Every Week I Fall in Love

Happy confession: Every week I fall in love. I am a passionate reader of children’s books, especially picture books and middle grade, but YA is in the mix too. Every week, at least one book knocks my woolly socks off, makes me jump out of my seat, gets me singing to my husband or anyone who’s around to hear - You have to read this! I hug the books that get to me deeply, or the ones that break my heart a little bit.

When I fall in love with a picture book, I carry something of the visual world of that book with me through my everyday, and like seeing the world through the eyes of a loved one - everything looks different. The way a new crush is suddenly relevant to almost any situation or conversation, so are these book loves. I share present and past book loves with my students, who range in age from 20s to 70s and gather round our Zoom room these days for a Bedtime Story (part of my workshop with MMW). And I rarely fall out of love with these book loves—there is space in my heart for all of them!

My big loves in middle grade and YA are the ones with the beautiful voices. When the voice is primary, so much so that I can hear the book even when it’s not in front of me - that’s the best. I can usually tell early on if the book has that voice I need, and I dump books (meaning I gently respectfully abandon them unfinished) when they don’t have it. I probably miss out on some books that are slower to get there, but I also don’t waste time with a book that isn’t going to sing to me. A big part of the inspiration for this writing project is to dedicate time and thought to the books I fall in love with, and consider why and how they work their magic.

So begins Every Week I Fall in Love. Beginning April 2, I’ll share a book each week with you. Thank you for reading and loving children’s books!