Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Dav Pilkey
Dav Pilkey wrote and illustrated the Captain Underpants and Dog Man graphic novel series, as well as picture books like Dog Breath and The Hallo-Wiener. Pilkey has spoken out about his own struggles growing up with ADHD and dyslexia, and...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Dallas Clayton
Dallas Clayton is an artist, children's book author, and philanthropist. He successfully self-published his first two books, An Awesome Book! and An Awesome Book of Thanks! Clayton has also founded An Awesome World Foundation, which...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Christopher Myers
Christopher Myers comes from a long line of creative storytellers. In this video interview, he talks about his Brooklyn neighborhood, his work, and how reading touches every part of his life. Watch the interview to learn more about him...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: David Adler
In David Adler's popular mystery series, Cam Jansen is a heroine with a photographic memory. Alder has also written picture book biographies for children. In this interview, David Adler discusses his teaching career, simple math methods,...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Emily Jenkins
Emily Jenkins writes picture books and chapter books for young readers. She says, "Growing up, I spent large parts of my life in imaginary worlds: Neverland, Oz, and Narnia, in particular." Jenkins believes that all stories are part of a...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Deborah Hopkinson
Deborah Hopkinson writes history and historical fiction books for young children and teens. In this interview, Hopkinson discusses her mission to make history come alive for students, her meticulous attention to historical details, and...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Emma Walton Hamilton
Emma Walton Hamilton is an author, editor, arts educator, arts and literacy advocate, and a parent. She has co-authored 16 children's books with her mother, Julie Andrews, including board books, picture books and The Great American...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Emily Gravett
British author and illustrator Emily Gravett brings a fresh perspective to her children's books. Orange Pear Apple Bear is a funny, charming, completely engaging picture book - and it uses all of five words to tell its story. Gravett has...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Erin Entrada Kelly
Erin Entrada Kelly writes books for tweens and teens that explore coming of age with sensitivity and honesty, dealing with issues such as bullying, building friendships, and feeling like an outsider. In this interview, Erin talks about...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Erica S. Perl
Erica S. Perl is the author of the wonderfully silly picture books about Chicken Butt. Perl's other titles for young readers include Dotty, a gentle story about school days and imaginary friend,s and Ninety-Three in My Family, a lively...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Francisco Alarcon
Francisco X. Alarcon wrote poetry for both children and adults. Born in Los Angeles, California, he cspent time as a child in both Mexico and the United States. Alarcon's poetry was inspired by songs he heard from his grandmother, which...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Lulu Delacre
Lulu Delacre has been writing and illustrating children's books for almost thirty years. Her Latino heritage and her wide-ranging life experiences inform her books. In this interview, Lulu talks about her experiences growing up in Puerto...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Lynne Rae Perkins
Lynne Rae Perkins writes and illustrates picture books for young children and novels for middle and high school kids. Her stories explore family, friendships, and the many small but meaningful moments that shape childhood and...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Linda Sue Park
Linda Sue Park is the Newbery Award-winning author of A Single Shard. In this video interview, she compares writing to sports, questions animal sounds among different countries, and says that young writers need to practice writing. Watch...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie Halse Anderson is a compelling writer who plays with form and style to present individuals from the inside. Her playful side emerges when she looks at real history and women who played a role in it. Anderson also has a particular...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Lane Smith
Lane Smith describes his artwork as a mixture between his fine arts background and low-brow influences like Monty Python and Mad magazine. He has tried making sweet and cute children's books, but they always take a turn toward the edgy...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Laura Vaccaro Seeger writes and illustrates children's books that seem disarmingly simple at first but reveal complex ideas with every reading. She tackles big themes like friendship and creativity, and uses her design and animation...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Kwame Alexander
Kwame Alexander, an award-winning poet and author, writes picture books for children and cross-genre books for teens. The Crossover - his basketball-concrete poetry-hiphop mashup - was awarded the 2015 Newbery Medal. Alexander is also...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Kathleen Krull
Did you know that Beethoven's favorite food was macaroni and cheese? Or that John F. Kennedy used to bark like a seal before giving important speeches? Kathleen Krull's biographies for young readers are full of such facts. Through solid...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Greg Tang
Greg Tang wants to improve the quality of math education in the United States. Each year he travels the country, giving workshops and presentations for teachers and students. He has a background in economics, business, and math...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Gennifer Choldenko
Gennifer Choldenko's books are funny and warm. She's got a real gift for capturing the authentic voices of tweens and teens as they negotiate their families, friends, and growing up. Her books for younger children feature kids - and...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Grace Lin
Grace Lin is the author and illustrator of more than 20 books - from picture books to young adult novels - for kids. Most of Lin's books are about the Asian-American experience. She believes that "books erase bias, they make the uncommon...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Katherine Paterson
Katherine Paterson is the Newbery Medal-winning author of Jacob Have I Loved and Bridge to Terabithia. In this interview, she talks about her childhood, raising a family, the challenges and joy of writing historical fiction, the...
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Author Interviews: Kate Di Camillo
Kate DiCamillo's books have won numerous awards. Well-known titles include Because of Winn-Dixie (which became a Hollywood film), The Tale of Despereaux, and Flora and Ulysses. But her success did not happen overnight. Before the public...