by Linda Phillips | Jul 17, 2013 | Blog, Mental health, Writing
Recently I have joined a wonderful online support group of approximately one hundred fifty authors who have debut books coming out in 2014. It is free and open to anyone who can satisfy the following requirements: be publishing your debut novel in 2014 (this must be...
by Linda Phillips | Jul 8, 2013 | Blog, Mental health, Writing
Recently I have featured a few Middle Grade books that present protagonists with learning disabilities who reach a turning point after which we know that life is going to be more manageable going forward. (see Another Struggling Reader in Close to Famous;Eleven:...
by Linda Phillips | Jul 1, 2013 | Mental health, Writing
If you’ve been following this blog you know that I am reviewing books that deal in some way with a character who has a learning disability. Please see previous blogs Eleven: Another Look at a Reading Disorder and CELEBRATING JOEY PIGZA for further reviews....
by Linda Phillips | Jun 24, 2013 | Mental health, Writing
If you’ve followed this blog recently you know that I have been exploring how learning difficulties are portrayed in YA and Middle Grade novels. This week I want to zoom in on a teacher’s perspective by welcoming Lynn Bonner, Reading Specialist at John...
by Linda Phillips | Jun 17, 2013 | Blog
In my continuing effort to discern how learning differences have been featured in literature, I enjoyed reading Patricia Reilly Giff’s book, Eleven. Sam is just turning eleven and can barely read. As he puts it, “words look like spiders flexing their thin legs...
by Linda Phillips | Jun 10, 2013 | Mental health, Writing
My debut novel originated from poems that were written as a catharsis, my own peculiar way of healing years of unanswered questions and unresolved angst over my mother’s mental illness. In my teaching years, I saw some of the best student poetry emanate out of...
by Linda Phillips | Jun 3, 2013 | Mental health, Writing
I’ve taught middle grade students with ADHD and I’m working on a book whose protagonist has it, so of course I am reading all the fiction and nonfiction I can get my hands on that pertain to this subject. At the bottom of this post I have listed a few...
by Linda Phillips | May 27, 2013 | Writing
I’m currently stuck. No, not the kind that requires a generous dose of Phillips Milk of Magnesia. The other kind, better known in these circles as writer’s block. Since one of the symptoms of this dreadful scourge is a wandering mind, I have been wasting...
by Linda Phillips | May 20, 2013 | Mental health
The protagonist of my second book, tentatively called THE SCIENCE PROJECT, has ADHD and Dyslexia, and so do approximately 15 to 35 million Americans, including Andy Kropp. Andy’s is a success story, and I am delighted to share it with you here. Andy’s...
by Linda Phillips | May 13, 2013 | Writing
Two-and-a-half years ago I queried agent Julia Kenny after reading an interview of her on another blog. In that interview she said she was looking for “beautiful writing, fully developed characters, and a storyline that keeps you reading.” I was so...
