DIAMOND WILLOW (ages 8 and up; ideal for middle school)
Set in interior Alaska, Diamond Willow tells the story of 12-year-old Willow, a dogmusher, and her lead dog, Roxy. The story is told in diamond-shaped poems in Willow's voice, with prose sections in the voices of animal characters.
MONARCH AND MILKWEED (Picture Book / lyrical nonfiction)
Last summer, I raised and released over 100 monarchs. I bring in the eggs to protect them from wasps, which are even better at finding them than I am, and then when the caterpillars hatch, I feed them milkweed from my garden until they turn into chrysalises, and, about 12 days later, butterflies.
Now the descendants of those monarchs are beginning their return journey from Mexico and my new picture book, with beautiful illustrations by Leonid Gore, is out in the world!
THE BRAID (Young Adult)
A novel-in-poems for Young Adults
Two sisters, Sarah and Jeannie, are separated during the Highland Clearances in Scotland in 1850. Their stories are told in alternating narrative poems, braided at the edges in a form invented for this book, inspired by Celtic knotwork.
KEESHA'S HOUSE (Young Adult)
2004 Printz Honor Book (ALA)
Keesha's House is now available on audio, in large print, in paperback, and in a downloadable Kindle format.
At Joe's house, Keesha has found a safe place to live, and soon it becomes known as Keesha's House. Other kids gravitate to Keesha, finding safety in the rooms of the house and friendship and support among one another.
Written as a sequence of dramatic monologues in traditional poetic forms, this novel for young adults weaves together the stories of seven teenagers as they struggle to hold their lives together and overcome their difficulties.
SPINNING THROUGH THE UNIVERSE (ages 8 and up; ideal for upper elementary)
Twenty-six students, their teacher, and the school custodian create the story of this fictional 5th grade classroom.
Welcome to my website. I write books for children, teens, and adults. I write poetry, novels-in-poems, plays, picture books, essays and nonfiction. This website should help you sort it all out and find what you are interested in.
The picture above is of me looking up at the cliffs of Mingulay, an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland where part of The Braid is set.