What Makes a Book “Appropriate” for School?

From Publishers Weekly: When I was a teen, I’d have given anything for a book like Ordinary Hazards. Of course, it hadn’t yet been written. What I did discover back then was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. In her novel, I found Francie, a character I resonated with deeply. We weren’t of … Read more

The (Copyright) Trouble with NFTs

From Jane Friedman: We have an original oil painting hanging over our fireplace in the basement. We commissioned it many years ago from a young local artist whose work we enjoyed. The painting is probably worth less today than when we bought it in the late 90s. On the back of the painting is an … Read more

How to Be a Better Artist (There Is Only One Way)

From Medium: When my daughter Ruby was ten, I bought her a copy of Raina Telgemeier’s book Smile. She was on the verge of getting braces to correct an underbite. She was scared, and I thought Telgemeier’s graphic novel about her own experience with braces might help. It did. Ruby’s one of those kids who would … Read more