Nationally recognized and award-winning Teacher Librarian, speaker, and host of the Joyful Learning Podcast, Melissa Thom in conversation with middle grade author, Jo Watson Hackl the author of Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe and the founder of Outdoorosity, a free resource for information and inspiration about nature. (The interview took place during the International Association of School Librarians (IASL) conference in Columbia, South Carolina, where both Melissa and Jo were invited to present.)

Jo Watson Hackl is the author of the bestselling novel, Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe, published by Random House Children’s Books.  Smack Dab was awarded the Southern Book Prize and is an Amazon Teacher’s Pick.  Jo also is the founder of Outdoorosity.org, a free resource for information and inspiration about nature. Jo is a first-generation college graduate on a mission to help students connect with nature, build skills that promote grit, resiliency and SEL skills, and improve overall writing, and she loves to do school visits. In collaboration with experienced educators, she and her team have developed a bounty of free resources for educators and other readers, available at www.johackl.com, and Outdoorosity.org.  

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