Cover reveal post by Jen Malia for the first two books in her forthcoming chapter book series, The Infinity Rainbow Club, featuring neurodivergent characters.
The Soaring ‘20s Celebrate Teachers!
During Teacher Appreciation week, the Soaring ‘20s picture book debut group is celebrating the teachers, past and present, who have made a difference in our lives. Now, more than ever, we appreciate teachers’ efforts to find connections with their students even (and especially) when times are tough. Scroll down to read our stories.
But first . . .
Two Giveaways for Teachers!
We are running a giveaway through our Twitter account, @soaring20spb, for two separate book bundles:
Click here to head to Twitter and enter the giveaway for the Upper Elementary bundle, which includes:
WHEREVER I GO by Mary Wagley Copp, illustrated by Munir Mohammed (Atheneum)
WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: EMMA LILIAN TODD INVENTS AN AIRPLANE by Kirsten W. Larson, illustrated by Tracy Subisak (Calkins Creek)
THE VOICE THAT WON THE VOTE by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger (Sleeping Bear Press)
RESCUING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE By Anna Crowley Redding, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (HarperCollins)
INVENT-A-PET by Vicky Fang, illustrated by Tidawan Thaipinnarong (Sterling Children’s Books)
Click here to head to Twitter and enter the giveaway for the Lower Elementary bundle, which includes:
CLYDE GOES TO SCHOOL by Keith Marantz, illustrated by Larissa Marantz (Penguin Workshop)
CLYDE LIKES TO SLIDE by Keith Marantz, illustrated by Larissa Marantz (Penguin Workshop)
THE ELEPHANTS’ GUIDE TO HIDE-AND-SEEK by Kjersten Hayes, illustrated by Gladys Jose (Sourcebooks)
HOW LONG IS FOREVER? by Kelly Carey, illustrated by Qing Zhuang (Charlesbridge)
TOO STICKY! Sensory Issues with Autism by Jen Malia, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff (Albert Whitman)
Now for those stories we promised.
Celebrating Our Favorite Teachers
Vicky Fang
Vicky Fang, high school, 1993.
My drama teacher in high school, Mr. Lindberg, shaped who I am in so many ways. What I loved about him was his ability to see and respect his students. He wasn’t afraid to talk about the mess and beauty of the world with his students in a real way. He didn’t underestimate or sugarcoat, and he set an example of honesty, kindness, imperfection, thoughtfulness, and passion. To this day, I think about some of the lessons I learned from him, and I appreciate the advice he gave me even long after I graduated. I know I’m not the only one. He recently retired, leaving a legacy of amazing performances and inspired alumni. Thank you for everything, Mark Lindberg.
— Vicky Fang, author of INVENT-A-PET, illustrated by Tidawan Thaipinnarong (Sterling Children’s Books)
Angela Burke Kunkel
I don’t remember the exact moment, but I’m sure that Alexandra Mikan, my eleventh-grade English teacher, was the one who encouraged me to apply to the “Fresh Voices” competition, a part of Connecticut’s annual Sunken Garden Poetry Festival. When I placed as a semi-finalist, Ms. Mikan spent days with me after school, working with me one-on-one and helping me prepare for the reading that would determine which teen poets would read at the festival. She spent hours listening to me read, reviewing each poem with me line by line. She talked about emphasis, line breaks, word choice . . . and I also remember the moment she cried during one of my poems (teen me was so taken aback!). While I didn’t place as a finalist or read at the festival, the time Ms. Mikan spent with me helped build my belief in myself as a writer — and I even became a high school English teacher. I’m forever grateful to her for those hours spent after school in a classroom, talking about poetry, after what I’m sure was already a very long day.
— Angela Burke Kunkel, author of DIGGING FOR WORDS: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built, illustrated by Paola Escobar (Random House/Schwartz & Wade)
Kirsten W. Larson
I want to give a shout-out to fifth-grade teacher Lori Mann. From letting students sample new genres through “book tastings,” to hosting after-school book clubs, Miss Mann’s mission is to connect young readers with books. She even installed two Little Free Libraries in front of her Title 1 School.
Teacher Lori Mann with her Little Free Library
— Kirsten W. Larson, author of WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane, illustrated by Tracy Subisak (Calkins Creek)
I truly had wonderful teachers, but when I went back to college to pursue writing, it was my English teacher, Gerald Mackey, who made all the difference. He didn’t treat me like just a student. He treated me like a writer. I took myself, my work, and my path more seriously and I am forever grateful to him!
