Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction

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SUMMER Educator Giveaway

May 1, 2017 | , , , , , , , , , , ,

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I wouldn’t be the reader–or the writer–I am today without the influence of many wonderful educators. 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 Summer of Lost and Found on May 23, I’m doing a special giveaway for educators (including teachers, librarians, support staff, and administrators*). Two winners will receive:

  • A reading-group set (10 copies) of Summer of Lost and Found paperbacks
  • Copies of the educator guide and book-club discussion guide (found here)
  • Assorted Summer of Lost and Found and When Audrey Met Alice bookmarks and stickers (great for reading incentives!)

The giveaway starts today and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on May 22. I’ll announce the winners on Tuesday, May 23.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: If you have trouble entering through the Rafflecopter widget above, feel free to leave a comment on this post, and I will manually input your entry. Thanks!

*Not an educator? Feel free to enter on behalf of a school or classroom!

 

New Scholastic Fiction

Mar 17, 2017 | , , , , , , , , , ,

I’m excited to share that I have two stories appearing in Scholastic’s classroom magazines this month! The March/April issue of Storyworks has “Lost and Found,” realistic fiction that was inspired by my time in the Outer Banks doing research for Summer of Lost and Found.

 

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I love the artwork and photographs that appear with the story–along with all the great questions and resources on the Storyworks website!

For Scholastic Scope, I wrote “What We Left Behind,” an original short story about the infamous Black Sunday dust storm in April 1935. This was a storm so massive and powerful that it carried dirt and debris all the way from the Plains to the Capitol steps in Washington, D.C. But this is also a story about two sisters who are brave enough to fight against the dust to save their family.

 

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If you’ve read either story in your classroom, I’d love to hear what you think!

 

nErDcampLI and November

Nov 20, 2016 | , , , , , , , ,

November started off with an amazing day of literacy and learning: #nErDcampLI! This was my first EdCamp experience, and it was awesome. I got to listen to amazing educators and experts speak about topics in literacy and kidlit–like this fantastic session on the importance of back matter that Susannah Richards led.

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One of the things she encouraged authors to do is include more back matter on their websites–especially book-creation timelines. I’m hoping to add something for that to the Resources page of my site soon!

The event was held in the wonderful Jericho Middle School, and I loved wandering the halls to see the work that students had posted. This was my favorite sign:

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A very wise student wrote that. 🙂

The following week was the election, and like many people, I’ve been processing the results since. It’s no secret to those who have read When Audrey Met Alice that I believe a woman’s place is in the White House. I took this picture on my way home to watch returns on Tuesday night.

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More than ever, that is true. Our votes matter, and so do our voices. I’m working harder than ever to use mine to express what I believe in.

Now it’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here–have a happy and safe holiday, and eat lots of pie!

 

Celebrating SUMMER at Mystery to Me

Jun 16, 2016 | , , , , , , , , , , ,

I grew up visiting a wonderful children’s bookstore, Pooh Corner, in my hometown, Madison, WI. So I was delighted a few years ago when a new independent bookstore, Mystery to Me, opened on the same block where Pooh Corner once had a home. I try to stop by every time I’m back in town, and last week I got to launch Summer of Lost and Found there. (I wonder if kid-me would believe that adult-me was back on Monroe Street as an author!)

It was so much fun to meet up with family, old friends, former teachers and librarians, and new readers to talk about writing the book–and to sample some scuppernong grape juice and Duck Donuts. Here are a few pictures:

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“Event Today” signs make me happy 🙂

What would a book party be without snacks?

It was a great crowd--so many good questions.

It was a great crowd–so many thoughtful questions.

Signing a book for children's librarian (and friend) Nancy!

Signing a book for children’s librarian (and friend) Nancy!

Probably double-checking the spelling of a name--I've learned that lesson!

Probably double-checking the spelling of a name–I’ve learned that lesson!

Thanks to Joanne Berg and the staff for having me! It was a fantastic day.

 

Kidlitpalooza!

May 28, 2016 | , , , , , , , , , , ,

On Saturday, May 21, I got to join a bunch of amazing kidlit authors on Long Island for the inaugural #Kidlitpalooza. And it was a blast.

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We started out by introducing our books to the fantastic group of kids, parents, and educators, then split off into two breakout sessions. I was part of the Book Love group with Sarah Darer Littman (also an Aladdin author with a new book out in September!) and Kat Yeh (author of The Truth About Twinkie Pie). We had a great time talking about the books we love and how they can help us create great stories of our own. The kids in our sessions were so talented!

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The closing ceremonies featured Gae Polisner‘s super fun 60-second reads: one of the first 60 seconds of our titles, and one of our favorite 60 seconds. I almost made it through my favorite 60 seconds, but I got dinged out by the bell with one sentence left. I’ll keep practicing!

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It was a really fun day of learning and book love. If you want the full story–check out Two Writing Teachers’ blog for a Live from #Kidlitpalooza post.

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.

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!

School Visit!

Nov 24, 2014 | , , , , , , , , ,

Last week, I had a great time visiting St. Francis Academy in Union City, NJ. I talked with the fifth- and sixth-grade students about historical fiction, life in the White House, the writing process, and more. I was blown away by their insightful and interesting questions–I love it when students give me new ideas and show me different ways of looking at my characters! One of the best moments was walking in to see their When Audrey Met Alice projects lining the wall:

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Aren’t they great? What a welcome!

It is a really special thing to get to talk with a roomful of readers who care about your characters, and to have the chance to spend a day at a school that is such a nurturing environment for young readers and writers. Thanks for the wonderful day, St. Francis Academy!

 

Student-Author Interview!

Oct 17, 2014 | , , , ,

Over the summer, Laurie Morrison, a writer and teacher, emailed me to see if I’d like to participate in her wonderful student-author interview series. Of course I did! Last month she sent me the questions from her seventh-grade girls at Friends Select School in Philadelphia. I’ve enjoyed all the interviews I’ve done for When Audrey Met Alice, but I have to say that their thoughtful, unique, and enthusiastic questions were my favorites. (And I really loved the chance to hear from them what they liked best about the book–readers’ favorite parts always surprise, and delight, me.)

You can read the interview here on Laurie’s blog: http://lauriemorrison.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/student-author-interview-8-rebecca-behrens/

A big thank you to Laurie for this opportunity to connect with her students, and to Sophia, Alex, Nyeema, Poli, Sydney, and Olivia for reading and asking me such great questions!

girls with when audrey met alice

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