I was really surprised by our University of Chicago visit. I expected the campus to be more urban and be spread out into the city. Instead, it has gorgeous Neo-Gothic architecture with a defined campus. It reminded me a lot of UCLA because both have large quads surrounded by beautiful old buildings. We sat in…
I’m thrilled to be going to my first Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival where I will be representing How To Coach Girls and Sumo Joe. I’m also interviewing three authors on behalf of KidLitTV: Phil Bildner, Sandra Neil Wallace, and Joyce Wan. Today, I’m preparing for my interview with Sandra Neil Wallace. I met Sandra Neil…
I think the Holy Grail of Halloween picture books is the classic, Room on a Broom, which combines so many delightful elements into a Halloween themed book: counting, friendship, humor, and a search for missing objects. Room on a Broom by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler These Halloween picture books have some of these…
Our mother, Rose Wenjen, passed away this morning after battling breast cancer for the second time. This cancer was unusual for someone her age; it was very aggressive. But, as we used to joke, it was like my mother was reverse aging. At one point, her hair actually was getting darker on its own. …
Our recent trip to Kauai was filled with outdoor activities like the beach, fishing, and hiking to beautiful spots, but I was glad of a few teachable moments for my kids to learn about Native Hawaiian culture. Interestingly, this Native Hawaiian was charged with commercial vending for these presentations. “A Native Hawaiian charged with…
