Book: Deadly Flowers

Highlights Stands Up for ALL Kids

Posted by on Jun 28, 2019 in Book: Deadly Flowers, Book: Deadly Wish, Book: Quick Little Monkey, Childhood, Politics | 0 comments

D97JKO2W4AAgnrdProud to have three of my books published by these fine folks! The CEO of Highlights Magazine says, “Our company’s core belief…is that ‘Children are the world’s most important people.’ This includes ALL children.”

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Chenery Book Festival

Posted by on Jun 8, 2018 in Book: Deadly Flowers, Book: Deadly Wish, Events, Ninjas | 0 comments

IMG_0627 Version 2I love this book festival in Belmont, Massachusetts! Always a great crowd of interesting, engaging, talented writers and kids, parents, and teachers who are enthusiastic about books. This year I brought along the Ninja Rope Puzzle to promote Deadly Flowers and Deadly Wish, and watched pair after pair of brave aspiring ninjas try to get themselves untangled. They all made it (eventually!)

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Best Question

Posted by on May 25, 2018 in Book: Deadly Flowers, Book: Deadly Wish, Book: Dragon's Egg, Book: The Eureka Key, Ninjas, Secrets of the Seven, SERIES: Secrets of the Seven | 0 comments

Dragon's Egg

Mella also does not suffer fools gladly.

Best question I’ve been asked during a school visit this year: If you were a character in one of your books, which one would you be?

Hmmmmm…. I had to give this some thought. My first reaction was Kata, from Deadly Flowers and Deadly Wish, because who would not want to be a deadly female ninja? But Kata’s life is very difficult. I’m not sure I actually want to live like that. In the end I said Marty, from the Secrets of the Seven series, since she is a) brilliant and b) rich. But after thinking it over, I’m leaning toward Mella from Dragon’s Egg. Because I want my own herd of small pet dragons. Yep.

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Visiting Fredonia, NY

Posted by on Apr 27, 2018 in Book: Deadly Flowers, Book: Deadly Wish, Educators & Librarians, Ninjas, Politics, School Visits | 0 comments

ined_students_casualI really enjoyed visiting Fredonia, New York, this week–both the elementary school and the University of New York! It’s fun to talk to third graders and college kids in the same day. Loved a question from my college audience, from a thoughtful young man who wanted to know how I approach gender dynamics in my work without scaring off or overwhelming young readers. “Scaring them off?” I asked. “They’re living this stuff!”

Listen in on a preschool classroom. Boys are yucky, girls can’t play here, boys can’t play with dolls, girls don’t like football. Kids are investigating gender dynamics every day of their lives. Trust me, a little thing like considering how a female ninja fits into the society of feudal Japan is no big deal.

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