UP!: Q&A with “Neighbor Girl” Felicia Maziarz

Posted on March 3, 2015 by writersideup

A “Lighter Side Up” Q & A:

Getting to Know

Felicia Maziarz

When I first became more active on social media by getting more involved on Twitter and following Kidlit-related blogs, an unknown and somewhat unexpected world opened up for me. What I totally did NOT expect was to find accomplished “kid” authors! Not only was I more than impressed, but witnessing this kind of creativity, passion and drive for something so worthwhile—which also takes perseverance to complete—filled me with a sense of hope.

For such a young author, Felicia Maziarz has a very distinct writing voice, and a sturdy grasp on her clearly fleshed-out characters. Writing “funny” is not an easy thing to accomplish, but Continue reading →

UP!–John Newbery: The Man Behind the Medal

Posted on December 11, 2014 by writersideup

Portrait by Stephen Marchesi

Born in England on July 9, 1713, at the age of 16, John Newbery left his home town and parents’ farm to work for a printer. So was his first step into the world of publishing. In 1737 he became co-owner of a publishing company. At that time, the books typically given to children were tedious and lesson-filled, or handed-down folktales written for adults. These were considered “tall” tales, so thought of more for children. Books such as Gulliver’s Travels and Robinson Crusoe were among them, though young children weren’t capable of reading at that level. Newbery eventually came up with the groundbreaking idea to publish books designed specifically for children by making the books fun to read. It was risky and he could’ve ultimately lost his business if the idea failed, but he was confident children would like them. He was right. Continue reading →

UP!–Celebrating the Format of PRINT PICTURE BOOKS!

Posted on November 2, 2014 by writersideup

In case you weren’t aware—IT’S PICTURE BOOK MONTH! I’ve been heavily involved in the Kidlit World of Picture Books for decades now, but hadn’t known of this more-than-worthwhile celebration ’til last year when I got more immersed in Twitter and social media. And OH, what a celebration it is! Continue reading →

5-4-3-2-1 “UP!” BLOG LAUNCH! FIREWORKS & PARTY FAVORS!

Posted on September 9, 2014 by writersideup

IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING AND IT’S FINALLY HERE!

Welcome to my humble internet abode! In your honor, I’ve been pushing hard to fix up the place (you know how it is when company’s coming 😉 ), so please, make yourself at home and feel free to look around!

The Navigation Bar is one big “treasure hunt” of pages jam-packed with descriptions of all the “goodies” you’ll come to find each time you visit. Some are already there just waiting to be discovered, and you’ll find plenty of treats filling the Home Page sidebar and the footers on every page, too! So be sure to turn up the music—you’ll find the Play button on the sidebar! This IS a party, after all 😀 Continue reading →