VCFA residencies happen twice per year on the CalArts campus AND online. For the past several semesters I've done residency online & it's a lovely, robust experience with lots of strong community vibes. There are Cloud-only events (workshop, seminars) & hybrid events with campus folk (lectures, etc)

New scholarships available for incoming students in the Writing for Children & Young Adults low-residency MFA program at VFCA (where I teach), funded by kid lit legend Katherine Paterson. Thinking about applying? I'm happy to chat! vcfa.edu/admissions/v...

Almost missed it, @cherylklein.bsky.social! youtu.be/Gs069dndIYk?...

“ALSC is proud to announce that the 2026 Children’s Literature Lecture will take place at the Elmer L. Andersen Library, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis, Minnesota." www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2025/08... #KidLit

Yet. Another. Fake. Literary. Agency: Writers Literary. Among other things, totally false claims about authors and books repped, and images of supposed staff are stock photos. They're sending out fake publishing offers to writers writersliterary.com

You may know this, but they're reissuing Slice of Cherry in June and the redesigned cover is going to really sell it to a new generation.

It's time to par-tee! ⛳️ Father's Day is this Sunday!

I was asked today what my best publishing advice is: You have no idea how close you are to achieving your goal, but the only guarantee is that if you give up now, you’ll never get there. Keep going!

Happy book birthday to @cynleitichsmith.bsky.social and Kate Gardiner's Firefly Season!

New book alert! Signed LITTLE BIG MAN by @varianjohnson.bsky.social and @reggiebrownart.bsky.social is waiting in the @littlefreelibrary.bsky.social! Give culturally diverse books (like this one) to culturally diverse communities through #read4unity. Go to read4unity.com/give $5=1 book!

Happy Thursday! A new episode of the Book Fiare Podcsst is out now, featuring an insightful interview with @varianjohnson.bsky.social Listen now on Spotify or wherever podcasts are found. #Podcast #kidlit open.spotify.com/episode/5eOU...

“Now that I look back, I realize how blessed I was to be able to spend so much time with my father”: Varian Johnson reflects on his own relationship with his father, in a conversation with Reggie Brown on their new picture book ‘Little Big Man’ buff.ly/wosAlUi

Congratulations @katemessner.com

Congratulations, @lakitawilson.bsky.social!!!

I just signed. Will you?

Join Coretta Scott King Honor and Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor-winning author @varianjohnson.bsky.social on May 5th discussing LITTLE BIG MAN, a heartwarming father-son story about the importance of stepping up... and finding time to play. More info + RSVP: www.eventbrite.com/e/bookpeople...

It's beyond surreal, but here we are: the US Supreme Court is discussing the imaginary threat posed by queer families and kids being included in a handful of story books. Thanks to Sarah Brennan for this brilliant editorial cartoon. Oral arguments will take place April 22.

After working on this book for years, I'm excited that LITTLE BIG MAN, my debut picture book with @reggiebrownart.bsky.social, is almost out in stores. More details are coming soon concerning preorders, the tour, and other events, but for now, here's a bit from the book! youtu.be/QFh9_dYVTec?...

ATTN Readers! Find out how to support libraries & library personnel in 2025 at the ALSC Blog: Pursuing Excellence for Library Service to Children: www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2025/02... #kidlit #libraries #picturebooks #librarians @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social @aaslala.bsky.social @wearealsc.bsky.social

The Texas Institute of Letters has announced the winners of 12 Annual TIL Literary Awards. This year, TIL will award these writers and 2 other recipients a total of $39,000 in prizes at the TIL Awards Ceremony in Brownsville on April 26. The TIL is a nonprofit Honor Society founded in 1936. #booksky

Thank you, Laurie!

Most banned books feature people of color and LGBTQ+ people, report finds

@varianjohnson.bsky.social www.woodtv.com/news/grand-r...

Recently finished Playing the Cards You're Dealt by @varianjohnson.bsky.social Really lovely #mglit story that manages to tackle serious issues like parental alcoholism while also being about family, friendship, and spades. The narrator is excellent and adds a lot of humor. Recommended! #tlsky

@varianjohnson.bsky.social Daniel Isles, John Ridley, @josevillarrubia.bsky.social @yayforzig.bsky.social Federico Vicentini, @davidfwalker.bsky.social @thesteveorlando.bsky.socialJD Faith, John Lewis, @andrewaydin.bsky.social @natepowell.bsky.social Sanford Greene, Chuck Brown, and James Spooner

So excited when friends like @marimancusi.bsky.social and @annewynter.bsky.social visit my kid’s school!

I’m Varian. He’s Reggie. Our upcoming picture book, LITTLE BIG MAN, publishes in May. Hope you check it out! @reggiebrownart.bsky.social

The Texas Institute of Letters has 3 awards for authors of books for young readers, each with a $1,000 prize & a 1/6 submission deadline: Jean Flynn Award for Best YA Deirdre Siobhan FlynnBass Award for Best MG Brigid Erin Flynn Award for Best PB texasinstituteofletters.org/til-2024-lit... #kidlit

New Book Alert! Coming May 5, 2025 from Scholastic! From CSK author honoree Varian Johnson and NYT bestselling illustrator Reggie Brown (@reggiebrownart.bsky.social) comes a heartwarming father-son story about the importance of stepping up...and finding time to play. tinyurl.com/2s3jsvnz

Some day, the words fly out of your fingers. Other days, you keep rewriting the same five pages. Today was the latter.

Six hints later, and I finally finished the NYT Strands. #NYTStrands #Strands #Ouch #MyBrainHurts

Grrr...in what is shaping up to be a very disappointing #LearnedLeague season, I had the right answer AND CHANGED IT AT THE LAST MINUTE.

Looking for some me time over the holidays? Maybe this will work for you. pearlsandrubys.slj.com/2024/11/30/m...

We need to keep talking about how weird it is for people to think they should have a say in reading choices for anyone's kids but their own. You're not in charge of what other people's children eat or wear or when they go to bed. Why on earth would you get to choose what they read?

I made a starter pack of Austin Kid Lit Authors! If you're looking for a bunch of fun, passionate, kid lit writers to follow, this is a great place to start! go.bsky.app/Rke2No5

Only 200+ pages to go! #SuperRoughDraft #GraphicNovel #MoreSoon

"Your own brain is a subject that you're an unimpeachable expert on." We've a guest post/excerpt double whammy from author Stephen Bramucci today: afuse8production.slj.com/2023/10/24/a...

I'm here! So now what?