Teaching Writing

The Write Time with Author Ellen Oh and Educator Melissa Thom

By National Writing Project
Back to NWP Radio

Summary:

 Ellen Oh is an award-winning author of numerous middle grade and young adult books including The Spirit Hunters series and Prophecy trilogy, and is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books. Melissa Thom is a teacher librarian at Bristow Middle School in Connecticut with 22 years of educational experience and former president of the Connecticut Association of School Librarians. Originally published on June 10, 2025

Headshot of Ellen Oh and Melissa Thom with show title on dark gray background.

Download | Subscribe: Apple / Spotify / Soundcloud

Ellen Oh is an award-winning author and editor of middle grade and young adult books such as The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee, YOU ARE HERE, Haru Zombie Dog Hero, Finding Junie Kim, The Dragon Egg Princess, The Spirit Hunters series (Books 1, 2, and 3), and the Prophecy trilogy (Prophecy, Warrior; and King). She is also the editor of WNDB’s middle grade anthology Flying Lessons and Other Stories, and the YA anthology A Thousand Beginnings and Endings. Ellen is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. Originally from New York City, Ellen now lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, three children, two dogs, and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel.

Melissa Thom, MA, (she/her) is a teacher librarian at Bristow Middle School in West Hartford, CT. She has been an educator for 22 years and is the immediate past President of the Connecticut Association of School Librarians (CASL). She was a 2019 AASL Social Media Superstar Reader Leader finalist and a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2022. In her free time, she sews #LiteracyInspiredCrafts for her Joyful Making Etsy Shop.

Watch the Video

Topics/tags:
Teaching Writing
This post is part of the NWP Radio collection.

Up next

Content type
Empowering Youth to Confront the Climate Crisis in English Language Arts
By National Writing Project
This special episode of NWP Radio features many of the educators behind Empowering Youth to Confront the Climate Crisis in English Language Arts, a co-published book from Teachers College Press and the National Writing Project. Recorded in three parts, you won't want to miss this comprehensive overview of this important book.
Read more
Content type
The Write Time with Author Tina Cane and Educator Janelle Bence
By National Writing Project
This episode of The Write Time features Rhode Island's former Poet Laureate Tina Cane and Texas educator Janelle Bence. Tina's poetry has been featured in a variety of publications and her second verse novel for young readers, Are You Nobody Too?, was released in August 2024.
Read more
Content type
The Write Time with Author Mahogany L. Browne and Educator Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz
By National Writing Project
This episode of The Write Time features two dynamic literary voices: Kennedy Center Next 50 fellow Mahogany L. Browne and Columbia University Professor and poet Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Ph.D.
Read more

Also Recommended

See all
Content type
Everyday Advocacy Playbook
Teachers often feel their expertise is ignored in discussions about education policy and curriculum. Everyday Advocacy is an approach that empowers teachers to take small, day-to-day actions to influence the public narrative around schools and teaching. This Playbook provides guidance and examples to help teachers get started with this type of advocacy as part of their regular teaching work.
Read more
Content type
The Write Time with Author Rob Cameron and Educator Max Limric
By National Writing Project
This episode features Rob Cameron, a teacher, linguist, and writer who organizes the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers and founded the Constellations Mentorship program for the Octavia Project. Rob is interviewed by Max Limric, a pre-service elementary teacher who became interested in the power of children's and young adult literature, having grown up with speculative stories like Harry Potter and The NeverEnding Story.
Read more
Content type
Brian Johnson: Why I Write