Children’s and Middle-Grade Stories | Frances Browne (1816–1879)
Frances Browne was an Irish poet and novelist who was blind from the age of eighteen months. She is best known for her collection of...
Susan Stoderl
Apr 28, 20232 min read
Calling all Writers and Readers | Literacy Facts
In our current society, there are many attacks upon our primary, secondary, and college educational systems, book banning, library...
Susan Stoderl
Apr 25, 20232 min read
Sun, Moon, and Stars. Astronomy for Beginners | Agnes Giberne’s Middle-Grade Books on Science
Agnes Giberne (1845-1903) was a prolific British writer, writing around one-hundred-thirty books. She is one of the first women to...
Susan Stoderl
Apr 21, 20232 min read
Writing Children’s Fiction Ages 8-12 | Letting Children Know They Are Not Alone
Children want to know how to cope with situations that seem overwhelming, that they feel are beyond their years and ability to cope....
Susan Stoderl
Apr 18, 20231 min read
Middle-Grade Detective Book Excerpt | Mission 2: Unexpected Visitors
Chapter 1. Apartment 4B—with a Capital “B” for Bo-o-oring! A cloud of doom hovered over the MacGregor household. Sophia propped her...
Susan Stoderl
Apr 14, 20232 min read
Mark Twain's “Mental Telegraphy,” and Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers Series Agree
My characters, Sophia MacGregor, Pedro Gonzalez, Wahoo the Raven, and Zelda Screech Cat, can all speak telepathically in Humanish,...
Susan Stoderl
Apr 11, 20232 min read
Middle-Grade Prequel to Mission 1: All in a Day's Work | Excerpt
From Chapter 1: Boys, Dragons, and Golden Fleece In this excerpt, the classroom teacher, Bartholomew Smythe, lectures on Jason and Medea...
Susan Stoderl
Apr 7, 20232 min read
A Middle-Grade Indie Author’s Life | To-Do List v. Completed List
To-Do on the Business End of Writing Read all those emails from the writers and entrepreneurs that already know what I need to know. Make...
Susan Stoderl
Apr 4, 20231 min read