By Beth Anderson While fiction books may portray emotions as monsters or other types of characters, nonfiction seems to present a different kind of challenge when you’re working with complex concepts for children. Of course, much falls to the illustrator, but the author sets the tone and must make core concepts clear before handing it over to an artist. A great way to work with mentor texts for these kinds of books is to type up the text so you’re able to analyze how the

As someone who hails from a family of educators and has been an elementary teacher for twenty years, I am certainly mindful of teachable moments! When I draft and revise stories, I always consider curriculum connections. My larger goal, however, is to write big-hearted, engaging stories. So, how does one craft a compelling narrative that connects with curriculum expectations without being didactic? I believe that one way is to start with a relatable problem or strong hook and

Making Big Concepts Kid Relatable: Courage, Persistence, Forgiveness and Faith “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.” – Maya Angelou“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. …” - Calvin Coolidge Kudos to Vivian Kirkfield for successfully tackling the big concepts of both courage and persistence in he

You might have heard that, as far as stories, everything has been done before, and that there’s nothing truly new under the sun . Well, that’s not exactly true! Yes, it’s correct that with most tales, there are countless variations that have been written before. But definitely, there’s room for more and the sky’s the limit ! When I decided to expand my Fairy Tale Elementary Series, my first step was to make a list of fairy tales that interested me. Then, I searched for rela

We are pleased to announce our newest Rate Your Story Judge - multi-published PB author Sue Heavenrich who will be giving Ratings and Feedback on fiction and non-fiction manuscripts. Many of you may know Sue as one of the Gurus in our RYS Kidlit Creators Forum, as well as one of th voices of experience in our weekly Thursday Mentor Text Talks (more information here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2705342229746385 ) . Rate Your Story Members get 15 Ratings and Feedback from

WELCOME to our FOURTH annual Rate Your Story March On With Mentor Texts event! Mentor Texts are very important to us as writers and I am happy to be able to have an event to inspire writers and authors to use them effectively and successfully and well as to introduce new books to read! REGISTRATION: Register at the bottom of this post by typing your name and sharing a favorite mentor text and telling us why it's good. We are happy to take registration comments all month -- I

This month, up to four (4) 2026 Rate Your Story Members will have the opportunity to submit and get feedback and a rating from Melissa. Members can request this perk from Judy, Admin Assistant and In-box Coordinator ( RateYourStory@gmail.com ), and if there are spots available and your manuscript seems like a good fit, you will receive the benefit. Non-Members, enjoy learning more about Melissa and her latest book, as well as her path to success! Q: What did you love about b

Donna Marx and Good Luck, Puck! Before I introduce this month’s featured author (who, as the editor of her book, I am very excited about), I want to discuss – just what is luck? Here are two variations of luck’s definition success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions. chance considered as a force that causes good or bad things to happen. I personally believe that luck is a combination, with a twist. While “chance” can certainly be a f

*Note: Originally scheduled for 1/5 but we encountered a glitch. Check Out Danna's Books HERE: https://amzn.to/45EWYbY The holidays can be busy and loud – for adults, especially for kids, and even more so for kids with anxiety. So, this is a perfect book for January – one that reminds us all to chill, ground and find our special calm amidst the after celebration chaos! We’re grateful for this cool opportunity to Interview Danna Smith, the author ! RYS: Which came first, the T

Who: Rate Your Story Members as well as Non-Members can participate! But only Members will get support and badges, with the exception of our participation badge (see below) and any end-of-year completion badge, which will be posted on our blog for all to grab. Goals: To keep exploring new ideas with an eye toward seeing which ones work, which ones don’t and why. To keep practicing writing and exploring different techniques and options. To have drafts to fall back on and deve

Our director, Lynne Marie, is excited to start off her sixth year at the helm of Rate Your Story as our January Guest Guru. Up to eight 2026 Members will have the opportunity to get a feedback and rating from her. Members can request Lynne Marie as a Guru from Judy, Admin Assistant and In-box Coordinator ( RateYourStory@gmail.com ), and if there are available spots and your manuscript seems like a good fit, you will receive the benefit. Remember, if you sign up for 2026 Membe

We are very excited to feature our November Guest Guru ( Heather Stigall ) who has penned two fun and festive picture books. She will give a rating and feedback to four lucky Rate Your Story Members this month. Members can request Heather as a Guru from Judy, our in-box coordinator ( RateYourStory@gmail.com ), and if there are available spots and your manuscript seems like a good fit, you will receive this benefit. Q: What did you love about being a child? A: I loved having t

First Page events are wonderful ways to not only get your manuscript beginnings critiqued, but also to get your work in front of editors...

We are very excited to feature our September Guest Guru ( Roxanne Troup ) who brings a wealth of knowledge and information as a...

Many of you will recognize this chant from a popular children's game, but few will likely know of its Swedish roots. This game originated...

We are very excited to feature our August Guest Guru ( Lisa Rogers ) who brings a wealth of knowledge and information as a...

First, I would like to thank everyone for their patience until I was able to focus on this and select the winners. I really appreciate...

We are very excited to feature our July Guest Guru (Jill Ross Nadler) who brings a wealth of knowledge and information as a storyteller,...

We are very excited to feature our June Guest Guru ( Ciara O'Neal ) who brings a wealth of knowledge and information as a multi-published...

March 31, 2025 [Click on the Link / Titles to buy the books.] Kids have long been fans of potty humor and often seem to find a great deal...