Why I Wrote Pete Seeger, The People’s Singer
The importance of making your own hero relevant to a new audience. When you write biographies, you get used to the question, “So, why did you write about so-and-so?” For … Continue reading
Schenectady Today Interview: Judy Garland: Little Woman, Big Talent
Host Ann Parillo interviews me about my book Judy Garland: Little Woman, Big Talent. Fun time. (By the way, they shoot the show Tuesday mornings at Proctors Theater. My book … Continue reading
Mary Dyer Interview
A fun father-son project. My son — a member of the target audience — interviews me about my book Mary Dyer, Friend of Freedom. A blatant promotion, but we had … Continue reading
Making a Book Safe for Children When the Subject Matter Isn’t
Making a sordid adult tale safe for young readers. You should have seen the looks on my friends’ faces when I told them I’d been hired to write a children’s … Continue reading
Mary Dyer & the Celebration of International Religious Freedom Day
Today is International Religious Freedom Day — and the reason it’s today is because on this date in 1659, three Quakers were scheduled to hang. Their crime? Being a Quaker … Continue reading
The Cover of Judy Garland: Little Woman, Big Talent
Here is the final cover for Judy Garland: Little Woman, Big Talent, a middle-grade biography about the legendary actress and singer. This is a colorized version of a black-and-white publicity … Continue reading
Why So Many of the Books We Love Are Children’s Books
A few weeks ago, another Facebook list made the rounds: List 10 Books that Stayed with You. I participated when I saw it on a friend’s post, and so did … Continue reading
Why I Wrote Mary Dyer, Friend of Freedom
“My life not availeth me in comparison to the liberty of the truth.” “Why did you write about Mary Dyer?” is a question I often get. It usually comes right … Continue reading
What Five Years as a Children’s Writer Means
I realized upon logging in to my Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators account the other day that I have been with SCBWI for five years. That raises the … Continue reading
75th Anniversary of The Wizard of OZ
Today is the 75th anniversary of the release of the most famous version of The Wizard of Oz — the one starring Judy Garland. Two months from now will see … Continue reading
John Briggs Books 