Back in April, the Cleveland Cavaliers used MOVE YOUR BODY!: MY EXERCISE TIPS for an exciting event at Spring Hill Elementary School. More details from the NBA are HERE, plus lots of cool photos of the festivities. (Sneak a peek at some of the photos below.) Go bookworms and the Cavaliers! 

Author visits give me the awesome opportunity to meet fans of my books. But I also get to see them out and about on social media. Readers, thank you for sharing your photos AND superstar smiles!

From now until December 16th, you can enter to win a signed copy of the board book edition of THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN ILLINOIS. To enter, hop over to the Facebook page of the Illinois Office of Tourism.

Here are the Terms and Conditions:

This "Sweepstakes" hosted by the Illinois Office of Tourism in partnership with author Gina Bellisario is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook. Ten (10) winners will receive one (1) signed copy of the board book edition of THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN ILLINOIS. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Open to U.S. addresses only. Entries close 5 pm CST on December 16th. Winners will be selected at random, and all decisions are final. "Sweepstakes" host and partner are not responsible for lost or undelivered prizes. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited.  

Ellie's latest books have arrived! In CAMP HERO DOUBLE TROUBLE, she gets herself caught in a friendship battle between twin superheroes, while SUPER SPOOKED finds her tackling a way-bad fear. Want to learn more? Click on the covers of these two new adventures: 

And more fun news... Ellie now has her very own character page on Capstone Kids. Click HERE to learn all about our super girl, her mighty-good friends, and her favorite things!  

My first-ever picture book is now available in a perfect-for-small-hands format. Like the original, it includes "The Twelve Days of Christmas" carol, with text that features gifts from the Prairie State. There's also a list of fun facts about each gift. To get ALL the details, click on the very merry cover:

Right now, you can enter to win signed copies of the newest books in the ELLIE ULTRA series!

On Instagram, follow @thesweetpeagirls: https://www.instagram.com/thesweetpeagirls/?hl=en. Ends March 9th.

On two amazing children's literature blogs, Batch of Books and Pragmatic Mom, use the rafflecopter: 

https://batchofbooks.com/2018/03/ellie-ultra-chapter-books.html. Ends April 2nd.

https://www.pragmaticmom.com/2018/03/ellie-ultra-signed-2-book-giveaway/. Ends April 18th.

​To my very gracious book friends hosting these giveaways, your help means so much. THANK YOU! 

From battling robot minions to escaping a "mad" scientist in a marshmallow-soft suit, Ellie is staying busy in the new year. Check out what else our girl is up to in SUPERHERO FOR PRESIDENT and MIGHTY PET SITTER, released today!

Are you a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators? If you are, you've probably seen this month's SCBWI Insight. It includes a great interview with Kelly Sonnack, a senior agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency. If you want to know what catches her eye in manuscripts, check out the interview here: http://www.scbwi.org/scbwi-exclusive-with-kelly-sonnack-agent-andrea-brown-literary/. Kelly is truly stellar to work with--this I know for a fact. She represents me, and I couldn't be luckier. 

This summer, the American Library Association conference came to Chicago. It was awwwwesome! The conference was full of my favorite people in the world--teachers and librarians--and I got to meet lots of them while signing copies of ELLIE ULTRA: AN EXTRA-ORDINARY GIRL.

Here's why these people are my faves: They teach kids how to read. They know reading is a power that will help kids be successful in school and beyond, and they do what it takes to build that power. Teachers might seek out the most innovative literacy strategies. Librarians might look for the latest engaging books to add to their collections. They might even travel to big cities like Chicago and get books at equally big conferences, just to give those books to their schools. And it's all to make kids stronger readers. 

To the teachers and librarians I met at ALA 2017:

Thank you for giving kids the power to read. If you ever need a hand--bookmarks for your class, an encouraging letter from an author--please reach out. I would love to contribute to your super work.

Today we celebrate a very special hero, a hero whose courage, kindness, and strength live in us all. (Illustration by the amazing Jessika von Innerebner)