Children's Lit Newsletter 1/19/23
AKA Sharon's Book Rx
Meg Medina named as the eighth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2023- 2024.
MEG MEDINA TO ENGAGE YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH ¡Cuéntame!: Let’s Talk Books
The Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader yesterday announced the appointment of Meg Medina as the eighth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2023- 2024. Medina, a Cuban-American, is the first author of Latina heritage to serve as National Ambassador in the program’s history.
She succeeds Jason Reynolds, who served as the National Ambassador from 2020 through 2022. The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Program was established in 2008 by the Children’s Book Council (CBC), Every Child a Reader, and the Library of Congress. The program is administered by the staff of Every Child a Reader. "We are thrilled to continue this vital national program in partnership with the Library of Congress and with the passionate cooperation of Meg's wonderful team at Candlewick Press," said Shaina Birkhead, Associate Executive Director of the CBC and Every Child a Reader. "Meg brings her thoughtfulness, energy, and love of family and community to everything she does. As National Ambassador, she will touch so many hearts and minds and we cannot wait to see the ripple effect of her continued work with young readers."
FOR KIDS: Eugenia Yoh and Vivienne Chang Introduce "This Is Not My Home"
Join us on Sunday, January 29th, at 3:00 PM when debut author-illustrator duo EUGENIA YOH (right) and VIVIENNE CHANG (left) present their new book This Is Not My Home, a humorous and heartfelt reverse immigration story that will resonate across cultures and show us how a place can become home.
AMAZING LEXIE BEAN AVAILABLE FOR EDITING, SENSITIVITY READS, ETC.
I met Lexie on-line and then in person at LA Times. On-line was when they spoke to the local high school GSA and the students were blown away by Lexie's warmth, openness, and incredible empathy. We then met at LA Times when Lexie was on a panel I moderated. We had the STAR POWER of John Cho (yes, THAT John Cho) on the panel - and yet - Lexie was the one who people remember. Below is from Lexie, stating what services they offer:
Hi! My name is Lexie Bean (they/he). I am an awarded author and essayist who has worked in the worlds of children's literature, anthology, memoir, and adult non-fiction. I've generated work with self publishing, boutique publishing, and big house publishing and am passionate about thoughtful impact campaigns upon the release of a project! If you have a manuscript, query letter, or idea - I can provide additional brainstorming, research, ghost editing, sensitivity reads related to LGBTQ identity and domestic/sexualized violence. I am also excited to support folks through generating an impact campaign both considering and expanding your audience. For reference, I organized or took part in well over 60 events related to my most recent novel. You may read a bit more about me here, www.lexiebean.com or email me directly at dancingbeanbyabba@gmail.com
THERE IS ALSO A SHORT STORY CONTEST FOR TEENS
More info here:
Anticipated Schedule:
Intro/Welcome: 1:00 PM - 1:15 PM
Keynote Address with Bill Konigsberg: 1:15 PM – 1:50 PM
Session 1: 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
- Topic: The Role of Family in Shaping Identity
- Panelists: James Brandon, Sarah Kuhn, Naz Kutub, Sara Saedi
Session 2: 3:00 PM - 3:50 PM
- Topic: Becoming Unsheltered: The Imperfections of Family
- Panelists: Ernesto Cisneros, Sally Engelfried, and Mae Respicio
Book Signing with Middle Grade Authors: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Session 3: 4:00 PM - 4:50 PM
- Topic: Beyond the Traditional Family
- Panelists: Charlie Jane Anders, Phillippe Diederich, Alexa Donne, Lilliam Rivera
Book Signing with All Authors: 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM
From Debra:
Alphabet Letters, Part 2!
Video instructions (9 min.) and PDFs at DebraFrasier.com.
We've fixed an earlier problem with this video. Please return to my
website to view or watch it directly on Vimeo.
WHEN ZISSEL GOT RICH FROM MAXINE ROSE SCHUR (pub date 2/21)
When Zissel Got Rich and illustrated by Italian artist, Cristina de Liso.
The story tells of a Jewish woman who suddenly becomes wealthy but her desire for more and more jewelry ultimately causes her unhappiness.
Penguin Young Readers, the Children's Book Council, and Every Child a Reader continue their partnership for the 7th Annual
Anna Dewdney Read Together Award in honor of the late Anna Dewdney (1965-2016), author and illustrator of the beloved Llama Llama series.
The Anna Dewdney Read Together Award is given annually to a picture book that is both a superb read-aloud and also sparks compassion, empathy, and connection. The award commemorates the life and work of author/illustrator Anna Dewdney and celebrates her commitment to reading with young children and putting books into as many little hands as possible.
Nominate Your Favorite Read-Aloud Books Today!
All librarians, teachers, booksellers, parents/caregivers, and children's book bloggers are encouraged to nominate up to five beloved read-together picture book favorites, published in the last five years (2017-2022) in the United States. Nominators must be 18 years of age or older.
The deadline to submit a title for consideration is February 14, 2023.
Nominate Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1z9yfiQ9DPRN0rK9xCkJQdsbjzCBFjOTUwtXXqlzJ1ko/viewform?edit_requested=true
The 2023 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Finalists for Younger and Older Children
The Jane Addams Peace Association is delighted to announce the finalist titles under consideration for the 2023 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award in the Younger and Older Children's categories.
The Jane Addams Peace Association will announce winning and honor books from among these finalists on January 13, 2023. Awards will be presented to the winning and honored authors and illustrators at a ceremony in Spring 2023 (exact date to come). All are invited, whether they be in classrooms, libraries or at home.
