Now’s The Time

January 2, 2021June 1, 2023 Essays

My family and I have an odd New Year’s tradition. We don’t make resolutions; instead, we come up with mottos that encapsulate hopes for the new year and attempt to ... Read more

How I Made Mattie Gokey

December 21, 2020June 1, 2023 Essays

As I was emptying out my old house last month, I came across material I used when writing A Northern Light. It was like bumping into an old friend after ... Read more

Why I Love Fairy Tales

October 28, 2020January 1, 2021 Essays, News

My publisher, Scholastic, is turning 100 this month! To celebrate, a bunch of Scholastic authors wrote essays for a booklet called “100 Reasons to Love Reading.” Click here to download ... Read more

Spanish Stepsister Giveaway!

November 21, 2019November 21, 2019 Uncategorized

How awesome is this cover for Hermanastra, the Spanish edition of Stepsister? I recently received a few copies of Hermanastra from RBA Molino, the publisher, and I’m giving one away next ... Read more

Czech Stepsister Giveaway!

November 21, 2019November 21, 2019 Uncategorized

I LOVE the title of the Czech translation of Stepsister: Nevlastní Sestra!! I don’t speak a word of Czech, but reading it gives me chills (I’d love to hear a ... Read more

Q&A: Where Did Love and Death Come From in Lost In A Book?

February 2, 2019March 1, 2019 Essays, News

I do a regular Q&A over on my Goodreads page, and I just answered a great question there from a reader named Jodi about Beauty and the Beast: Lost in ... Read more

My Bookshelf: SCRIBE by Alyson Hagy

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 Essays, News

I loved this hard, dark blood-jewel of a book. Beguiling, unsettling, and beautifully written, SCRIBE is a story of long-buried secrets, of wrongs done, and of the power of words ... Read more

Why I Vote

November 5, 2018June 17, 2019 Essays, News

“Remember the ladies…” Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John on March 31, 1776, urging him and his fellow members of the Continental Congress to give women representation in the laws ... Read more

Wolf-Alice Comes Alive

April 9, 2018June 17, 2019 Essays, News

OK, forgive me a little fangirling here. It has been (many) years since I have stood in a sweaty, crowded club to see a band. But that’s exactly what I ... Read more

Why You Should Read Wuthering Heights

June 20, 2017June 17, 2019 Essays

I was an American sixteen-year-old the first time I read Wuthering Heights. Miss Warren, my English teacher during my junior year, assigned the book. I remember sitting at my desk ... Read more