Another reminder we're only 31 days into 2026 ... ha

All told, it looks like the auction raised over $216,000 for Minnesota charities and organizations. Well done everyone!

Book people showing up. Love it. ❤️ www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...

If you're living somewhere outside the USA, one thing you can do is pressure your leaders to boycott World Cup and Olympic events here.

in case you're curious about how angry Minnesota is about ICE, it was -20 today

Just registered for STORYSTORM 2026!! Registration is open until Jan 7th, information can be found here: taralazar.com/2025/12/26/s...

Rejections mean you're trying. Rejections mean you're trying. Rejections mean you're trying. Rejections mean you're trying. Rejections mean you're trying. Rejections mean you're trying. Rejections mean you're trying. Rejections mean you're trying.

Three high schoolers founded a book club that reads some of the country's most frequently banned books after a state law removing books with sexual content was signed in 2023. Two years later, many of the books have been reshelved and parts of the law can't be enforced.

Quick query update. I’ve been open for about a month and I’m averaging somewhere between 300-350 queries per week. I know it’s frustrating to wait for a reply but…there are a lot of queries! It takes time to get to everything. I love being open to work and I’m excited to keep diving in.

Share this post for an above-the-slush-pile submission opportunity to @ashleedani.bsky.social www.seasonsofkidlit.com/post/trick-o... #seasonsofkidlit #kidlit @authorhmacht.bsky.social @literallylynne.bsky.social

Happy #PortfolioDay --spooky edition! 👻 I'm Brooke Baum and I'm an author/illustrator currently seeking representation! You can check out more spooky (and non-spooky, if you're into that sort of thing) work at brookebaum.com. #kidlit #kidlitart

James is excited to meet his new sibling, but there’s something odd about his baby sister. "She’s bald, has tiny arms, and looks grumpy!" Can James convince his parents that his baby sister isn't a human baby and needs to return to the hospital? #DVPit #Q #PB #WOC #Asian

Meena wants to bring in a rainbow lunch like her friends after they pointed out that her curry is "brown and smells like Meena." However, when she’s helping Amma make eggplant curry, Meena realizes that she’s been carrying a rainbow in her lunchbox all along. #DVPit #Q #PB #OWN #POC #WOC #Asian

When Amma refuses his famous, home-made, passed down for generations pizza, Justin, a willful and caring 7-year-old, must discover a way to entice his Amma into trying a slice of his cheesy goodness even if it means breaking generational pizza rules. #DVPit #Q #PB #OWN #POC #WOC #Asian

Day 2: Night Light @scbwi.bsky.social #scbwiartober2025 #art #halloween

Day 1: Squash Just putting myself out there, don't "squash" me 😶‍🌫️ @scbwi.bsky.social #scbwiartober2025 #art #halloween

Just one of the guys 👻🤍

ATLA x WICKED Calypso must steal 12 divine amulets in order to regain her powers and seek revenge against her enemies. Villain FMC Hero MMC Hate at first sight Destroy the world, dont save it #questpit #Q #YA #F

In the winter of 1894, Florida’s citrus industry struggled. As oranges withered in the cold, Chinese American horticulturist Lue Gim Gong knew he could help. Years of experiments brought an orange that could thrive in harsh conditions, something Lue was all too familiar with. #QuestPit #Q #PB #NF

my mom taught me there's two kinds of businesses: hot dog stands and art galleries - hot dog stands protect territory and keep competition off their turf - art galleries benefit from more adjacent art galleries, cluster together to amplify reach/support youre an art gallery, not a hot dog stand

I went onto QueryTracker to figure out how many agents I would be able to apply to ... Initial Agents List -> 1920 Filtered for Picture Book, Author -> 34 Check "Hide Closed Agents" -> 22 Filtered on Agents not Accepting from USA -> 18 18 Agents. I need to curl up in a corner somewhere.

