Spring contest fun!

My first spring contest will be officially announced on my website on April 1st, but here's the scoop if you'd like a head start. The Haunted Ship Writing Contest is open to students in grades 1-4. Prizes will be for creativity, but every child will receive a letter from me. More details forthcoming, but the fiction or non-fiction work must be under 1000 words. I hope students will check out my writing page to get started. I've already thought of an edit-I should have called it the Ghost Ship Writing Contest! 
   Other events will be a Crazy Hair contest and Crazy Cake contest, so fingers crossed that someone feels like getting silly! See the sneak peek fliers at the bottom of this page for ways to win prizes. Feel free to give your students a heads-up for the events that go along with the upcoming release of Sleepover at the Haunted Museum. More coming in the months ahead.
Meet Authors and our new Department of Education secretary:
I don't know about you, but I love hearing from authors and here's a place to watch videos from tons of them, including Kwame Alexander, Meg Medina, and Bill Martin Jr.
If you haven't met our new US Dept. of Education secretary Cardona, here he is. I love that he was a classroom teacher.

SNEAK PEEKS
at my 2021 books
 Sleepover at the Haunted Museum comes out in June and if you're a fan of bioluminescence then you'll love this book about a birthday sleepover that gets a bit scary! It is available for pre-order.
SUPER EXCITED ABOUT MY FIRST GRAPHIC NOVEL! 
The Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots Graphic novel comes out in August (illustrated :by the award-winning Pearl Low). It is available for pre-order now and I would be thrilled if you did (let me know if I can send an autographed bookplate for it or my newest Mermaid Tales book)!
What do you think of the changes in the ethnicity of the kids? I'd love to know your thoughts on the new Bailey School Kids graphic novel cover. Scholastic wanted to update the look and make the kids reflect our country's population more. At first, the idea of changing the kids shocked me, but now I'm happy with it. I hope more kids will be able to see themselves through this new series diversity. The next Bailey School Kids graphic novel will be Frankenstein Doesn't Plant Petunias. Can't wait to see what the new Frank will look like!
Through Read Across America and World Read Aloud Day I was able to visit classrooms (and some homes) all across our great land. I've  been so impressed at how teachers and students have pulled together to keep literacy and learning alive! I'll be offering a free virtual reading with a Q and A session on May 7th to celebrate Children's Book Week. This time, I'll let schools decide from which of my 178 traditionally published books they'd like me to read aloud. On that same day, I'll be announcing the creativity winners of my Haunted Classroom Writing Contest. Hope your class will participate. Contact me here to schedule a time for your read aloud from the book of your choice.
Low Cost Virtual Visits

I would love to know of your interest in my next crazy idea. Do you think your school would be interested in having a recorded Zoom visit from me at a low cost? if so, I wonder what cost would work? This is all new to me, but I've managed to engage a sign language interpreter who will be a part of this adventure. I'd love your input to help me figure out expenses.

DO YOU LIKE GRAPHIC NOVELS?

I'm embarrassed to admit I wasn't a fan of graphic novels at first, but my youngest son loved them and that sold me. I love anything that will encourage a kid to read! Hope you'll check out my first graphic novel below!ially announced on my website on
Virtual sleepovers for a pandemic!
Crazy hair Day Contest.
Cake Contest Fun!