Neurotypical characters get to have adventures and be the hero. Neurodiverse characters should get to as well.
Author J. Elle talks about how teaching left a lasting impact that influences her writing.
Author Desmond Hall talks about how teaching showed him that kids look for information that is relevant to their lives and how he took that message to heart with his writing.
Alicia D. Williams on how teaching inspired her and helped her find ways to engage with kids more deeply.
Carrie Firestone talks about her experiences teaching and how they impacted her writing.
Ruth Behar talks about how feeling othered as a child led her to education and teaching and then to working to help others feel differently.
My new book, Politics and Civil Unrest in Modern America (Abdo, 2021) is a response to the social upheaval of 2020. Americans are fighting back against police violence, calling for departments to be reformed, and, in some cases, abolished. Politicians at local, state, and national levels have responded in a variety of ways to these calls of action. Politics and Civil Unrest in America explores the government’s response to protests and policies introduced by legislators to combat police violence.
Jenny Torres Sanchez talks about how being a teacher was a surprisingly great fit for her and how it impacts her life and her writing.
My instinct is to reassure the kids we talk to. I feel like telling them, “Some things are issues that only grown-ups can deal with. There’s only so much that kids can do.” But I’m learning to bite my tongue as Jennifer passionately teaches the kids—and me—about the true power kids hold.
Simran Jeet Singh talks about how he sees education as a key piece of fighting racism and writing as a way to help people see people like him and his family.
