Quarantine Shout-out

Posted on by

Lately, I’ve received numerous requests from teachers asking for short videos of encouragement on final school assignments that utilize comics and graphic novels.

For any educators who’d like a little word of encouragement and sendoff for their students doing these types of projects, I made a short video. Feel free to use it at will.

Also, THANK YOU to educators who have tried their hardest under these tough circumstances to boost their students’ mood and make learning fun online. I know it hasn’t been easy, and you are so appreciated!

Homeschool with Soman!

Posted on by

Very excited to chat with bestselling author Soman Chainani (The School for Good and Evil) during his fantastic kids’ virtual writing workshop. Tune in on Wednesday, May 13 at 2:45 EST to hear our quick 15-minute Q&A or at 2 pm to watch the entire workshop, which is soooo good.

BRIANNA’s Book Birthday!!

Posted on by

BECOMING BRIANNA hits the (virtual) shelves TODAY!

Becoming Brianna is the fourth book in the best-selling Emmie & Friends series. The story brings Brianna from Positively Izzy back into the limelight, in a way she never thought possible. She must overcome all kinds of frustrating challenges, all the while trying to answer the biggest question of all: What do I believe?

This book is perfect for anyone who loves humor, heart, and of course, funny drawings to highlight all of it! Ages 8-12.

Click here to order a hardcover, paperback, or audio!

ILA Children’s Choices List!

Posted on by

Thrilled to announce that JUST JAIME was chosen for the 2020 ILA-CBC Children’s Choices list! This is a cooperative project of the International Literacy Association (ILA) and the Children’s Book Council (CBC).

“The books in these lists are read and voted on by 12,500 children across the US each year. These Children’s Choices can be counted on as books children really enjoy reading.

Each year, children from Kindergarten – 6th grade in five regions of the United States read newly-published children’s trade books and vote for the ones they like best. These Children’s Choices, selected from hundreds of titles, can be counted on as books children really enjoy reading.”

For more info, click here.

For all you kids stuck at home…

Posted on by

Hey, everyone! If you’re like my own kids, you’re going to be home for a while, waiting out the worst of the COVID-19 virus. At first, being “stuck at home” may not sound so bad. It’s an escape from tests, work, and maybe even those kids and teachers you try and avoid most days at school. But after a while, it can get pretty boring. So here are a few ideas for some screen-free fun time:

1. Well, of course, I’m going to say this…READ! This is such a great opportunity to take a break from your phone, video games, and other electronics and escape into someone else’s imagination.

2. Get outside. Okay, so you may have to avoid crowds of people, but it’s probably okay to ride your bike or walk to a park or wherever else you like to go (just ask a parent first if this is okay).

3. Have a game day (or night). If you’re gonna be stuck with your family, take out your frustrations on a friendly competition. It’s probably healthier than a family screaming match.

4. Whip out those neglected art supplies. Remember when you were in kindergarten and used to draw, paint, and craft with abandon? I’ll bet there are still some art supplies lying around. It’s a perfect time to get creative. Make your own comics! Try a collage from old paper scraps! Paint your little brother all the colors of the rainbow! Okay, kidding about that last one…maybe.

5. Along those lines, it’s also a great time to catch up on writing in a journal. Or start a novel. Believe it or not, boredom can weirdly spark your imagination.

6. Write letters to faraway friends and family. Once upon a time, people corresponded with pen, paper, and the written word. You can still do that! You can also draw funny pictures they can keep. But if that seems too old-fashioned, you can still FaceTime them your funny faces.

7. Finally, if you go to “Fun Stuff” in the menu above, there are some cool little games and videos. Also, here is an excerpt from my upcoming book, BECOMING BRIANNA:

That portion and the rest of BECOMMING BRIANNA comes out May 5, 2020. In the meantime, hunker down, stay healthy, and keep reading and creating!

YOU-Niquely YOU: a preview!

Posted on by

Many of you have been wondering why I ended my comic strip (The Pajama Diaries, now in repeats). Well, it was mainly because of this baby:

I’ve been spending most of my time lately creating this book. And lemme tell you, it has been fuuuuuun.

It’s a guided journal and activity book, and yes, it’s part of the Emmie & Friends series. It will be published October, 2020, in between Becoming Brianna and Book 5 (yet to be written).

There are three sections of activity pages, each section “guided” by one of the main characters: Emmie, Brianna, and Jaime. The rest of the book will contain journal pages and make-your-own comics pages. This will be a PERFECT gift for birthdays and holidays!

For fun, here is a preview of some activity pages:

Creating games, puzzles, and secret codes? Yeah, this is pretty much the most fun project I’ve ever done. And I really, really hope you’ll enjoy the book! To pre-order YOU-Niquely YOU, click here.