You’re Right, Books Are Dangerous
Blue paper covers shelves of books that students are being denied access to.
This just breaks my heart.
In a classroom–a classroom–books are being kept away from students. Students want to read, to learn, to feed their curiosity, to enlarge their sense of the world, to simply have fun, and they’re being told NO. Are being told that’s not what school is for. Are being told that curiosity and openness of mind and heart must be controlled. Are being told that THEY must be controlled, that they and their teachers cannot be trusted to make choices about their own reading. About their own minds.
The people who made these laws are right about one thing–books are dangerous. They tell facts. They explain ideas. They make change. They are change.
And if that scares you–you might do something like this to children.
But it’s about your weakness and your fears, not about the books. And not about the students. The only thing on display here is the cowardice of lawmakers who don’t deserve the title, don’t deserve their jobs, and who are cowering in fear of chapter books.
Shame, shame, shame.
Read MoreReview for TWO FRIENDS
Kirkus has lovely words for Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week!
Read MoreReaders will treasure the blossoming friendship between opposites in this whimsically illustrated tale. Short chapters and plenty of action make for an accessible and appealing reading experience….Touching and inspiring.
Happy Frog Day!
This week Save the…Frogs! will be leaping onto shelves at bookstores and libraries everywhere. Find out about frogs that fly (okay, glide) and freeze solid. Learn what it’s actually like to change from an aquatic tadpole into an adult that can hop on land. And how exactly do frogs manage to capture dinner with their tongues? It’s all here!
Picture Book Contest
Astra is once again running its picture book contest–open to manuscripts (no illustrations) for ages 3-8 written in English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, or Chinese. The deadline is April 30, 2023, so plenty of time to polish up your latest manuscript!
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Prehistoric Turtles
Archelon. Cretaceous period. Scarier than T. rex.
Currently I’m researching turtles for a nonfiction chapter book. I have discovered that in prehistoric times there was a turtle with a shell thirteen feet long. IT HAD TEETH.
I am not okay with this.
Read MoreStoryCorps
Our stories are our history and our identity.
I’m so excited to announce that I’m going to working on a graphic novel–no, a piece of graphic nonfiction–boy, do we need a better term for this genre!–anyway–a work of historical nonfiction in a graphic format based on the wonderful, touching, and uplifting stories collected by StoryCorps.
I’m thrilled to get to work with such great material, and also excited to be tackling my first script for a graphic work. So far in my career I’ve published novels, picture books, chapter books, early readers, nonfiction, fiction, and poetry–delighted to add graphic work to the list!
Read MoreWhy Do Sloths Poop On the Ground?
One day you may discover the secret of my poops.
Just send a new manuscript off to my agent–fingers crossed that we’ll find a publisher. The working title is SCAT! Fascinating Facts About What Animals Leave Behind. Because who doesn’t love a good poop book?
(My teenaged daughter, that’s who. She’s the one who has had to listen to me chat about my topics of research over the dinner table for the last few months.)
I thought I’d share my favorite fascinating fact: sloths poop on the ground. It is literally the only time they climb down out of their trees, and it’s a fraught and perilous journey. They are in danger the whole time, vulnerable to predators that they can’t run away from. Luckily they only defecate about once a week. (Their digestive system is as slow as the rest of them.) But why would they do it this way in the first place?
NO ONE KNOWS. It is one of the great mysteries of biology.
There are theories. It sends a signal about readiness to mate! It fertilizes the tree upon which the sloth depends for food and shelter! And my favorite–it allows the moths which nest in the sloth’s fur a chance to lay their eggs in the poop! But no one is really sure.
I love that there are mysteries left in the world.
Read MoreSarah L. Thomson
A children’s book author publishing award-winning nonfiction, poetry, picture books and novels including…
“Thomson focuses on newfound connection, magic, and suspense to conjure a fast-paced, heartwarming mystery. Thomson’s world is populated by resourceful protagonists, fanciful creatures, and quirky supporting characters.”
—Publishers Weekly