Introducing Summer ’14 Teachers Write Guest Authors!

It’s almost time for Teachers Write 2014!  Our free online summer writing camp for teachers & librarians kicks off on Monday, July 7th here on my blog. If you’d like to join us, please sign up, and also click here to register for my email newsletter so you’ll get updates throughout the year. If you’d like to know more about Teachers Write, you can learn all about it here.

Now, (drum roll, please…) I’d like to introduce our guest author mentors for Summer 2014.  These writers are all volunteering their time, so we ask that you support Teachers Write by purchasing guest authors’ books and requesting them for your school and public libraries. Clicking on each author’s name will take you to his or her books page on IndieBound, where you can check out the books and also find an independent bookstore near you to purchase them.

I could go on and on about independent bookstores, how they are the hearts of our communities and how they support the authors who are supporting you in this workshop, but I’ll keep it short and say this. Bookstores – real bricks-and-mortar buildings full of books – do amazing things for communities, teachers, authors, and families. Please support yours. Stop in, buy some books, and introduce yourself as a teacher. You may learn amazing things about how your local bookstore can help with things like book recommendations, book fairs, and author visits. If you don’t have a local indie, consider supporting one of mine – the Bookstore Plus has signed copies of many of my books, and they offer free shipping on orders over $50.

Please spend a little time checking out these writers’ websites and books. Authors are listed in the order in which you’ll meet them, starting next week.

Kate Messner That’s me – I’m your Teachers Write hostess & will kick things off with the first mini-lesson on Monday. I’ll also have lots of things to say throughout the summer. Because I am like that. 🙂 Here’s my newest book & a couple that are available for pre-order, coming out during the school year.

Gae Polisner  Gae hosts Feedback Friday on her blog and is generally the best cheerleader this side of the Mississippi. The best in all the land, in fact. Gae wrote these amazing books.

Jo Knowles  Jo will kick off each week with her Monday Morning Warm Up, a writing prompt to get your fingers moving and writer’s brain thinking. Here are some of Jo’s books. These all made me cry. In a good way.

Guest Authors – These folks will be stopping in to teach Monday Mini-Lessons, offer Tuesday and Thursday Quick Writes, and answer your questions on Q and A Wednesdays.They are all great writers and even better human beings, and I’m so happy to be introducing them to you.

Nora Baskin

Cynthia Lord

Donna Gephart

Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Megan Frazer Blakemore

Jeannine Atkins

Diane Zahler

Kathryn Erskine

Sarah Darer Littman

Donalyn Miller

David Lubar

Jody Feldman

Anne Marie Pace

Varian Johnson

Kat Yeh

Lola Schaefer

Kim Norman

Nikki Grimes

Sarah Albee

Erin Dealey

Erin Dionne

Phil Bildner

 For now…check out the links above. Buy some books. Get to know your guest authors. Follow them on Twitter & find them on Facebook if you like to hang out in those places, too. We’ll be back Monday, July 7th to get us started writing!