Mike Ciccotello | Writer Side UP!

OK, it’s my guess you didn’t know that the Emerald City is actually made up of Big White Tents and the yellow brick road happens to be flagstone. Well, take it from me — it is! On my FAVorite “KidLit” day of the year, I “fly over the rainbow” to the Princeton Children’s Book Festival to take in everything this “Oz” has to offer 😀

Each September as the date approaches, I await the beautiful poster art (this year by Brian Biggs), and I wish upon a star in anticipation of the list of authors and illustrators I’ll see when I peer through that “crystal ball” on the site. I am always elated because, without fail, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion are there, along with other treasured friends and many new ones I hope to meet AND—their books! Continue reading →

Seriously—when you visit Disney World, is a 1-week vacation enough to fit in all the amazing attractions? No way! When your time is limited you need to plan—picking and choosing what to see, when and how often (yes, I have a few for which, like Lays Potato Chips–once is not enough). It’s very much the same in the expansive online “Disney” World of Kidlit. There are SO many “rides and attractions,” we must decide which to visit, when and how often. It can be quite the struggle, but some “rides” are no-brainers and deserve repeating, again and again, such as the amazing sites “Nerdy Chicks Rule” and its sister blog “Kidlit Summer School.” Continue reading →