Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction

libraries

News & Upcoming Events

Sep 14, 2016 | , , , , , , , ,

I have a few fun events coming up:

I’ll be at the Princeton Children’s Book Festival on September 24. Over sixty fantastic authors will be there–it should be a very delightful day.

And the next day, Sunday, September 25, I’ll be doing a panel at the Neshaminy Falls Barnes & Noble in Bensalem, PA. Author friends Lauren Magaziner and Erin Entrada Kelly and I will be talking about middle grade–come say hi!

More info about those events and others is available on my Events page.

Also, I heard the good news recently that Summer of Lost and Found went into a second printing over the summer. Hooray! Thanks to all the readers who have joined Nell, Ambrose, and Lila (and Sir Walter Raleigh) on their adventures.

And for my next book adventure: I found out The Last Grand Adventure is tentatively set to release in March 2018. I can’t wait for Bea and Pidge to be out in the world–but I do need the next few months to edit their story. 🙂

24 Hours at ALA Midwinter

Jan 14, 2016 | , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last weekend, I hopped on Amtrak and headed up to Boston for the ALA Midwinter conference. (The ride is actually pretty scenic, as the train hugs the coastline through Connecticut and Rhode Island, so you can see the ocean, ferries and fishing boats, and charming towns like Mystic along the way.)  It was a quick trip–I got in on Friday afternoon and twenty-four hours later I was already chugging back to New York. But what a great twenty-fours hours they were!

On Friday I got to meet up with some fellow New Leaf Literary authors and our agents, Suzie Townsend and Pete Knapp. Here’s Team New Leaf:

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We spent our evening enjoying wine and chocolate at a shmancy party with some fantastic librarians. And I mean enjoying it–the spread involved a make-your-own chocolate crepe bar! But the best part, of course, was getting to talk about books with our librarian friends. I love hearing about what they’re reading, what library life is like, and which books their readers adore.

The next morning, I got breakfast with the Aladdin/Simon Pulse team before heading to the exhibit floor. I’d say being on the floor is like being a kid in the candy store, but as a child my excitement level would’ve been at the same height for a candy store or a bookstore. It was so fun running around seeing all the shiny new titles on display and running into other book people. I gathered enough ARCs that I have a huge bruise on my left shoulder from the tote bag–but it’ll heal, and it’s worth it. (Once I finish them, I have a school librarian in mind to share them with.)

To top it all off, I had just enough time before my train to run into Faneuil Hall and grab a slice of Boston Cream Pie for the road. When in Boston, right? 🙂

AASL15

Nov 12, 2015 | , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last weekend I made the trip to Columbus, Ohio (a lovely city!) for the AASL National Conference. My husband and I drove from NYC, and even though we aren’t really car people anymore, it was fun to wind through the Pennsylvania mountains and catch some late fall color. You can see the pretty red leaves behind this shot of a Summer of Lost and Found sampler:

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Which was this gorgeous tree:

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On Friday morning, Gayle Rosengren and I did our presentation, “Making It Real,” for a great group of school librarians. We shared historical-fiction programming ideas that appeal to many different types of learners, and if you’d like to hear about them, send me an email! I’m happy to share our slides and handouts, including a list of recommended MG historical fiction. Here’s an example of the LIBRARY planning template that Gayle created:

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After our presentation, Gayle and I headed over to the Authorpalooza signing booth. I wish I’d thought to have someone take our picture, but sadly I was too focused on chatting with the awesome school librarians. 🙂 I do have some pictures of When Audrey Met Alice at AASL, though!

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After the conference wrapped up for the day on Friday, I had just enough time to pop over to North Market for celebratory Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream–which was the perfect finish to a great day. And, of course, I had to pick up one of these for the road home!

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Fall Update: Copyediting, Review Copies, and Columbus

Oct 31, 2015 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Happy Halloween!

Fall has been flying by. I’ve been busy with revising a new project (which feels like it might finally be coming together), working on a short story, and copy edits. Apologies to my production editor, but I did end up making quite a few tweaks to the end of Summer:

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But now the copy edits are complete, and Summer is actually available for preorder and digital review copies are up on Edelweiss! You can request a DRC here.

And links to preorder at various retailers are all here, on Simon & Schuster’s website: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Summer-of-Lost-and-Found/Rebecca-Behrens/9781481458962

During copyediting/revising breaks, I’ve been cooking. My husband and I challenged ourselves to eat an unprocessed, plant-based diet for 22 days. It was hard, but we did it–and came away with some new favorite recipes, like this green lentil soup garnished with avocado and tomato. So nice on a chilly fall night–and I found you can get a lot of writing work done in the kitchen, while it simmers.

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This week, I’m heading off to Columbus, OH for AASL 2015. Gayle Rosengren and I have worked hard on our presentation, and we’re looking forward to sharing our ideas about MG historical fiction! If you’re at AASL, please stop by and say hi. I have some shiny new postcards for Summer to hand out, too!

