Janet Wong
Janet Wong is the author of more than 40 books; her first 21 books were published by traditional publishers (S&S, HMHarcourt, etc.) until, in 2012, she began publishing with Pomelo Books.
Perhaps what is most distinctive about Janet’s work, in terms of school visits, is its adaptability to a virtual environment and its appeal to the whole school community. Principals will want to read poems over morning announcements using GREAT Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud. P.E. teachers will want to use TWIST: Yoga Poems, either in person or online. Science teachers will love The Poetry Friday Anthology for Science. And chess-playing families will want to make their own lists of “Top 10 Chess Tips” inspired by Alex and the Wednesday Chess Club.
Whether virtually or in-person, Janet’s assemblies are high-energy, interactive mixes of storytelling and poetry with a blend of writing pep talk and an explanation of the publishing process. Children love her suitcase of props (with each prop connected to a poem or story), while teachers and parents enjoy hearing about Janet’s transition from lawyer to published author. Janet packs the writing workshop with tips on craft and makes it easy for students to write an excellent first draft of a poem (providing the basis for an exercise in revision that teachers can continue). The most-reluctant readers and writers often become fans of poetry after one of Janet’s visits!
Her recent work includes an emphasis on making poetry fun and easy to incorporate into a busy schedule. HOP TO IT: Poems to Get You Moving contains 100 poems that incorporate stretching, dancing, and “getting the wiggles out”; CLARA’S KOOKY COMPENDIUM OF THIMBLETHOUGHTS AND WONDERFUZZ encourages children to celebrate their creativity, to reconnect with wonder, and ask or research topics that interest them.
Janet lives in the Seattle area but presents nationally (and internationally); recent visits (in-person and via Zoom) include schools in Los Angeles, New York, Strasbourg (France), Bangkok, and Hong Kong. One unique option that Janet offers involves providing written feedback on student writing (via email or Google Docs); this extended learning opportunity increases the chances for students to achieve breakthrough writing during the school year. An ideal booking for Janet is a virtual workshop for teachers, followed by working with students (either virtually or in-person), with a virtual celebration of student writing later in the year.
Janet’s work addresses a wide variety of topics and genres for a K-8 audience that includes picture books, poetry, chapter books, books to inspire writing, verse novels, and professional books for use by teachers, librarians, and parents. She has won the NCTE Excellence in Poetry for Children Award, one of the highest honors a children poet can receive, as well as the Humanities Washington Award for significant contributions to the humanities. Additional tidbits: Janet has been featured on CNN and Oprah and was invited twice to the White House (by Laura Bush) to celebrate her work.
A few of Janet’s books
