Debbi Michiko Florence

Yesterday, on World Read Aloud Day, I read to five classrooms of first and second graders in four different states via Skype. It was the first time I spoke to kids as a fiction author and it was a thrill! I’ve always loved speaking with kids – starting from when I did school visits as… Read more »

I’m so thrilled to share the cover of book 2 in the Jasmine Toguchi series, Super Sleuth! It’s a big weekend for Jasmine Toguchi! She’s excited to celebrate Girl’s Day―a Japanese holiday honoring women and girls―with her sister, mother, and best friend, Linnie. When Linnie comes over to plan for the Girl’s Day celebration, Jasmine’s neighbor… Read more »

Sending thanks to Aimee Lim for interviewing me for Her Campus, UC Davis! Check it out – here.

I’m super excited to finally be able to share the cover of book 1 of the Jasmine Toguchi series, Mochi Queen! Ready or not, here it is! Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen (FSG/July 11, 2017) Eight-year-old Jasmine Toguchi is a flamingo fan, tree climber, and top-notch mess-maker! She’s also tired of her big sister, Sophie, always… Read more »

Thank you to Jenny Medford at Websy Daisy for the spiffy update of my web site. Thanks also to Roy Thomas of Black Dog for the author head shots. Some of the new things you will notice are buy now buttons for my books and an author visit page. As a former teacher, I’m very excited about… Read more »

I’m throwing myself a book birthday party and one lucky winner will receive the birthday gift! In celebration of the release of the Dorothy & Toto early reader chapter books that I wrote for Capstone, I’m giving away a full set of the hardcover library/classroom books. These books have reinforced binding and discussion questions at… Read more »

There is nothing better than getting a surprise package in the mail. Yesterday, I found a box sitting on my front stoop. When I peeked at the return address and saw it was from Capstone, I squealed! I immediately tore open the box and inside were my author copies of my Dorothy & Toto early… Read more »

Last fall, I was thrilled to be hired to write a series of early reader chapter books about the adventures of Dorothy and Toto in the land of Oz. I was given a lot of freedom to write these stories and I had a blast. Of course, both my publisher (Capstone/Picture Window Books) and Warner… Read more »

Originally posted on Emu Debuts on December 3, 2015   It’s no surprise that I love words, and more specifically, I love words that inspire. In my Word Nest where I write, I have surrounded myself with many, many items of inspiration. I could probably do a whole series of posts about the trinkets I’ve… Read more »

Originally posted on Emu’s Debuts on October 22, 2015 …learning how to endure your disappointment and frustration is part of the job of a creative person. — BIG MAGIC, Elizabeth Gilbert   Like many writers, I have been writing stories since childhood. I have always been passionate about stories. I first decided to write fiction… Read more »