As creators of children's literature, we spend years obsessing over our characters, researching our settings, and polishing our prose. But getting a book into a classroom requires more than just a compelling story. It requires saving a teacher's time.
In my 34 years as a teacher/librarian, I have learned that the most precious, scarce, and fiercely guarded resource in any school building isn't funding or technology. It is time. Teachers pour their hearts out for their students every single day, often at the expense of their own evenings and weekends. When an educator finds a beautiful, complex novel they want to share with their students, the joy of discovery is frequently followed by a quiet, exhausting realization: Now I have to build the unit. They have to spend hours aligning standards, writing discussion questions, and building cross-curricular connections from scratch.
When I set out to launch my middle-grade historical fiction novel, The Secret War, I didn't just want to release a book. I wanted to build an entire experience. To help educators teach it, I wanted to give them the exact tool I always wished someone would hand me: a fully integrated, zero-prep roadmap.
That is why I created a comprehensive Teacher Companion built around a 20-Day Pacing Guide.
My pedagogical philosophy leans away from rote memorization and toward deep, empathetic inquiry. I explicitly designed the guide for "Discussion Over Assessment". Students don't need more multiple-choice tests checking for plot retention; they need pathways to sit with the complexity of history. The pacing guide treats each section of the novel as a distinct unit of meaning, structured to easily fit a four-week novel study.
The entire guide is modular. Educators can mix and match daily "Bell Ringer" prompts, character lens dossiers, and interdisciplinary STEM activities to fit the specific needs of their kids.
For authors, creating these resources isn't just about marketing. Teaching is an act of profound hope. By providing these tools, my goal is to give educators back their Sunday afternoons, allowing them to focus entirely on guiding their students through the shadows of history.
To my fellow children's literature writers: How are you supporting the gatekeepers of your stories? When you release a book into the world, consider what tools you can provide to make an educator's life a little easier.
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