In the Teachers’ Guide for Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog, I’ve suggested that you develop a script for Chapter 34—“A Fair Fight”—and act out the scene. Start the scene at the point that Beau hears a voice call into the night: You’ll find good dialogue to work with and it’s a tense scene,… Read More
Augusta and McKenna make enchanted candles for the tourists in Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog. Perhaps you’d like to make your own for the darkest night of the year, the Winter Solstice on December 21st. Here’s a video tutorial on making your own pillar candles. Have fun! And here’s another book for your… Read More
Beau Fox sent me a note last week. He’s such a reading advocate that he wanted to share a list of books about foxes with you, dear readers. “When asked, I’m partial to my own story of course, Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog, in which I impart a good deal of wisdom to… Read More
During this season of gift-giving, I—like so many other grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends—turn to books as the perfect present for a special child. Nothing gives me more pleasure than knowing that a book I’ve selected might become his or her favorite, destined to be read over and over again. But… Read More
Dear Jolie, The Publicity Department at Simon & Schuster has forwarded your letter of March, 2016 to me. Thank you so much for writing. I was delighted to hear from you! I am also happy to answer your insightful questions. Regarding your first question, at the story’s end, Tango did not actually find his mother… Read More
Early on the morning of Friday, January 29, 2015—a bitterly cold, snowless and windy day in Minneapolis—I sat at my kitchen table and signed multiple copies of my two published novels for middle-grade readers: Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog and The Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea. I packed the books in boxes, put the boxes… Read More