We believe that these books, and others like them, can open up conversations between children and their adults–teachers, librarians and caregivers–about what is happening in the world around them and how they can be change-makers in their own families and communities. We hope that promoting our final contenders in this way will serve to highlight a greater number of excellent children’s books that can deepen understanding of peace and justice.
AUTHOR VISITS FROM KATE MESSNER
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScd-eSaJfMCBhwzZ56_GEefia7kNPys2b6bjpZtvlTSBaIcPw/viewform?usp=sf_link
I absolutely love visiting readers at schools and libraries and speaking at conferences for teachers, librarians, and writers, but in order to meet my book deadlines and still have some time for my family, I'm not able to accept every invitation I receive. With that in mind, I like to give everyone a heads-up when I'm starting to schedule for the coming school year. Even though it seems early, now is a great time to plan for Fall 2023 and beyond. I'm currently scheduling conferences, festivals, and international school visits, which require a bit more planning, and in a month or so, I'll also be booking school and library visits in the U.S.
If you'd like me to keynote your conference, speak at your book festival, or visit your school or library during the 2023-2024 school year, please fill out my Author Appearance Request Form with all of the requested information. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScd-eSaJfMCBhwzZ56_GEefia7kNPys2b6bjpZtvlTSBaIcPw/viewform?usp=sf_link)
I typically respond to requests within a week, and if I'm not able to visit your school due to scheduling or budget reasons, I'm always happy to recommend some other great authors who might be a good fit.
** Join Us for a Virtual Author Visit on January 31st!
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If you're interested in a virtual author visit for later this month, Grace Lin and I are offering an amazing opportunity - a visit with both of us! We're offering this double virtual visit to celebrate the upcoming release of our new picture book, ONCE UPON A BOOK. And the best part is, the virtual visit is FREE for everyone whopre-orders a copy from the Eric Carle Museum Bookshop! (https://www.carlemuseum.org/visit/events/virtual-author-visit-grace-lin-and-kate-messner-once-upon-book)
https://www.carlemuseum.org/visit/events/virtual-author-visit-grace-lin-and-kate-messner-once-upon-book
Click here for all the details and to order your copy of ONCE UPON A BOOK. (https://www.carlemuseum.org/visit/events/virtual-author-visit-grace-lin-and-kate-messner-once-upon-book) A few days after you place your order, you'll get an email from the Carle Museum with a link so that your classroom or library can join us.
That's all for now. Have a wonderful January, and I hope to see many of you at our virtual author visit later this month!
All best wishes,
Kate
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** Website (http://mailchimp.com)
COMICS MENTORING BY CHRIS STAROS
Hey, gang!
Just wanted to let y’all know that after completing 300 mentoring sessions (through the end of 2022), I’ve opened up my calendar again for the months of January to May! If you’re an aspiring comics professional interested in some advice in the following areas…
-- A detailed editorial review of your project... along with answering:
-- How to make your submission more attractive to publishers
-- What makes comics unique & the key elements of good storytelling
-- Self-publishing through social media, press, crowdfunding, & conventions
-- How money is made in the industry/financial planning
-- Publishing contracts and agents
-- Hollywood exploitation, management, and contracts
-- Careers in comics (creative and business)
…feel free to hit me up via email (chrisstaros@gmail.com) for available dates & times (plenty of slots available). Let’s get your projects and career moving in the right direction!
[Check out www.chrisstaros.com for details & reviews, but briefly, prices are as follows: $99 for a one-hour consultation via Zoom (reviewing 10-to-20-pages of comics); $199 if it’s a full graphic novel (up to 150 pages); or $399 if it’s a script (up to 15,000 words). If project is larger, just contact for a custom price. But, trust me, we can cover a lot of ground in an hour.]
Happy New Year!
Chris Staros
chrisstaros@gmail.com
www.chrisstaros.com/mentoring
P.S. – Thanks to James Kochalka for the portrait!
YOUTUBE CHANNEL LATEST VIDEO WITH THE AUTHORS OF BLACK BOY, BLACK BOY - AND CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST DR. BARBARA STROUD
PANEL WITH DR. BARBARA STROUD AND AUTHORS ALI KAMANDA AND JORGE REDMOND discussing the book BLACK BOY, BLACK BOY (and how Dr. Stroud, as a Child Psychologist would use/interact with this lovely book) Check it out (and subscribe) here:
NOTE: The Black Civil Rights History Through the Lens of Children's Literature Class can be taught AT Schools (we are happy to teach virtually, or in person, if geographically possible)
BLACK CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY CLASS MORE NECESSARY THAN EVER!
Yes, I teach this with Elise, so this is Shameless Self Promotion - but - given the scary direction the country is heading in, more necessary than ever. Did you see that it was proposed in Texas to call Slavery "Involuntary Relocation”? Yes, it was voted down, but The Texas Board of Education is considering curriculum changes one year after Texas passed a law to eliminate topics from schools that make students "feel discomfort."
YES, by students who "feel discomfort" they mean white children. I will tell you now, Elise and I definitely do take our students (predominantly white) out of their comfort zone, but with the take away that THEY CAN DO SOMETHING to address privilege, racism, etc.
https://sites.google.com/view/sharon-levin/black-civil-rights-history-class?authuser=0
IN ADDITION: 25% of our income from the class is used to purchase Black created books from Black Owned Bookstores (i.e. Brain Lair in Indiana) to be donated to local, low-income, public schools.