Posts by slthomson@earthlink.net

A Life Lived in Stories

Posted by on Jun 26, 2026 in Children's Literature | 0 comments

Four hundred and fifty books.

Poetry. Nonfiction. Realism. Fantasy and fables. Anything that told a story, that connected writer and reader, that spun a thread of information, emotion, hope and entertainment and moral choice, between two minds and hearts.

It feels like a pillar somewhere has fallen, and the world is a little less steady than it was.

Thank you, Jane Yolen, and farewell.

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Thank You Again

Posted by on Jun 12, 2026 in Book: Dragon's Egg, Educators & Librarians, School Visits | Comments Off on Thank You Again

"I like the part of the book how the girl to[ok] the egg from the Dragon and she thorugh it was gold also bring it in her room inside her home but very important about for me is that [it] was so interesting the book. Love: Phillip"
“I like the part of the book how the girl to[ok] the egg from the Dragon and she thorugh it was gold also bring it in her room inside her home but very important about for me is that [it] was so interesting the book. Love: Phillip”

Another sweet thank-you note from a writing workshop. What I love about this note is how genuine it is. I didn’t think that the chapter where the heroine of Dragon’s Egg takes a dragon’s egg and hides it in her room was particularly dramatic or exciting–but for this reader it was!

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No, Thank YOU!

Posted by on Jun 5, 2026 in Author Visits, Educators & Librarians | Comments Off on No, Thank YOU!

"I learnt that poetry doesn't have to rhyme."
“I learnt that poetry doesn’t have to rhyme.”

Doing writing workshops in schools is one of my favorite parts of writing for children. One of the most delightful parts is reading the thank-you notes afterwards. Sometimes these are funny, sometimes they are touching, and sometimes they show kids truly are listening–like this one!

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Home of the Brave

Posted by on May 28, 2026 in American History, Nonfiction, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Home of the Brave

I’m looking forward to November, when the graphic nonfiction work Home of the Brave will be hitting shelves! This is a compilation of true stories collected by StoryCorps, giving us personal stories of the American experience from the Civil War, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights era, the AIDS epidemic, and more.

I’ve just had my first glimpse of the jacket and am excited to share!

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