100 Days Until Halloween!! Time to get back to revising my ghoulish stories 💀🧌🎃👻

It took guts to pitch your dead story hearts! And there were so many great entries. After getting all of our brains together, a few pitches really stood out in the graveyard. The winners of this year's #KidlitZombieWeek host critiques are... (Wait for it... Wait for it...)

There is no such thing as an “AI artist” 🫠 At best you’re a coward, at worst…you’re a thief. 🤷🏿‍♂️

It's been 5 months since I last read one of my PB manuscripts, read through it, and the best part is I'm still so proud of it 🖤

I solemnly swear I’m using my yummy brain to bring a zombie manuscript back to life. #KidLitZombieWeek

Vlad, the Fabulous Vampire By Flavia Z. Drago is an adorable PB about embracing yourself and not hiding in the dark shadows. The illustrations are just as adorable and so much fun! @flaviazdrago.bsky.social

This amazing PB idea popped into my head. Started looking up if there was already PB with the same idea. Yup, there are, no biggie. BUT. There was a PB that came out in 2023 of the SAME title (same topic) by a well known author 😭 I've lost all confidence to continue 😭

It’s kid lit art postcard time! - Hello all! I’m open to any children’s illustration work at the moment and am rep’d by the Nicky at The Bright Agency!✨📚 #hireanillustrator #illustration #childrenspublishing #procreate #childrensbooks #kidlitart #picturebook #kidlitartpostcard

Tee the tiger and DeeDee the duck until I come up with some better names for them Daily spot illustration: Day 2 #illustration #kidlit #kidlitart #kidlitillustration #picturebooks

I feel so honored that @ritalorraine.bsky.social named me as one of the Honorable Mentions for 2025 PB Rising Stars! It means so much and I have been using this as fuel to keep writing. Congrats to all of the 2025 @pbrisingstars.bsky.social Mentees, Runners-Up, and fellow Honorable Mentions!

As it gets closer to a mentorship opening or a pitch party starting, everything I've written suddenly becomes not good enough. Despite the fact that I've been editing and revising for the past year. I wish I could feel as good about it as the day I started.

Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore was on the Trump Administration’s banned book list for military school children. MAGA censorship in action. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/f...

For all you #Kidlit writers out there, come join us over at Mighty KidLit! mighty-kidlit.mn.co/share/3RyuTg...

If you’re like me and are drawn to writing in #Rhyme make sure you check out the free workshop on @michellewitte.bsky.social’s website! #PB Thanks for sharing your knowledge freely, Michelle!❤️ Michellewitteliterary.com

"Having the freedom to read and the freedom to choose is one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me." - Judy Blume (whose birthday 🎂 is today!) #Freadom #BannedBooks #Edusky

I've been writing covertly and yesterday I put myself out there at #QuestPit !! I'm feeling proud of myself, writing a pitch forced me to focus on the direction of my stories which will only make them better. I loved reading through everyone's pitches, I can't wait to see these books in the future!!

A town with missing memories. A snowstorm that never happened. A dark figure playing a fatal game behind the scenes. And a dead girl walking with the answers. The only problem? She doesn't remember them and she has 30 days to figure it all out before she dies again. #QuestPit #YA #SPEC

A Greek God Got Me Pregnant is PERCY JACKSON x TWLIGHT but for adults because immortals dating teens is actually kind of weird when you think about it… Think Sally Jackson’s story but with Apollo and a happy ending 🥰 #questpit #W #A #R #PR #RF

✨🗡️ What if Barbie's Princess and the Pauper was a dark fantasy romance? 🗡️✨ A disenfranchised queen and a faerie in disguise must untangle a political scheme before the mountain they inhabit is destroyed from the inside out. ✍️ Prepping to query in spring 2025. #questpit #W #A #F #DF #RF

2025 is the year my Picture Book journey begins. I'm here to learn and to create, and I'm excited to see how this goes. Please reach out if you'd love to commiserate or celebrate together!