The TeachingBooks Blog
As a YA author, I’ve written from the perspective of a guardian angel, a were-opossum, and even a pesky human or two. But the “character” who was hardest to connect with was my own teen self.
In this month's post, we highlight some useful thematic booklists from a variety of professional sources. Please note that the TeachingBooks.net display of the instructional materials and websites has changed. We've added cover images; information on each title can be tapped by rolling over the pictures. We hope you'll agree that our snazzy new design is reminiscent of library displays, and that it's easier to find materials that meet your needs.
A new book or project always starts with an idea. My participation in I.C. Springman’s More (Houghton, 2012) actually began in 1995 with an idea I had for a story about a crow that collects too much stuff, builds multiple nests in a tree, and ultimately feels worn down by the sheer number of objects he has to curate. But the tale was way too long and hopelessly preachy. I don’t like message-forward books, and although I had a suite of sketches I was eager to turn into finished paintings, I never got around to submitting them. Over the years I went back, searching for a better way to tell the story, but I couldn’t find a way in.
Authors are used to pretty standard questions during interviews, but I thought this one was fascinating: What did you struggle with during the writing of The Galahad Legacy?