Marcia Milgrom Dodge

 

Marcia Milgrom Dodge is an award winning and Tony nominated director and choreographer. Her work has been seen throughout the United States, Canada, England, Asia, Denmark and the Middle East. She has worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at acclaimed regional theaters. Marcia is a teacher, a wife, a mother, a proud board member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and a published and produced playwright.

You can learn more about Marcia on her website. 

Check out this clip from her Tony nominated work, Ragtime!

Sharon Creech 2020

 

Sharon Creech is the author of the Newbery Medal winner Walk Two Moons and the Newbery Honor Book The Wanderer. Her other work includes the novels Hate That Cat, The Castle Corona, Replay, Heartbeat, Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, Ruby Holler, Love That Dog, Bloomability, Absolutely Normal Chaos, Chasing Redbird, and Pleasing the Ghost, as well as three picture books: A Fine, Fine School; Fishing in the Air; and Who's That Baby?  Sharon has created a dot every year since she inspired the Celebridots in 2011. 

Her latest book is One Time. 

Learn more about Sharon on her website.

Darlene Beck Jacobson 2020

 

WISHES, DARES, AND HOW TO STAND UP TO A BULLY (Creston 2020)

 

Eleven year old Jack misses his Dad who is MIA in Vietnam. It’s been months since he and his family had word of his whereabouts. The last thing Jack wants to do is spend summer with his grandparents. Mom believes it will be good for them all – Jack, his sister Katy, Mom, Gran and Pops – to be together while they wait for word about Dad. Keeping busy will keep them out of trouble and help them think of other things.

Jack expects the worst summer of his life. The first summer without. Without Dad, without friends, without his room and all the things that remind him of Dad. When Jack meets a girl named Jill - a girl with a brother who makes trouble for both of them – things they believe are turned upside down. Welcome to a summer of fishing, camping, bullies, and a fish who grants wishes. A fish that could be the answer to Jack’s problem. But when Jill makes wishes of her own, things don’t turn out the way they expected.  Every wish has a consequence. Will the fish grant Jack’s biggest wish?  Will Jack be brave enough to ask?

Darlene Beck Jacobson is a former teacher and speech therapist who has loved writing since she was a girl.  She is also a lover of history and can often be found mining dusty closets and drawers in search of skeletons from her past. She enjoys adding these bits of her ancestry to stories such as her award-winning middle grade historical novel WHEELS OF CHANGE (Creston 2014) and WISHES, DARES, AND HOW TO STAND UP TO A BULLY (Creston 2020).

Darlene lives and writes her stories in New Jersey with her family and a house full of dust bunnies. She’s caught many fish, but has never asked one to grant her a wish. She’s a firm believer in wishes coming true, so she tries to be careful what she wishes for.

                

Her blog features recipes, activities, crafts, articles on nature, book reviews, and interviews with children’s book authors and illustrators. CURRICULUM GUIDES, study questions, and vocabulary lists are available for teacher download from the website for both books.
www.darlenebeckjacobson.com

Twitter: @DBeckJacobson

darlenejacobson13@gmail.com

Donna Marie

 

To HELP CHILDREN UNDERSTAND, COPE and COMPLY with the PANDEMIC:

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has flipped the world on its head and adjusting our lifestyles has been challenging, to say the least, especially for kids. It has also made clear who we should consider true Heroes — those who sacrifice their own safety for the sake of others. The Pippin Pals are Hero Helpers! story highlights these hard pandemic-related issues, “softened” through rhyme, and encompasses the pandemic experience through a child’s eyes, validating their feelings in a tangible way.

 

To offer a more personalized experience for the readers, the 8 diverse versions of Pippin Pals are Hero Helpers! books are not a series. All 8 are exactly the same story, but the reader can choose the main character and families—based on gender, skin and hair color, and family type—which align with a child’s preferences.

 

The books aid children’s understanding of why things have changed, how to adjust to the “new normal,” and reinforce the ways to comply. Through vivid, visual depictions of how germs spread, and the basic “dos and don’ts” that help protect themselves, people they love, and ultimately — heroic workers — they become Hero Helpers! The books feature those essential workers (be sure to check the end papers!), school from home, being social virtually, and the positive aspects of stay-at-home and “stay safe” living, along with a surprise “fun” activity.

 

Jam-packed with helpful info for kids and adults alike, the companion website —  PippinHeroHelpers.com — has free printable downloads on hand hygiene, wearing/handling face coverings and more, to post anywhere from bathrooms to classrooms. Plus you’ll find activity downloads and a page dedicated to essential workers.

AUTHOR BIO:

 

Throughout her life, :Donna Marie has had many jobs and pastimes. Just to name a few: cashier, bartender, waitress, a wide array of art jobs, party planner, clown and face painter, and A.R.A. for the NJSCBWI, some of which could be fun, none of which could be classified as a passion. The one consistent thread which started as a child first as a love, then an aspiration as a young adult, and eventually becoming a serious pursuit and true passion as an adult, has been children’s literature. With the publication of Pippin Pals are Hero Helpers! her pursuit  finally became a “job” that incorporated her passion. Her sincerest hope is that these books benefit as many children as possible.

Trisha Speed Shaskan

 Trisha Speed Shaskan was born in Winona, Minnesota, a Mississippi River valley town, where she soon became fond of spelling “M-i-ss-i-ss-i-pp-i!” In second grade, she won 2nd place in the Spelling Bee and she received the embossed dictionary to prove it! Trisha enjoyed words, stories, and writing, which became life-long interests. But she also played basketball at the park, caught tadpoles in the creek, and skateboarded across town. Today, Trisha still loves words and exploring, both of which contribute to her passion for writing children’s books, literature, teaching, and youth work. She has spent twenty years working with children and teens both in and out of school as an educator, youth worker, and literacy coach. She has taught storytelling or creative writing to students at every level from kindergarten to graduate-school. Currently, Trisha teaches writing classes to children at The Loft Literary Center. Trisha has written over thirty books for children. She received her MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Trisha lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband Stephen Shaskan, who illustrated the picture book Trisha wrote Punk Skunks. Trisha and Stephen enjoy the company of their cat Eartha, and their dog, Bea.

Learn more about Trisha on her website.

Marcia Goldman

Marcia Goldman has her Masters Degree in Special Education and has spent the last 25 years focusing on providing therapeutic-based programs for children with autism and their families. Marcia writes books starring her five-pound Yorkshire Terrier, Lola. 

Lola is a proudly certified therapy dog who makes weekly visits to elder care centers, bookstores, and classrooms. She happily participated in making her books, and hopes you enjoy reading them!

Learn more about Marcia and Lola on their website.