It's paywalled, but the SLJ review of my debut is out: And the verdict is making me 🥹: "VERDICT A lovely ode to family recipes, ­traditions, and the power of food to bring communities together. A recommended purchase for all elementary school and ­public libraries." @mackidssl.bsky.social

The thing IS actually, there are so many incredible books that do serve children, speak to children, are exciting for children to read -- but those books die the death of invisibility. The industry doesn't give them material marketing/publicity support, and gatekeepers don't find them.

The cultural specificity of a novel is part of what makes it interesting. Yes, to kids as well as adults! Novels are not timeless, art is not timeless, and that’s part of why we make and consume it!

I don’t know who Rosenbaum is or why they feel so confident in their assertion, but it’s not correct. I’m not using AI and I don’t find it particularly difficult to avoid. MANY of the working writers I know feel the same!

Happy book birthday to KESTREL TAKES FLIGHT!!! Kestrel is my 7th MG novel but my 1st MG in verse! I hope you'll check it out! It's a JLG Gold Standard Selection w/a star from @thehornbook.bsky.social. And yes, I AM wearing both a sweater and dress I made to match the book!

I am so happy for lovely @stephanieburgis.bsky.social, who has always been a tremendously talented writer (and great human), and who is getting some well-deserved trophies for her work! Yay Steph!!

This book-banning bill will do predictably horrific things. Call your senators. Protect trans kids. "Wherever books burn, people will also burn." - Heinrich Heine

CALL YOUR REPS NOW! SPREAD THE WORD! HR 2616 was snuck onto the calendar for a vote TOMORROW. This is a pro book banning bill which seeks to ban ALL books by or about trans individuals.

Cornflake Squirrel

Every time I go to therapy, I just end up ranting about capitalism. This article will be fodder for the next session!

It's been a long while since we had news of a project change because of elf-dwellings and it's high time, I say. Article heading: Hot-water pipeline rerouted to avoid offending elves.

I see uncritical support for the IOC's one time only, all or nothing, SRY gene test 'to identify men' platformed today. Fun fact about that. It's entirely possible to test positive after being pregnant with a boy. Fetal DNA can cross the placenta and linger in the maternal bloodstream for decades.

Just got a pitch from a publicist with the greeting, “Happy 4/20!” and I have never felt so old and crotchety in my life.

When I was in 9th grade, I had a wonderful English teacher who encouraged and supported each one of us students, but who also told us when our arguments were unsupported and challenged us to do better when our logic was weak. I wish every self-styled intellectual adult had had a teacher like this.

Writing about the connections that bind us; reading Pope Leo 👍🏻

Came into my bedroom and discovered that my 9 year old has left me a list of all the books she thinks I should read. #kidlit

This is bonkers. The topic of favorite dinosaurs is nearly constant in my household. (Mine? Stegosaurus. My terrifying 6yo prefers T. rex, and my 9yo, already a true yinzer, loves diplodocus carnegii.)

I'm not really a bag charm person, but this--a JANDY NELSON book charm(!!!)--might be the exception to my rule: www.coach.com/products/i'l...

Did tons of hot air balloon research many years ago for a story that never got off the ground, as it were... and now returning to that research for a new story (that may STILL not get off the ground, but we'll see). No time spent writing is wasted time!

Finally dealt with the poison ivy that keeps trying to grow up the side of our porch, and I can’t deny that destroying something poisonous was cathartic this morning.

I have this fantasy/mystery hitting the world next week!

You have more in common with the people of Iran than you do with anyone in this administration, any member of the technocracy, anyone who is profiting from this war, or any billionaire. When you see Iranians forming human chains outside key infrastructure sites, you should feel a sense of kinship.

I am trying to write an optimistic book for kids about healing old wounds and building a better future, and WOW IT IS HARD TO WRITE RIGHT NOW.

Let me say this plainly: Iranian children have as much of a right to live and thrive as American children. Their babies MUST be as precious to me as my 6 niblings and my baby grandnib are IF I want them to have a future. If I want a future for my kin AND humanity, I MUST act like it. So must you.

If you want a children’s book that talks about what birthright citizenship means, why it matters, etc, try this one: I AM AN AMERICAN: THE WONG KIM ARK STORY, by @marthabee.bsky.social @authorgracelin.bsky.social, illus by Julia Kuo. bookshop.org/p/books/i-am...

This is your reminder that if you are a class member and have NOT yet filed a claim in Anthropic v. Bartz, the AI copyright lawsuit, you have 9 days to do so.

Reading this while drinking my nightly pre-bed water, shaking fist at universe.

Hard to overstate how bad this is. This would be *national legislation to aid book banning*. The time to call your reps and say you are against HR 7661 is NOW.

This is devastating. I grew up reading Dial BFYR books, as I’m sure most American kids did over the past half-century. I’m finding it hard to write right now, and the grim news across the children’s book world is one reason why. We all care so much and do good work—but that isn’t all that matters.

So many wonderful ideas in this article. Here’s my favorite: “And we really protect story time so every class gets to hear an adult reading on a daily basis.” And all it costs is time and the understanding of the power of reading aloud.

I know this community very well. The Shenandoah club the Temple Israel statement refers to as providing food and shelter during this attack is the club established by Iraqi Chaldeans. This is really beautiful interfaith solidarity in action.

I still think about this a lot.

I haven’t felt very productive lately, but I did remember AND correctly spell the capital of North Macedonia while doing the crossword today, so I’ve got that going for me.

@carolinecarlson.bsky.social highlights upcoming children’s books from Esmé Shapiro, Anne Wynter, Laurel Snyder and more.

As hard as we are fighting, book bans are having an impact on the books being written and published. To put this another way, a very small number of well-funded people who don't write books, don't teach books, don't work in libraries are trying to decide what books are available for everyone else

The world could be such a nice place if we allowed it. It's all so goddamn unnecessary. There's no need for any of it. It's so beautiful here. It should be so cool to be alive

⭐ #Fiction #HBReviewoftheWeek THE TINKERERS by @carolinecarlson.bsky.social ( @candlewickpress.bsky.social ): "The ideas around time travel, do-overs, and responsibility are refreshingly relatable" www.hbook.com/story/review...

There’s some strong evidence to suggest that even after 40 years, you still don’t get smart.

My kids and I love this series! Highly recommended!

My February #kidlit recommendations are here!

Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning. Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.

Kids deserve to stay safe. When they are marching peacefully with their parents. When they are at school. When they are trying to learn and love and get through the day and do the right thing. In every country in the world. No matter their background, language, or beliefs. Kids deserve to stay safe.

I’m not sure how you could reasonably spend LESS than four hours discussing Hexwood. I had to read it at least 4 times before I understood the gist of what was happening!

Oh, Catherine. Thank you for making me laugh so hard my face hurt. youtu.be/fKWP-PcEwyY?...

Have been out shoveling and checking on neighbors, and forgot the ALA awards are being announced! CONGRATS TO ALL—I need to catch up on the details! Thank you for your beautiful stories.

Go watch Taskmaster! It will take your mind off all the garbage in this world.

Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti. "Please get the truth out about our son."

Join Light up the Night tonight, not a mass gathering in any one place but to get people out of their houses with candles and flashlights in every neighborhood at 7:00. Please spread the word.

“I’m not mad at you.” “Are you okay?” These are the final words of the Minnesotans murdered by ICE in the past two weeks. Please reflect on their kindness, humanity, and grace in the days and weeks and months to come. These people were the best of us.