Matt Eicheldinger

“It’s forward, or nothing.” The first book in a new dystopian trilogy, “When the Rain Came” may seem outside my normal storytelling, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. This is my longest story to date, and it is a gripping, emotional resonant story about resilience, family, and one child’s fight to reclaim a future in a drowning world. Special thanks for @davidtolk for his inspiring piano piece “The Woods,” which I listened to while writing the entire book. I’ll be doing a deep dive into how this song affected both the tone, pacing, and character development of the entire trilogy. Maybe someday I’ll get to hear him play in person. #teachersofinstagram #teachers #authorlife #bookstagram

Welcome! I can’t wait to tell you a story. #storytime #teachersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #bookstagram

For all of you creatives out there who are also slowly tortured by your own great ideas. I see you. 😅

“Pop Tarts” #teacherlife #teachersofinstagram #education #poptarts

This past week, a quote from the national ambassador for children’s literature caught the literary world off guard when he claimed that “94.7 percent of kids’ books are crud.” Hyperbolic or not, the comment stirred up a lot of conversation within the book community. It made me think about all the books I’ve read throughout my life that others may not have liked, connected with, or even wanted. Does that make them crud? What about my books? What about the books written by my fellow authors? In the end, what matters most is lifting up each other’s work. There’s a favorite book out there for every kid—they just have to find it. So I’m hopping on a recent trend and sharing some of the books I’ve “caught”lately, including my own. #books #beanambassador #kidlit #childrensliterature Book Pictured: Matt Sprouts and The Curse of Ten Broken Toes Matt Sprouts and The Day Nora Ate the Sun Matt Sprouts and the Search for the Chompy Wompers Holes in My Underwear When The Rain Came A Hat for a House. . . . @audreysbooksandbakes The New Girl. . . @cassandracalin Stuck. . . @kayke Ahmed Aziz’s Epix Year. . . @ninahamzawrites Roohi and Nate are Not on the Same Page. . . @supriya.kelkar Kelkar and @jarrett_lerner

It’s been a joy to work on this trilogy, and I think I’m just mourning the loss of it coming to an end and getting to spend time with all these characters that I’ve created. I’ve never felt this way about anything I’ve written before. #bookstagram #authorlife #booksbooksbooks #yabookstagram

I can’t look at a can of SpaghettiOs without thinking of this story. There is positive potential in all of us to direct our energy away from declaring our own achievements, and instead of put it towards something that can make a difference for someone else. #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #kindness @campbells #teacherlife

Happy teacher appreciation week! And thank you for listening to this teacher’s stories #teacherappreciationweek #teachers #teacherlife

Teachers need a lot right now, and more than anything we need your voice, advocacy, and respect. #teacherappreciationday #teachersofinstagram #parenting #teachersfollowteachers

Some of the best stories are separated by time. #classroom #teacherspayteachers #teachergram #teacherhumor #teachers

Give me some books. Give me some pencils. Give me some paper. #teachersofinstagram #education #screentime #teacherlife #̭parentingtips @betterscreentime @jonathanhaidt

It’s been over a decade since I got the note from the student, and I still think about it every week. It’s a moment like this that drive what I do, help me make decisions when I write, and ultimately it reminds me of how I want to interact with people. #teaching #teachersmatter #education #elementaryschool #teachers