Publishing
Textbooks:
Preparing the Way: Teaching English Learners in the P-12 Classroom (5th ed.)
Co-edited with Dr. Jane Govoni. My contributed chapters to this textbook are "Taking Off the Wrapper: Identifying and Serving Gifted English Language Learners" and "Developing Effective Unit Plans and Lesson Plans for English Learners" (with Raydel Hernández García). Kendall Hunt Publishing Co. 2025.
The Big Book of ESOL Activities: Preparation for Educators, Administrators, and School Counselors
This is a collection of ready-to-go activities for college classrooms and ESOL endorsement training. More than 60 critical concepts are introduced and reviewed through 200+ engaging activities. Through application, readers expand their knowledge and skills while developing applications to use in their schools and classrooms. Co-authored with Dr. Jane Govoni. Kendall Hunt Publishing Co. 2023.
Linguistics for K-12 Classroom Application
Co-authored with Dr. Jane Govoni, this applied linguistics textbook is a practical approach for the K-12 classroom. Kendall-Hunt Publishing Co. 2020.
Mark Twain:
Lingering Inland: A Literary Tour of the Midwest
My contributed essay for this text is titled "Hannibal" and focuses on Sam Clemens's hometown. University of Illinois Press. 2025. (Also published in New Territory Magazine, Vol. 17: Hannibal)
Critical Insights: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
My contributed chapter for this text is titled "Tom Sawyer's Complicated Relationship with Mark Twain's Hometown" and describes the book's impact on the town's identity. Salem Press. 2022.
Mark Twain and Youth: Studies in His Life and Writings
I was invited along with other Twain scholars to contribute an essay for this book. My chapter is titled "Clara Clemens: The Bay" and is about Mark Twain's middle daughter, Clara. All scholars waived their royalties so that proceeds would benefit the four primary Twain sites in Hannibal, Hartford, Elmira, and Berkeley. Bloomsbury Press. 2016.
Co-authored with CNN iReporter Neal Moore, this memoir features positive stories gathered along the Mississippi River during Moore's canoe voyage from Lake Itasca to New Orleans. Mark Twain Museum Press. 2012.
Journals:
Academic Scholarship
I have published in various scholarly journals including Kappa Delta Pi Record, New Teacher Advocate, Understanding Our Gifted, The Florida Reading Quarterly, Gifted Education International, The Journal of the National Association for Professional Development Schools, and The New Mexico Journal of Reading. I have been interviewed by C-SPAN, Bob Edwards, the BBC, Oxford Times, The New York Times, The New Yorker, etc.
A proud contributor to The Huffington Post, 2010-2018
As a contributing editor to Mensa Research Journal (2008-2010), I worked with gifted young writers who contributed articles for the TAG Progeny feature and published a number of articles about fostering creativity and academic excellence in gifted and high achieving students.
YA Fiction:
A children's novel about 5th grader Kenny Evans, a gifted boy whose dad was recently incarcerated. Although Kenny believes his dad is innocent and may soon be released, he still has to learn to negotiate a brand new world - the prison visiting room. Facing friends, dealing with school, and helping his mom are a few of the everyday challenges that further complicate Kenny's life. Foreword by Nicholas Colangelo. Published by N.L. Assoc. 2007.
An engaging children's novel set in Florida. Themes of alcoholism and domestic violence are carefully handled as the main character negotiates her way through life, guarding the family secret. Rachel Mason finds her refuge in school under the caring but unsuspecting eye of her classroom teacher. When a heartbreaking incident jeopardizes her secret as well as her academic success, Rachel faces her toughest challenge yet. Readers may recognize someone they know - maybe even themselves - when they read Rachel's story. Published by N.L. Assoc. 2005.