Jennifer Chambliss Bertman https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/ author of books for children & young adults Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:19:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Favorite Books Read in 2025 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/2026/01/favorite-books-read-in-2025/ Mon, 05 Jan 2026 04:44:58 +0000 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/?p=6534 I read some great books in 2025. Here are ten of my favorites:
The Carpool Detectives by Chuck Hogan. Nonfiction about 4 moms who work together during the pandemic to solve a cold case murder. Suspenseful and fascinating. I listened on audio and thought it was great in that format.
James by Percival Everett. This book was WOW. If I could only recommend one of these ten books, it would be this one. Page-turning retelling of Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of James, the runaway slave Huck traveled with. You don’t need to have read Huckleberry Finn to enjoy this—it stands on its own without the original.… Read the rest

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]]> September Newsletter https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/2025/09/september-newsletter/ Sat, 06 Sep 2025 17:12:13 +0000 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/?p=6510 In my latest newsletter, I share an update on lots of things including my next book, my writing prompts, upcoming events, and a whole lot more. Plus I’m giving away a copy of my favorite book that I read over the summer!… Read the rest

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]]> Upcoming Events https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/2025/09/upcoming-events/ Sat, 06 Sep 2025 17:08:42 +0000 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/?p=6508 September 19, 2025: I’m presenting a workshop on “Crafting Stellar Scenes for the Middle-Grade Audience” for the Writing & Illustrating for Young Readers Virtual Conference. The conference is a 3-day intensive and the line-up is fantastic! Learn more and sign up here.
October 18-19, 2025: I’m presenting two breakout sessions at the RMC-SCBWI Letters & Lines conference! I’ll be doing a variation of my “Crafting Stellar Scenes” talk as well as a plot workshop on weaving together internal and external narratives. Register for the conference here.
October 28, 7pm MST: Sisterhood of Sleuths is the October selection for the Writing & Illustrating for Younger Readers (WIFYR) Book Club.… Read the rest

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]]> Middle Grade Summer Reading Bingo! https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/2025/05/middle-grade-summer-reading-bingo-2/ Mon, 26 May 2025 02:14:27 +0000 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/?p=6496 Did you remember when I did the Middle Grade Summer Reading Bingo game last year? I had so much fun with that, and several people said they hoped I’d do it again, and so I am! Like last year, I’ve collected a diverse mix of books from a variety of authors: some new releases and some backlist, graphic novels, a verse novel, nonfiction, funny, suspenseful, romance, historical fiction . . . Hopefully, there’s something here for every reader. I put Book Scavenger in the center “free” space to celebrate its 10-year anniversary this year. (Confetti throw, hooray!) If you’re here on my website, then I figure there’s a good chance you’ve already read it, so it likely is a free square for you.… Read the rest

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]]> Writing Prompt #15: Who lives here? https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/2025/04/writing-prompt-15-who-lives-here/ Mon, 28 Apr 2025 17:35:33 +0000 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/?p=6488 This year I have a personal goal to do more writing “play,” so I’m creating weekly prompts for myself and sharing online, in case you’d like to join me too. I hope you will! Teachers, you’re welcome to use these with your students. I’ll be posting these every week on my website, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Substack.
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I love using a picture as a prompt, especially one that suggests a setting with hints of a character, but no actual character. It feels like an invitation to my imagination to fill in the blanks. Who lives in this little cabin in the woods?… Read the rest

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]]> Writing Prompt #14: It’s Giving Main Character Energy https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/2025/04/writing-prompt-14-its-giving-main-character-energy/ Sun, 20 Apr 2025 19:43:42 +0000 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/?p=6484 This year I have a personal goal to do more writing “play,” so I’m creating weekly prompts for myself and sharing online, in case you’d like to join me too. I hope you will! Teachers, you’re welcome to use these with your students. I’ll be posting these every week on my website, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Substack.
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I loved this essay from Ali Edwards, about the big brown couch that has been with her through multiple stages of life.
“The BBC [big brown couch] has seen Star Wars at least twenty times (probably even more). So many movies and shows.… Read the rest

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]]> Writing Prompt #13: Pick Three Things https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/2025/04/writing-prompt-13-pick-three-things/ Thu, 10 Apr 2025 20:47:27 +0000 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/?p=6480 This year I have a personal goal to do more writing “play,” so I’m creating weekly prompts for myself and sharing online, in case you’d like to join me too. I hope you will! Teachers, you’re welcome to use these with your students. I’ll be posting these every Wednesday on my website, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Substack.
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You can find previous prompts and my responses here.
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If you want to receive all my weekly writing prompts in your email, subscribe to my newsletter/Substack and click on the link to manage your subscription. There you should see a Notifications section and you can turn on/off which emails you’d like to get from me.… Read the rest

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]]> Writing Prompt #12: Character https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/2025/04/writing-prompt-12-character/ Thu, 03 Apr 2025 03:49:14 +0000 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/?p=6477 This year I have a personal goal to do more writing “play,” so I’m creating weekly prompts for myself and sharing online, in case you’d like to join me too. I hope you will! Teachers, you’re welcome to use these with your students. I’ll be posting these every Wednesday on my website, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Substack.
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Whenever I share my picture book A Good Deed Can Grow, I always encourage readers to sit with the book and explore Holly Hatam’s charming illustrations. I swear, every time I look through this book I notice details I hadn’t seen before—and I’ve looked through this book A LOT.… Read the rest

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]]> Writing Prompt #11 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/2025/03/writing-prompt-11/ Wed, 19 Mar 2025 19:53:24 +0000 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/?p=6472 This year I have a personal goal to do more writing “play,” so I’m creating weekly prompts for myself and sharing online, in case you’d like to join me too. I hope you will! Teachers, you’re welcome to use these with your students. I’ll be posting these every Wednesday on my website, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Substack.
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This week’s prompt involves a field trip! Where you go on your field trip is up to you. I recommend a place new to you, but it doesn’t have to be. The idea is to experience a location with fresh eyes and write about it.… Read the rest

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]]> Writing Prompt #10 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/2025/03/writing-prompt-10/ Thu, 13 Mar 2025 01:27:49 +0000 https://jenniferchamblissbertman.com/?p=6470 This year I have a personal goal to do more writing “play,” so I’m creating weekly prompts for myself and sharing online, in case you’d like to join me too. I hope you will! Teachers, you’re welcome to use these with your students. I’ll be posting these every Wednesday on my website, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Substack.
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Have you ever found an item left behind by a stranger that revealed something about the person? Maybe it was a receipt at a grocery store, and you can deduce from what they bought that they must be planning a birthday party.… Read the rest

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