In this post, we feature multi-award-winning author Renée Watson, whose many acclaimed novels include the Newbery Honor Book Piecing Me Together. You can hear her speak about her new novel in verse, All the Blues in the Sky, and try her “invitation to imagine” activity. You’ll also find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
All the Blues in the Sky
- Written by Renée Watson
- Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
- Release date: February 4, 2025
Sage’s thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend, and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, Sage begins to see the many shades that grief comes in, and new good things begin to enter her life. In accessible, engaging verse and prose, this is a story of a girl’s journey to heal, grow, and forgive herself.
From All the Blues in the Sky, written by Renée Watson.
“I didn’t know / best friends could die.”
Click here to view a longer preview of All the Blues in the Sky, written by Renée Watson.
Explore All the Blues in the Sky
Listen to Renée Watson talking with TeachingBooks about creating All the Blues in the Sky. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.
- Listen to Renée Watson pronounce her name.
- Sample the e-book of All the Blues in the Sky on Overdrive.com.
- Sample the audiobook of All the Blues in the Sky on Overdrive.com.
- Explore TeachingBooks’ collection of activities and resources for All the Blues in the Sky.
Invitation to Imagine
TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Renée Watson.
Imagination Activity with Renée Watson
Make a collage to honor a person you care about (living or deceased). Include the following:
- your person’s favorite color or a color that reminds you of them
- three words that describe your person
- three images that describe your person
- text from a poem, newspaper article, or song lyrics that are meaningful to you
Finish This Sentence . . . with Renée Watson
As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Renée Watson’s response.
“A surprising thing that helps me work…”
A surprising thing that helps me work is to make a playlist of songs that I think my character would like or that help set the mood of the story. I listen to it as I write, and it keeps me in my character’s world and helps keep me focused.
“You may not know that I can…”
You may not know that I can take really good photos. I love photography and often go on walks and take photos of my surroundings. I’m usually the person asked to take photos at events like birthday parties and other kinds of special get-togethers. My family calls me the family historian because I have lots of photos from our family gatherings.
More Connections to Renée Watson and All the Blues in the Sky
- Discover books like All the Blues in the Sky on TeachingBooks.
- Bloomsbury’s page about All the Blues in the Sky, written by Renée Watson.
- Buy All the Blues in the Sky, written by Renée Watson.
All text and images are courtesy of Renée Watson and Bloomsbury USA and may not be used without expressed written consent.
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