News

I am thrilled to announce that my middle grade debut, Keep It Together, Keiko Carter will be published by Scholastic on May 5, 2020! I’m eternally grateful to my amazing agent, Tricia Lawrence of EMLA, and my brilliant editor Jenne Abramowitz! Check out this gorgeous cover: Huge props to cover designer Stephanie Yang! I love… Read more »

It’s been a busy few weeks and I hope to have my quarterly newsletter out on time next month. In the meantime here are a few things I’ve been up to. As part of the #KidsNeedMentors program, I partnered with teacher Jane Chalifoux and her third grade students at Mills Pond Elementary. After a year… Read more »

I am over-the-moon thrilled and honored to learn that Jasmine Toguchi Drummer Girl is a Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award nominee! I have loved Ramona since childhood! Thank you to the committee for the nomination and thank you to Team Toguchi, my editor Grace Kendall, illustrator Elizabet Vukovic, my agent Tricia Lawrence, and the entire… Read more »

Wowee zowee! I’m so excited to learn that Jasmine Toguchi Drummer Girl won the Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award for Transitional Fiction! A big thank you to Blue Crab committee and the Maryland Librarian Association for this wonderful honor!

In January, I had the fabulous experience of spending a week visiting the Singapore American School where Jasmine Toguchi Mochi Queen won the student-voted Big Splash Award! There, I spoke to 1,800 K-5th graders about Jasmine Toguchi, and I ran writing workshops on character development for 2nd-4th graders. I had a blast! The kindergarteners, with the help… Read more »

Wowee zowee! I am honored and thrilled that Jasmine Toguchi Drummer Girl is the Cybils Award winner for Early Chapter Books! Many thanks to the Cybils Awards committee members and judges. And thank you to Team Toguchi – illustrator Elizabet Vukovic, editor Grace Kendall, and the marvelous people at Farrar Straus Giroux and Macmillan Kids!… Read more »

I’m super excited to share the news that I have a new chapter book series coming out this fall, 2019! My Furry Foster Family (Picture Window Books/Capstone) is about an 8-year-old Japanese American girl named Kaita Takano who fosters pets with her family. There are four books in the series for 1st – 2nd graders…. Read more »

What a true honor and thrill to learn that Jasmine Toguchi Drummer Girl is a Cybils Award finalist in the Early Chapter Book category! Big thanks to the judges!

I was tickled pink by this lovely book trailer and review! Gratitude to Katrina Nye!

I had a wonderful time at the Morristown Festival Books as a presenting author of KidFest! Big thanks for the invitation and to the staff and volunteers who made it possible for book-lovers and readers to gather with authors and illustrators. Here are some of my highlights: John Kerry and me! William Kent Krueger, Carol… Read more »