It was the honor of my writing career to attend the annual NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) convention as a published author and presenter. The event, in Boston this year, brought together kidlit authors and some eight thousand educators, researchers, and practitioners for learning, networking, and inspiration. There were sessions relevant to schools and communities, author talks and panels, keynote speakers including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and comedian Kate McKinnon, book signings, and much more.

My panel, Conflict Resolution in the Classroom: Lessons in Empathy and Humanity in Middle Grade Novels, included fellow middle grade authors (l-r below) Malia Maunakea, Sarah Kapit, Jen Malia, and me offering remarks and a Suggested Reading List of twenty+ middle grade books applicable to our topic. You can access the list HERE!

Over the weekend, I saw existing author friends and made many, many new ones, and also learned about amazing books, some of which I’ve now read. Watch for reviews in upcoming newsletters (subscribe free HERE).

Here are a few photos of me with some of my favorite middle grade authors (l-r) Elisa Stone Leahy, Sydney Dunlap, Janet Summer Johnson, Chris Baron, Ernesto Cisneros, and Elly Swartz.