Randomly, on a Thursday, She Caught Up. Sort of.

I am about a week and a half overdue in posting this, but better late than never: DID YOU KNOW TANITA'S NEW BOOK IS OUT? WOO HOO! Released on Feb. 9, it's about being a foster sister and finding a family in today's complex social and racial environment, which means families come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and combinations--and the one thing you can count on is that nobody will do exactly what you expect.

Find out whether Dess and Hope can learn to cross socioeconomic, racial, and plain old personality divides to become friends as well as foster sisters--You can buy Tanita's latest novel PEAS AND CARROTS at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

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Go check out this wonderful post by Sharon Levin entitled Children's Books Make Me Smarter. I kind of thought I might be the only one who feels this way, but I'm glad I'm not! I am ALWAYS (and PROUDLY) learning from what I read, fiction and nonfiction alike; written for children, teens, or adults. This is yet another reason why we need lots and lots of stories, why diversity in children's literature is so incredibly important. As a child I learned about animals and people, about illness (You Can't Catch Diabetes from a Friend) and about Waltzing Matilda. As an adult I am still learning: pox parties, the Women's Army Corps, female aviators, neuromorphic circuitry, what it's like to live life as someone with a very different background. Let's not stop reading; let's not stop getting smarter.

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Next Wednesday, February 24th, is World Read Aloud Day! Thanks to author and agent-sister Kate Messner, I was able to sign up to participate in Skype classroom visits in honor of World Read Aloud Day, and now I'm booked for four virtual middle school visits, two on Wednesday and two on Thursday. I am very excited and a bit daunted, but I think this is a wonderful opportunity to talk to students about writing and read a little of my work. Plus I get to talk to kids in Minnesota, Florida, and Maryland without leaving my office....now I just have to clean my desk so it doesn't look like I am a total slob....