Upcoming Event: AASL 2015

Oct 8, 2015 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

webbadge-PresenterI’m going to AASL 2015 in Columbus!

Friend and fellow Class of 2K14 author Gayle Rosengren and I are presenting on Friday, November 6 from 11:20-12:20 (Room C212). Here’s a little about our presentation:

Making It Real, authors Gayle Rosengren and Rebecca Behrens will suggest creative ways for librarians to help bring history to life as they prepare students to meet Common Core State Standards. Strategies include multimedia displays, interactive library programming, writing workshops, author Skype visits, and outreach with local historic sites. The authors will provide tools such as a multimedia planning template that can be filled out for any title, book talks, and recommended media lists.

We’ve had a lot of fun creating this presentation, and hope you’ll join us if you’re attending the conference.

We’ll also be in the Author Signing Booth from 1:00-1:30 on Friday. Stop by and say hi! I’ll have my first pieces of Summer of Lost and Found swag, and plenty of When Audrey Met Alice bookplates, stickers, and more.

Events this Week!

May 25, 2015 | , , , , , , ,

I’m emerging from some kind of author hibernation with two events this week. I’d love to see you there!

Wednesday, May 27: I’ll be part of a fantastic panel at One More Page in Arlington, VA with author friends Tara Dairman and Jen Malone. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m.

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Saturday, May 30: I’ll be part of the second-ever Kids Author Carnival at the Jefferson Market Library in New York! This event was so much fun last year–I can’t wait to do it again. Just look at all the fabulous authors who will be at the coolest library in the city!

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Happy Spring!

Apr 26, 2015 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How is it almost May? Somehow this winter seemed both endless (thanks, snowstorms) and super short. Anyway, I’m enjoying the tulips popping up on NYC sidewalks and planning trips to WI this summer. What else is new?

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Bookplates! The lovely Kristin Rae (whose YA debut, Wish You Were Italian, is incredibly charming, and is the perfect read for spring and summer wanderlust) designed some bookplates for me. If you have a copy of When Audrey Met Alice and you’d like a signed bookplate for it, let me know! I’m happy to send one your way.

Speaking of signing books, I’ll be in Arlington, VA, at One More Page bookstore on May 27, with MG author friends Tara Dairman and Jen Malone. So if you live in the DC area, stop by and I can sign your book in person!

I’ll also be at Kids Author Carnival in NYC on Saturday, May 30, at the very cool Jefferson Market Branch of the NYPL.

And I’m excited to share that When Audrey Met Alice was selected for the 2015-2016 Southwest Iowa Battle of the Books. I’m honored to be included among the fantastic titles on the list!

Finally, there’s still time to enter my educator giveaway before the paperback of When Audrey Met Alice releases on May 1: Class Set Giveaway

What’s new with you?

Class Set Giveaway

Apr 1, 2015 | , , , , , , , , ,

I wouldn’t be the reader–or the writer–I am today without the influence of many wonderful educators. As Alice Roosevelt would put it, I was “let loose in libraries” from an early age. My childhood teachers and librarians in Madison, WI–at Thoreau Elementary, the Sequoya Library, Cherokee Middle School, and West High–were always putting books in my hands and providing me with a welcoming space to read, learn, and dream.

So to celebrate the paperback release of When Audrey Met Alice, I’m doing a special giveaway for educators (including teachers, librarians, support staff, and administrators). Enter below to win:

  • a class set (25 copies) of When Audrey Met Alice paperbacks
  • copies of the CCSS-aligned educator guide, Women’s History Month lesson plan, and annotated diary (found here)
  • assorted WAMA bookmarks, stickers, and WWAD? rubber bracelets (great for reading incentives!)

The giveaway starts today, April 6, and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on April 30. I’ll announce the winner on Friday, May 1.

Good luck!

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Note: If you have trouble entering through the form below (via the email or Facebook options), feel free to leave a comment and I will manually put in your entry. Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ETA: Thanks to all who entered and spread the word! Rafflecopter selected Connie LeFever as the winner. Congrats, Connie!

Happy Bookiversary to Audrey and Alice

Feb 4, 2015 | , , , , , , , , , ,

My mom sent me this photo over the weekend of When Audrey Met Alice still on a B&N shelf,

20150128_092334and I realized that it was a year ago that I first saw my book in a store. Today’s the actual anniversary of my pub date, 2/4/2014. It’s been a whole year! And if I had to sum it up in a word, it would be grateful.

There is a learning curve to being a published author. Some parts I prepared for: ordering stickery swag; creating what I hope are fun, educational, and inspiring presentations for kids; figuring out my elevator pitch to tell people about my book. Other things I learned along the way: Like, always bring your own cords to a school visit, and have your presentation backed up on a flash drive just in case your own cords still don’t work with the AV equipment. (Because where there is technology, there are snafus.)  Also, there is a real art to talking while signing books, without misspelling your own name.

