These tips (which I first posted on Twitter tonight) are meant for people writing middle grade fiction. They come from discussions that I’ve had with my son about the books we’ve read and the books I’ve written. He’s an avid reader of middle grade fiction, and the first reader of every one of my books,… Read more »
December 2018
Teacher’s Guide
I’m thrilled to share my Teacher’s Guide for The Mad Wolf’s Daughter. I hope this guide will be used in many classrooms, especially once the paperback comes out (which will be on February 12, 2019). I love inspiring students, and I’ve read a lot of educational literature, so I had an idea of how to put this together…. Read more »
Available on Edelweiss
Teachers, librarians, and critics who use Edelweiss (a great resource for an early look at an upcoming novel) can read the e-ARC of The Hunt for the Mad Wolf’s Daughter now, by following this link. And here’s a lovely review that I just saw, that captures a few of my favorite parts of the book.
Kirkus on Book 2
We authors are always a wee bit terrified to read reviews of our books, so it was with great relief that I read this review of my second book from Kirkus, which includes these lovely lines: “Magras deftly balances introspection and action as Drest proves herself willing to risk everything—and the result will leave readers… Read more »
Gender Empowerment and Risks: A Conversation Between Diane Magras and Laura Shovan
The ranks of strong girls in middle grade fiction is growing. (Thank goodness for that!) These girls come in all forms: tough, spunky, wild—and occasionally soft and gentle but with a core of steel. They’re fantastic models for girls (and boys) to see diversity in how girls are represented. And often, these days, they have… Read more »
Book Review: THE PROPHET CALLS
Dystopian books explore what might happen to our world when something fundamental is different from what we know. Often, it’s society-based, though sometimes technology is part of it. These are books that start with a “What if” world tangled into our own. We see aspects of life we recognize, but something feels off or wrong… Read more »
The Book List That Matters Most
Here’s a post for children’s authors, first shared on Twitter, where it went a wee bit viral (for me), about the “Best Book” lists that are ubiquitous on social media this time of year. (As you might guess, “Best Book” can be hard for the many, many children’s authors who don’t see their works upon… Read more »
Holiday Book Box
I love to give books for holiday gifts. This year, some of the books I give will be reaching recipients in book boxes, so a book with a few other little things that go with the theme. As I was thinking of what would go with each book, it occurred to me that I have… Read more »
These lilacs have the most glorious scent, but are pretty modest in their way. The former colleague I lost over the weekend to cancer would have liked them for both those reasons.
#flowers #grief #lilacs
It’s been a tough week. A moment with a few flowers can make a difference.
#flowers #azalea #springflowers