Educational Resources

Taking Turns Educational Guide
follows the common core state standards, TESOL & Next Generations Science Standards
aligned discussions and English/Spanish activities.

The Last Lighthouse Keeper Educational Guide Coming soon!

Click here for more resources for The Last Lighthouse Keeper.

Writing Resources

Feel free to explore a collection of Writing resources I found useful as a writer. I hope you find them helpful too!

• Read Write Think: Resources for Educators and Writers
• Teaching Books: Author and Books Resources to Support Reading
• NCTE: Resources for Writing Nonfiction in the Classroom

Professional Organizations, Writing Courses, and Writing Groups:

• ALA (American Library Association): A professional organization for educators, librarians and authors with a host of events.
• Curtis Brown: Renowned writing courses led by literary agents and published authors.
• Gotham Writers: Online and in person writing classes for fiction and nonfiction, novels and more.
• Grub Street Center for Creative Writing: A creative writing center offering classes and support for all levels of writers.
• Highlights Foundation-Boyds Mill: Workshops and retreats for writers and illustrators of children’s books.
• Inked Voices: Inked Voices is a community for those who want to dig deep into their craft and process alongside fellow writers–but who like the flexibility of an online format. Classes, professional critiques and so much more.
• Kirsten Larson’s Non-Fiction coaching and classes: Classes, coaching, and more on writing and researching nonfiction. Kirsten also has a podcast: Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversations.
• Nonfiction Fest (NF Fest): An annual challenge during the month of February to generate new non fiction ideas every day for a month.
• Publishers Weekly  
• Publishers Marketplace 
• SCBWI- Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators: An international professional organization supporting children’s book writers and creators.
• Storystorm Challenge (Facebook Group): An annual challenge during the month of January to generate a new story idea per day for one month.
• Storyteller Academy: Online classes for children’s writers.
• The Lyrical Language Lab: Teaches writers of children’s books poetic techniques.
• 12 x 12 Challenge: A year-long picture book challenge to draft 12 stories in 12 months.
• Writing Barn: Online writing classes for kidlit community.
• Writing Loft: Online writing classes.

Craft Books

• Anatomy of Nonfiction by Margery Flalam and Peggy Thomas
• A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
• Five Kinds of Nonfiction by Melissa Stewart
• Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep by Melissa Stewart
• Real Revision by Kate Messner
• Reimagining your Nonfiction by Kirsten W. Larson
• Save the Cat! By Blake Snyder
• Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
• Telling It True by Kirsten W. Larson
• The Artists Way by Julia Cameron
• The Elements of Style by William Strunk and EB White
• The Magic Words by Cheryl B. Klein
• Writing for Story by Jon Franklin
• Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul
• Writing with Pictures, How to Write and Illustrate Children’s Books by Uri Shulevitz
• Writing it Right! By Sandy Asher

Writing Tools, Tips, and Advice for Kidlits

• Children’s Writers-Word Book by Alijandra and Tayopa Mogilner, Writing reference: Word lists grouped by grade
• Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market by Amy Jones
• Deborah Halverson
• Debbie Ridpath Ohi: Free Print-ready templates and guides for picture book creators
• Edelweiss Plus:  Platform to help find comps (comparison or competitor titles)
• Harold Underdown and the Purple Crayon
• Melissa Stewart Resources: Celebrating Science for writers and educators
• Pat Zietlow Miller
• Rachael Burk: Extensive list of writing resources and more
• The Emotional Thesaurus by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman (There are 10 books in this series of different types of Thesaurus’s for writing kidlit.)
• The Authors Guild:  Advocacy and support with resources for  professional writers
• What makes a Bestseller?: Jonny Geller TEDxOxford

Podcasts

• Nonfiction Kidlit Kraft Conversations Podcast with Kirsten W. Larson
• New Books in Children’s Literature with author Mel Rosenberg
• SCBWI Podcasts
• 12 x 12 Challenge Podcast
• The Children’s Book Podcast
• Science Friday
• Ologies