I’m thrilled to announce the release of my two newest books, YOU ARE A HONEY BEE! and YOU ARE A RACCOON!, the first two books in an adorable, STEM nonfiction picture book series that encourages very young readers to learn—through gentle interactivity and play—about the animals who share their world.

This playful and informative series, available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook editions, invites you to take a closer look at the amazing animals that live right alongside you in rural, suburban, and urban landscapes across North America. In each book, words and art inspire you to act out animal actions that are not so different from your own habits. And robust backmatter offers even more facts and fun. From the animals’ families and foods to their environments and behaviors, let’s meet your world!

PRAISE FOR MEET YOUR WORLD:

“A very useful work for environmental science and animal studies in the classroom and for individual reading. The hardworking life of a honey bee is shown through a lively text and colorful illustrations which offer significant information.” – School Library Journal

“Thompson has crafted a truly wonderful book that not only pulls readers in with a cute tale about animals but also incorporates activities that mimic the lives of raccoons—all while being educational! All libraries will want to include this in their children’s collections.” – School Library Journal

“Naturalistic and charming.” – Kirkus Reviews

Swish, swoosh, fly! You might have heard the words “busy as a bee,” but what do bees actually do each day? Did you know bees clean their rooms, help feed baby bees, and build the hive they live in? From birth to first flight and beyond, discover all that goes into being a bee in this charming picture book, the first in the Meet Your World series.

Crawl, cling climb! You may have seen a raccoon scurry up a tree or across the road just before dark. Did you know that raccoons stay up at night playing, hunting, and eating when you go to sleep? From birth to first stripes and beyond, discover all that goes into being a raccoon in this charming picture book, the second in the Meet Your World series.

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EMMANUEL’S DREAM: THE TRUE STORY OF EMMANUEL OFOSU YEBOAH

• Author “read-aloud plus” now available by request! Please email me for details.
• Download the free Emmanuel’s Dream curriculum guide, which includes CCSS alignments, critical thinking discussion questions, and reproducible activity sheets.
• “Meet the Author” at TeachingBooks.net: Book Reading | Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah.
• There’s a free reproducible crossword puzzle based on the book at TeachersPayTeachers.com.
• Check out related picture books for young changemakers on my Pinterest board.

The TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE series

• Video: The story behind the TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE stories
• Video: Introduction to TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
• An Educator’s Guide to Support Information Literacy
• The Two Truths and a Lie: STEM Game and Research Activities
• A Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive! Word Search Puzzle

BE A CHANGEMAKER: HOW TO START SOMETHING THAT MATTERS

• Read my blog post on how to Empower kids and teens during COVID-19
• Download the FREE Be a Changemaker Workshops guide
• Watch the You Can Be a Changemaker video webinar.
• Watch the Be a Changemaker intro video.
• View or download the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) English Language Arts (ELA) Literacy strands and/or the full CCSS report here.
• Check out even more books for tween and teen changemakers on my Pinterest board

MY DOG IS THE BEST

• Watch the author read-aloud video
• Download the free storytime and canine craft kit
• Watch the book trailer video

Again, my goals here are to be as helpful as possible for YOU to continue leading #AtHome learning, so please email me if there is anything specific I might be able to do, including ways to connect with your students. We’re all in this together, even while we’re apart. So, until we meet again, stay safe, #StayHome… and stay sane. xoxo

Please join me for the West Coast Launch Party for

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE:
HISTORIES AND MYSTERIES

Saturday, June 30th, 2 PM **

And, if you can’t make the party but would like to order a signed copy, please call Brick and Mortar Books at 425–869-0606.

And, just today I found out it has also been awarded a 2015 Gelett Burgess Award, too! The Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award “highlights excellence in family-friendly books covering the broad expanse of a child’s existence, helping them grow socially, emotionally, ethically, intellectually, and physically.” Be a Changemaker was selected as the winner in the Lifestyle category for “Helping Others & Philanthropy.” Look how pretty!

• Books make great gifts, so consider holidays, birthdays, and other celebrations as well as graduations, retirements, new babies, and other milestones coming up in the lives of your friends, family, teachers and coaches, and co-workers.
• Many places are thrilled to receive donations of new books, too. Think about buying extra copies for your local food bank, hospital, shelters, schools, and libraries.

2. Help get the word out. 

• Ask your local bookstore if they carry the book. If you’re bold, you can even tell them why they might want to consider stocking it!
• Request the book from your local library, and then check it out when it arrives.
• Ask for help finding it on the shelf in bookstores and libraries, even if you already know where it is, so the booksellers and librarians will know where it is, too!
• Ask the author for some bookmarks or other swag, which you can hand out to bookstore employees, librarians, and teachers or leave behind in coffee shops, doctor’s offices, waiting rooms, etc. as appropriate.
• Share photos of “in the wild” sightings of the book to increase awareness of the cover and title.

3. If you like the book, share your thoughts with others!

• Write a nice review on Amazon, BN.com, Goodreads, and/or elsewhere. It doesn’t have to be long or profound: Five stars and a simple “Loved it!” can go a long way!
• Mark well-written good reviews you see on those sites as helpful (and, conversely, if you see reviews that are just mean or unfair, mark them as not helpful).
• Share your thoughts on the book with your friends and followers on your social media outlets like your blog, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
• Tell the author! Not all reviews are positive, and hearing from someone who liked the book might be just what the author needs.

Both of last week’s posts here were about failure, or at least the constant perceived threat of failure that so often makes it hard for us to move forward. I’m going to continue the theme, but on a slightly different note. Our own Emu Empress, Erin MUrphy, once said something along the lines of, “For every success, there is a waiting period that feels like failure.” And in a post on this very blog almost three years ago, she followed that up with, “But it’s NOT! It’s just waiting!”
When she wrote that post back in 2011, I’d only been with the agency for a few months. One year from now, I’ll have three books published. That doesn’t seem like very much waiting, especially to those familiar with the pace of the publishing industry. Many of my writer friends have walked up to me and said something to the effect of, “Wow, you’re on FIRE!” Some say things like, “I guess you’ve been busy lately!” Others ask, “So, what’s your secret?” as if I’m holding out on them. A few say, “Boy, did you get lucky!” never thinking that some authors might be a little bit offended by that. (I never am: Yes, indeed, I have gotten very, very lucky!)
So, in the interests of dispelling myths and keeping things real, I thought it might be helpful to break down my “overnight success:”

You can read the rest of that post here.