Author Melissa Stewart talks about how she finds the perfect format for each of her nonfiction titles to make the subject understandable and engaging for readers.
"Even though my plan was to be a child psychologist by day and a writer by night, it never occurred to me to write a story for kids. Not until I heard yours."
"Food is a link to our heritage, a bridge to other cultures, a cornerstone of community. There are so many memories and emotions associated with food and the sharing of it. In every food, there is a story."
"As an educator, Hope Wins is the book I wish had existed over the years to give to the young people in my life that were struggling. It tells them, "You can do this. You are strong. You are capable. You are enough. You can hang your heart on hope.”"
I wrote the story not only to help myself discover and understand a different culture, but also to try to share that culture with others.
Cartoonist Steenz shares how they creates their Heart of the City strips and what goes into creating their new book, Heart Takes the Stage.
"In the end, I hope readers of these little adaptations recognize the same thing as readers of the big classics: our monsters are often ourselves. And we should show them some compassion."
"For me, stepping into the ocean is a lot like entering a poem. Because poems are where emotions, that often feel mysterious and vast, are given sound and space. Like the rhythm of crashing ocean waves, poems are a song I can revisit, explore, and maybe even find transcendence in."
"As authors and activists, we knew that we needed to share Loujain’s story as far and wide as possible."
"Researching and visiting historical sights became a passion, and the lore associated with them became inspiration for my books...it was on a trip to Scotland, to the Isle of Skye, where I was lucky enough to visit the ruins of Dunscaith Castle (also known as the Fortress of Shadows), that I learned of the deity who would be the inspiration for the leader of The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts."
