About this blog:
I am a children's writer & illustrator, an educator, and the Regional Advisor of SCBWI Northern New England (ME, VT, NH). I report on kidlitosphere news and events, review newly launched YA, MG, craft, and picture books, and post about the writer's life (women, work, & family). Please subscribe, follow me on Twitter or Facebook and spread the word!Twitter Updates
- Excited to announce that I'll also be blogging and tweeting at @SportyGirlBooks 14 hours ago
- Another! rainy day in Maine. Fabulous Yoga class. Good writing in a café. Is this what it's like in Seattle? 14 hours ago
- #ff @SportyGirlBooks @VIDA_lit 14 hours ago
- Let’s help… KidLitCares for Oklahoma katemessner.com/lets-help-kidl… 1 day ago
- @johnmcusick Great! It's in the submission inbox as "Requested" Cheers! 2 days ago
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Thanks to Julie True Kingsley for my "One Lovely Blog" award!
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Tag Archives: scbwi
I’m Thankful for Digital Hugs
Even though I had a week before the big reveal to digest the news that I was one of the winners of the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children’s Discovery award, I was not quite prepared for the outpouring … Continue reading
Posted in About Me
Tagged awards, community, PEN New England, scbwi, Susan P. Bloom Children's Book Discovery Award, writing
3 Comments
101 Kidlit Links (okay not that many…but a lot)
The English class that I teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays lets out just in time for me to turn on Maine Public Radio and catch Maine Calling with Keith Shortall. Yesterday’s program put a spring in my step as Keith … Continue reading
Posted in industry news, Writing Coach
Tagged agents, children's book industry, illustration, Keith Shorthall, kidlit, links, Maine Calling, MPBN, nescbwi, publishers, scbwi, writing
2 Comments
Giving Thanks for Readers!
Thank you! Shepherd Elementary School Early Readers. This morning I accompanied my mother to her volunteer position as a reader for the Shepherd School Early Readers program. I’ve discussed the program here originally, and here as a follow up. (So I suppose this … Continue reading
Posted in About Me, Education, industry news, Member Monday
Tagged community, early readers, read, scbwi, Shepherd School, volunteering
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Service Revisited: Darthia Farm & Shepherd School Literacy
From time to time I post about service projects to benefit of members of the children’s and young adult writing community, the writing community at-large, and readers. I’ve gotten good news from a couple of those projects recently and thought … Continue reading
Posted in About Me
Tagged auction, Books of Wonder, community, Darthia Farm, disaster relief, Ellen Braaf, Jen Malone, Kate Messner, literacy, Mid-Atlantic, scbwi, service, Shepherd School
1 Comment
SCBWI NYC Registration Oct. 19th
Registration for the SCBWI New York winter conference opens October 19 at 10am PDT. It is an amazing line up of keynotes, breakout faculty of editors and art directors and intensives. Get a sneak peek at www.scbwi.org.
Member Monday: NESCBWI Fall Events!
The RA’s in New England have not been idle during the summer months. No… after the spring conference we all hunker down and keep planning events for you. Three events are on the docket in the next few months! 2nd … Continue reading
Posted in Member Monday
Tagged Children's Book Illustration Symposium, Encore, events, illustration, nescbwi, Overcoming Challenges, scbwi
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Children’s Book Illustration Symposium Poster!
Click through for registration, workshop description, portfolio critique information, schedule, and faculty bios! A huge thank you to the design department at NHIA for this beautiful poster. Special thanks to Melissa Sweet for the images, Jim Burke, Illustration Department Chair, Ryan … Continue reading
Posted in Member Monday
Tagged Children's Book Illustration Symposium, events, illustration, illustrator day, jim burke, melissa sweet, nescbwi, nhia, poster, scbwi
1 Comment
Registration opens today for NESCBWI/NHIA Children’s Book Illustration Symposium
Note: This event used to be called “Illustrator Day.” SCBWI members you have dibs on registration for this event for a week. Also, this is my first time working with PayPal on a Google form so if anyone chooses those … Continue reading
Member Monday: Old news or news to you?
I’m just back from a two-week research/family trip to Italy where I visited Florence and small red-roofed, hill topped towns in Tuscany. I’ll be posting more about that later this week, but first I’m passing on some of the news, … Continue reading
Posted in Member Monday
Tagged current-events, diversity, economy, emerging voices, grants, member monday, pay equity, politics, scbwi, vermont college, women
5 Comments
Member Monday: Stages of writing ala L.B. Schulman
This post, Chugging through the Stages of a Writing Career, on EMU’s Debuts is so wonderful and helpful for beginning through PAL authors that I thought I’d post the link here and let you enjoy L. B. Schulman‘s words today. … Continue reading
Posted in Member Monday
Tagged agent, finding your calm, rejection, scbwi, stages of publication, vcfa, vermont college, writing
1 Comment