But I don’t know that anything prepared me for how truly meaningful it is share your stories with young readers. I visited The Young Women’s Leadership School in East Harlem last week, and we had a great discussion about writing. I came home to three notes from readers, in the form of a Facebook message, an email, and snail mail (thanks, Onata, Olivia, and Grace!). The road to publication got a little bumpier for me in the past few weeks, but that day was a reminder that I’ve already been given such a wonderful gift in this opportunity to connect with other readers and storytellers. So, to everyone who has supported me and my book over the past year–especially the educators and booksellers who have welcomed me into their classrooms, libraries, and stores–thank you!

OPLbery and other news!

Jan 26, 2015 | , , , , , , , ,

I’m so excited to share that the Ossining Public Library’s OPLbery Club awarded When Audrey Met Alice the 2015 OPLbery Medal! What an honor to be considered among the other finalists, and to hear that the OPL readers enjoyed Audrey and Alice’s story so much.

From the OPL Kids website (oplkids.wordpress.com)

From the OPL Kids website (oplkids.wordpress.com)

In other news, I am keeping busy with school and Skype visits from East Harlem to Dallas to Pittsburgh. More information about my school and library visits is on the Visits page of my site.

 And here is a teaser for some news I’ll have in a month or so:

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November Update

Nov 18, 2014 | , , , , , , , ,

It’s November . . . how? It feels like yesterday that I was heading off to Vegas for ALA, or kicking back with a good book in Central Park. (And I’ve been blogging sparsely enough that if you scroll down, it appears that it was recently that I was doing those things.)

But now the leaves have turned, and my hometown is covered in snow, and my kitchen adventures have shifted from ice cream and grilling to granola and pie-baking.

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Two weeks ago I was in Wisconsin for the WLA annual conference. Gayle Rosengren and I presented “Making It Real,” a program on using historical fiction in engaging ways to help prepare students for the Common Core. You can find some of our handouts on the WLA conference site here. Sadly, I forgot to take any pictures at the conference! But it was great.

I spent a whole week back, and that included a lot of reading time and family time. My nephew just turned one! We had a lot of fun at the zoo on a chilly day.

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Now I’m back, and ready for some school visits! I’ll be at St. Francis Academy in Union City, NJ, this week and at the Dwight School for their book fair in December. I can’t wait to meet the readers at both!

And, I’m excited to share that I got to blurb a book for the first time! MarcyKate Connolly’s Monstrous is a truly stunning MG (I still think about its fabulous first lines), and it was such a pleasure to get the chance to read it early. Here’s what I had to say:

“From its first line, Monstrous had me in its grip. MarcyKate Connolly has created a fresh and wildly inventive dark fairy tale about Kym, a protagonist as sweet as she is strong. Kym’s bravery shines, as she fights against the menacing forces in Bryre and also struggles to figure out where she, a self-described monster of a girl, belongs. This remarkable, absorbing debut will enchant readers.”

And you can read all of MarcyKate’s good news here.

What have you been up to this month?

Fascinating People & Famous Places Workshop

Oct 28, 2014 | , , , , , , , , , ,

Last Friday, I did a young writers’ workshop at the New York Society Library, a beautiful and historic library that also happens to be my revising home-away-from-home.

(Here’s a presidential-history tidbit about the NYSL: Our Founding Father George Washington was a patron, but he didn’t return one of the books he checked out. When his Mount Vernon estate replaced the copy 221 years later, the library waived his overdue fines.)

Back to my workshop: Twenty creative and talented young writers came to hear me talk about writing fascinating people (like Alice Roosevelt) and famous places (like the White House). I showed them some research pictures, we played some writing games like Historical Figure Hotseat to get in the zone, and then we wrote scenes set in historic places, events, or periods, using lots of sensory details and cool facts.

I am always really excited when I get to talk about Alice.

I am always really excited when I get to talk about Alice.

Looking at pictures of the Roosevelt kids and their pets

Looking at pictures of the Roosevelt kids and their White House pets

Busy writing

Busy writing about Jane Goodall and Achilles

Working on an Amelia Earhart story

Working on an Amelia Earhart story and another set in 1800s Sweden

Even more writing!

Even more writing! We had Napoleon at this table.

Books and WWAD? bracelets at the end

Signing books and sharing “WWAD?” bracelets at the end

One of my favorite parts of being an author is getting to talk with kids about books and storytelling. I always go home inspired by the curiosity and creativity of young writers. And I learn new things, too–about what kids love to read, and even about history. (Thanks to the great story one attendee wrote, I’ve been inspired to learn more about Deborah Sampson.)

Thanks to Carrie Silberman, Randi Levy, Susan Vincent, and everyone at the NYSL for having me–and most of all to the kids who came to write with me!

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