— Anna Crowley Redding, author of RESCUING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: How We Almost Lost the Words That Built America, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (Harper Collins)
Jen Malia
I want to recognize pre-K teachers Miss Joy (English) and Miss Viky (Spanish) who have taught all three of my kids in a Spanish immersion program at Courthouse Academy. I named the second-grade teacher in TOO STICKY! after Miss Joy and tried to capture her patience and support in the classroom. My daughter, Holly, and son, Nick, had therapists shadowing them in their pre-K classroom. Miss Joy and Miss Viky made Holly and Nick feel included and loved.
Jen Malia and her kids celebrate TOO STICKY!
— Jen Malia, author of TOO STICKY! Sensory Issues with Autism, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff (Albert Whitman)
Be sure to visit the Soaring ‘20s blog all week for more posts celebrating our favorite teachers. Do you have a story about a special teacher in your life? Please share in the comments!
Book Birthday for TOO STICKY! in the Time of Coronavirus
By Jen Malia
April 1 is my book birthday! It’s time to celebrate all of the hard work that went into making my debut children’s picture book, TOO STICKY! SENSORY ISSUES WITH AUTISM, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff, for Albert Whitman & Co. The story is about an autistic girl with sensory issues who has to overcome her fear of sticky hands to participate in a slime experiment at school. I’m especially excited to raise autism awareness and acceptance with the launch of Too Sticky! on April 1, the first day of Autism Awareness Month.
My own birthday is March 15 th . As readers of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar know, you should “beware the Ides of March,” the day that Julius Caesar was assassinated. I won’t get into the gruesome details. This is a kidlit blog, after all. But it’s so fitting that I’m an English professor who was born on the Ides of March. One of the best birthday gifts I ever got on this day was my book offer from Albert Whitman for Too Sticky!
Author Jen Malia
From book concept to final copy, Too Sticky! was two and a half years in the making. After I wrote and revised the manuscript with the help of my agent and editor, Joanne did her part, creating her whimsical illustrations that perfectly complemented the text.
And yet, to celebrate my book birthday and ignore what is going on around the world feels insincere at best. To say that my book launch is not what I was expecting would be a big understatement. I thought I’d go to my local bookstore to see Too Sticky! on the shelves. I thought I’d teach kids how to make slime at a live book event. I can tell you what I was not expecting—to have my book launch in the middle of a global pandemic when schools, libraries, and bookstores were closed.
Families around the world have no idea what is yet to come from the spread of COVID-19 in these unprecedented times. With people fighting for their lives, it seems silly to worry about the cancellation of book events and the loss of book sales. But I admit that I was disappointed to have to cancel my travel to New York City in April. I worked hard for this. I was looking forward to talking about Too Sticky! at the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) Conference. I also wanted to advocate for autistic kids and sign copies of Too Sticky! at public events around the world.
Luckily, my publisher, Albert Whitman, invited me to sign review copies of Too Sticky! at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Conference back in January. I didn’t know then that that would be my only public book signing. But I had a great day signing books for librarians at the Albert Whitman booth.
Signing at ALA in January.
I live with my husband and three kids in Virginia Beach. We’re doing the best we can to keep our autistic kids’ anxiety levels down, but we’re also being honest with them. We’re explaining difficult concepts like social distancing and teaching them why they need to work on better hygiene. They don’t fully understand why we can’t go to playgrounds anymore or why they can’t see their friends. But they’re adjusting to the new normal.
In Too Sticky!, my main character, Holly, is anxious about sticky hands. In the opening scene, her mom gives her a washcloth at breakfast so she can wipe the sticky syrup off of her hands. Later in the book, Holly’s teacher puts a bowl of water and soap on Holly’s desk during the slime experiment so Holly can wash her hands. I didn’t know when I wrote Too Sticky! how much we would need to encourage kids to clean their hands. But I’m so glad I included those scenes in my book!
I’m excited to celebrate my book launch for Too Sticky! with you, by sharing this blog post, and with my family, by staying safe in the comfort of our own home.
Book Details
TOO STICKY!
Sensory Issues with Autism
by Jen Malia
Illus. by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
Pub Date: April 1, 2020
ISBN:
978-0-8075-8026-4
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co.
Jen Malia is Associate Professor of English at Norfolk State University. Based on her own and her daughter’s experiences living with autism and sensory issues, her debut picture book, TOO STICKY! SENSORY ISSUES WITH AUTISM, is the story of an autistic girl who has to overcome her fear of sticky hands to participate in her second-grade slime experiment. She has written autism-related essays for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Catapult, New York Magazine, Woman’s Day, and Glamour, among others. She lives in Virginia Beach with her husband and three kids.
Follow author Jen Malia:
Twitter: @jenmaliabooks
Website: www.JenMalia.com
Follow illustrator Joanne Lew-Vriethoff:
Twitter: @jlewvriethoff
Instagram: @joannelewvriethoff
Website: joannelewvriethoff.com