Telling Lies to Children

On this quick episode, Paul reads from his brand new middle grade novel, THE LAST GARGOYLE. Meet Penhallow, the 130-year-old stone grotesque tasked with keeping the residents of his Boston apartment building safe from unwanted visitors who go bump in the night. The Last Gargoyle was the Amazon Editors' Top Pick for January 2018, ages 9-12, and was also selected as a Kids Indie Next Pick for Winter 2017-2018. Find out more at pauldurhambooks.com or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @pauldurhambooks.

Happy Halloween everyone! It's time for TELLING LIES TO CHILDREN's second annual Halloween podcast, recorded live at my favorite independent bookstore--Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, NH. I'm joined once again by the wonderful children's booksellers, Jill Sweeney-Bosa and Alice Ahn. Jill and Alice get into the spirit of the holiday by sharing some of their best creepy book recommendations for young readers. They cover picture books, graphic novels, middle grade fiction, and YA. Some favorites include The Scariest Book Ever by Bob Shea, Wee Sister Strange by Holly Grant & K.G. Campbell, The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag, Elizabeth and Zenobia by Jessica Miller, and House of Furies by Madeleine Roux. 

Of course, Jill and Alice always have great recommendations regardless of the season. If you ever find yourself in Exeter, be sure to stop by Water Street Bookstore for a terrific indie book-buying experience.

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Happy Fall! Telling Lies to Children is back after its summer hiatus. Today I'm joined by Erin Petti, author of the ghostly middle grade adventure, The Peculiar Haunting of Thelma Bee. Thelma Bee's been praised by Kirkus, School Library Journal, and fans of spooky stories everywhere. Erin and I had a great time chatting about first novels, Halloween costumes, and our mutual admiration of chicken coops-turned-writing spaces. Erin will be hosting a Thelma Bee Halloween party at the Winthrop Book Depot in Winthrop, MA, on Saturday, October 28, so be sure to stop by if you are in the area!

Find Erin on twitter @empetti and on Facebook @erinpettiauthor.

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Tomasen Carey is a writer and the Director of the University of New Hampshire's Writers Academy, a series of week-long summer workshops for young writers in grades 5-12. I first met Tomasen last year when I was invited to be the Academy's Guest Author. I'm returning this year as a Guest Author and faculty member, and I expect it to be a highlight of my summer. If you are regular listener of the podcast, you've probably heard me talk about Writer's Academy before. It truly is a remarkable experience for young writers. The best part? There are still spots available for 5/6th graders. If you have a young writer who wants to immerse him-or-herself in a wonderful summer program, you can find out all the details at UNH's Writers Academy Page.

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Middle grade author Dana Alison Levy was nice enough to join me again at Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, NH. Her new novel, This Would Make A Good Story Someday, is out now and has already earned high praise (including a starred review from Booklist). Despite our tendency to be sidetracked by gross parasite facts and surfing cats, we actually managed to talk about Dana's latest book, how she outlines her projects, and the ups and downs of the children's publishing world.

You can and should find Dana online at danaalisonlevy.com, and on twitter and Facebook @danaalisonlevy.

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This is Part Two of a special two-part series recorded live, on-campus, at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. NHIA is currently the only college in the country offering BFA degrees that require all students to complete three semesters of professional practices, business marketing, and entrepreneurship studies for the arts.

I teach professional practices at NHIA and recently combined forces with my faculty colleagues, Lisa Cyr and Cory Levine, to give our first year students an opportunity to practice talking about their work. Volunteers were invited to participate in a podcast interview in front of a live audience of their peers.

The episode is a little experimental and a bit of a departure from my usual format, but it was fun to hear young artists talk about their art, influences, and experiences as fine arts students.

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This is Part One of a special two-part series recorded live, on-campus, at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. NHIA is currently the only college in the country offering BFA degrees that require all students to complete three semesters of professional practices, business marketing, and entrepreneurship studies for the arts.

I teach professional practices at NHIA and recently combined forces with my faculty colleagues, Lisa Cyr and Cory Levine, to give our first year students an opportunity to practice talking about their work. Volunteers were invited to participate in a podcast interview in front of a live audience of their peers.

The episode is a little experimental and a bit of a departure from my usual format, but it was fun to hear young artists talk about their art, influences, and experiences as fine arts students.

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Erin E. Moulton is the author of Flutter (Penguin, 2011), Tracing Stars (Penguin, 2012), Chasing the Milky Way (Penguin, 2014), and Keepers of the Labyrinth (Penguin, 2015). She is also editor of the forthcoming anthology Things We Haven’t Said (Zest, 2017). Erin also happens to be a youth librarian and an organizer of cool author events. We slipped into her library and hid so that she wouldn't be interrupted by her adoring patrons. We talk about her writing, the ups and downs of the publishing world, and the annual Derry Author Fest. You can find out more about Erin and her books at her website, erinemoulton.com.

Also be sure to follow her on social media @erinemoulton.

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Lisa Rosinsky is a YA author and the current Associates of the Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence. I met Lisa at her office in the library not long before closing time. There must be something about grand old libraries that spark a rebellious streak in me, because over the course of our interview I encouraged Lisa to sneak into the Library President's office, hide inside after closing for an impromptu slumber party, and carve her initials into the furniture. Lisa was a great sport and a lot of fun, but I'm not sure if the library will invite me back...

Whether I'm allowed back or not, the Associates of the Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence program is a terrific opportunity for writers of children's and young adult literature. Each year, a new writer is granted office space and the resources to develop and write a full-length project over the course of the residency. You can hear more about Lisa's current project on this episode, find her on her website, and keep your eyes peeled for her debut novel, Inevitable and Only, coming October 2017. And, if you are interested in learning more about the Associates of the Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence program or applying for the program yourself, follow this link.

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"Shush has left the building." This week I visit with Maija Meadows, Youth Programs Librarian at the Boston Public Library. Like so many youth librarians I've met, Maija is fun, energetic, and a huge advocate for her young patrons. We recorded in her office at the beautifully renovated Central Library in Copley Square. You can find out more about BPL's Children's Room and its upcoming programs on the Children's Room web page.

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