Abed about the beginning of DEBUG THIS BOOK, a creative story, illustrated by one of my critique partners, the uber creative Julie Rowan Zoch! It wa…

bethandersonwriter.com

#AmericanRevolution250: “Exploring What Really Happened” by Christy Mihaly

Many myths persist in US history, but never fear, author Christy Mihaly is here with a super new book for this year’s 250th anniversary! I can attest, it’s a fascinating read chock full…

bethandersonwriter.com

#AmericanRevolution250: “Spotlight Philadelphia” by Jennifer Robin Barr

Have you ever stood in a historical spot and let yourself imagine the people and happenings there? There is truly something special about being in a place “where it happened.” In this p…

bethandersonwriter.com

School Library Journal Day of Dialog Spring 2026

Join us May 21st for SLJ Day of Dialog—fully virtual and free to attend! Our daylong program of author panels, in-depth conversations, and keynote talks will leave you informed, inspired, and entertai...

slj.com

Mining for Heart: “The Heart of a Story Starts with a Spark” by Melissa Koch

Any kids who fill their pockets with rocks definitely need this book! In this post, Melissa Koch shares the spark that started STONE BY STONE: A ROCK’S JOURNEY THROUGH TIME and how she revise…

bethandersonwriter.com

Soldiers, Spies, and Smallpox: Outstanding Children’s Books About the American Revolution

Here’s a collection of outstanding titles to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution—stories that open up history for children and adults!

thechildrensbookreview.com

#AmericanRevolution250: “Chasing Liberty in Michigan” by Gretchen Woelfle

Like me, author Gretchen Woelfle enjoys digging into untold stories from the revolutionary era. Here she shares some of the people whose stories have the power to widen our understanding of the Ame…

bethandersonwriter.com

#AmericanRevolution250 + Especially for Educators: “The Big Why” by Roxanne Troup

A great way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States is to encourage children to ask big questions about the founding—especially the WHYs! Every time I dive into researching a topic …

bethandersonwriter.com

Especially for Educators: “What To Do When the Information Keeps Changing” by Elaine Kachala

Writing about current technology presents the challenge of how to keep up with ever-changing information. In this post, author Elaine Kachala puts the future in the hands of students with capable i…

bethandersonwriter.com

Mining for Heart: “The Promise of the Packhorse Librarians” by Lauren Kerstein

I’m hopping on The Children’s Book Review blog tour bandwagon for author Lauren Kerstein and her amazing new release: HOPE RODE: THE PROMISE OF THE PACKHORSE LIBRARIANS! GIVEAWAY! Don&#…

bethandersonwriter.com