Introducing a fresh crop of Soaring '20s spring debuts and our newest creators🌷
Soaring '20s Spring Releases on KidLit.TV
Check out KidLit.TV to see how our spring authors got started writing and illustrating for kids. And don't miss the behind-the-scenes video clips with new insights into their books and characters.
Several new Soaring '20s have joined our team. Clockwise from the top left, they are:
Valerie Bolling, author of LET'S DANCE (2020) and the forthcoming TOGETHER WE RIDE (2022) and TOGETHER WE SWIM (2023)
Stephen Briseño, author of THE NOTEBOOK KEEPER (2022) and QUEEN OF LEAVES (2022)
Liza Ferneyhough, author/illustrator of NANA, NENEK, AND NINA (2022)
Mindy Yuksel, writing as M. O. Yuksel, author of IN MY MOSQUE (2021) and ONE WISH (2022)
Kim Rogers, contributor to ANCESTOR APPROVED (2021) and author of JUST LIKE GRANDMA (2023) and A LETTER FOR BOB (2023)
Margaret Chiu Greanias, author of MAXIMILLIAN VILLAINOUS (2018) and AMAH FARAWAY (2022)
You'll find their full bios here.
Join us for these events
March 21: Meet Rajani LaRocca (RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE) and Anna Staniszewski at Blue Bunny Bookstore (virtual) at 4 p.m. Learn more and register here.
March 22: Mindy Yuksel will launch IN MY MOSQUE at 7 pm EDT through Words Bookstore (virtual). Learn more and register here.
March 27: Mindy Yuksel will present IN MY MOSQUE STORYTIME through Source Booksellers at 11 am EDT. Here's the link to learn more and sign up.
April 6: Carrie Finison (DON’T HUG DOUG) is doing Picture Book Club story time at Brookline Booksmith at 4 p.m. EDT (virtual). Register here.
April 10: Rajani Larocca will present at “Worth a Thousand Words: Unlocking the Power of Picture Books at Kweli: The Color of Children’s Literature Conference at 10 a.m. (virtual). Learn more and register here.
April 12-16: Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival (virtual), including “We Are Family: Inclusive Representations of Family to Promote Equity” (NoNieqa Ramos, Kelly J. Baptist, Kelly Carey, Susan Kusel, Rajani LaRocca, and Candy Wellins); “No Voice Too Small: #DisruptTexts and Empower Youth Through Powerful Protagonists” (Keila Dawson, Carrie Finison, Lindsay H. Metcalf, Saira Mir, NoNieqa Ramos, and Debra Kempf Shumaker); “Play is Equity! The Role Picture Books Play in Creating a Just Society for Our Most Vulnerable Readers” (Valerie Bolling, Abi Cushman, Darshana Khiani, Rajani LaRocca, NoNieqa Ramos, and Munevver Mindy Yuksel); “Practicing Perseverance with Picture Book Biographies” (Angela Burke Kunkel, Kirsten W. Larson, Lindsay H. Metcalf, Saira Mir, and Candy Wellins); “STEAM-ing Up Kidlit” (Vicky Fang, Carrie Finison, Rajani LaRocca, Kirsten W. Larson, Jen Malia, Lindsay H. Metcalf, Colleen Paeff, and Candy Wellins.) For more information and to register, go here.
April 17: Dr. Jen Malia (TOO STICKY!) will teach “From Logline to Draft: Writing Children’s Picture Books,” for the Hampton Roads Writers Traveling Pen Series (virtual). Learn more and sign up here.
April 17: Candy Wellins (THE STARS BECKONED) will present at Books of Wonder as part of a “Great Picture Book Biographies” panel at 3 p.m. EDT. Learn more and register here.
April 22: Carrie Finison (DON’T HUG DOUG) and Katey Howes will appear at This Is a Bookstore (virtual) at 3:30 p.m. PDT. Learn more and register here.
April 22-24: Texas Library Association Annual Conference. Candy Wellins (THE STARS BECKONED) will present “The Hopes and Dreams of Texas” on April 23 at the Texas Library Association. April 23, 4-5 PM CDT Rajani LaRocca will be on the panel: “This is my story: #ownvoices for Children.” April 24, 11:15-12:15 PM CDT she will appear on the panel, “Bridging Two Worlds: Children of Immigrants in Middle Grade Fiction” Learn more and register here.
May 8: Kirsten Larson (WOOD, WIRE, WINGS) will teach “Noodling with Nonfiction Text Structures” at the Writing Barn at 10 a.m. CDR. Only $25. Sign up here.
ICYMI...From the Soaring '20s Blog
By Melanie Ellsworth
Thanks so much for joining me today for HIP, HIP…BERET’s book birthday and my own book debut! You’ll notice in the book that it’s also Bella’s birthday, and it’s her birthday gift — a beret — that kicks off the whole adventure!
HIP, HIP…BERET! is not just my book — it belongs to a lot of people. The whimsical, colorful illustrations were created by the mega-talented Morena Forza. The book wouldn’t exist without her. Many thanks to my editor, Chris, for making this a better book with her eye for detail, the whole HMH team, my agent Christa and her team at McIntosh & Otis for believing in my books, and my two critique groups filled with amazing writers who make my own books so much better.
Read more on the blog.
Don't forget, you can see all our covers and preorder at our BookShop.
New Cover Reveals
New Book Deals
Soaring '20s in the news
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Soaring ‘20s creators Abi Cushman, Melanie Ellsworth, Isabella Kung, Sam Wedelich, Julie Rowan-Zoch, Kjersten Hayes, and Joana Pastro muse on their processes for writing funny picture books in “Funny and Female” on Tara Lazar’s blog.
The Soaring ‘20s shared lots of book love with South Carolina Association of School Librarians annual conference on “Practicing Perseverance with Picture Book Biographies” (Angela Burke Kunkel, Kirsten W. Larson, Anna Crowley Redding, Lindsay H. Metcalf, and Saira Mir) and “Using STEAM Books to Facilitate Hands-on Learning” (Vicky Fang, Carrie Finison, Rajani LaRocca, Kirsten W. Larson, Jen Malia, Lindsay H. Metcalf, Candy Wellins).
Several Soaring ‘20s participated in the New Jersey Association of School Librarians Mini Conference, including Jen Malia, Carrie Finison, and Kelly Carey.
Valerie Bolling published a blog post for the International Literacy Association, "Why Children Need to See Themselves in Books." Read the full text here.
Hope Lim’s I AM A BIRD was featured on TidyDad IGTV review video. The book’s lllustrator, Hyewon Yum, was featured on Let's Talk Picture Books. Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review calling it, “a gentle story about connection that will connect with readers of all ages.” Full review here.
Julie Rowan-Zoch’s I’M A HARE, SO THERE is a March Amazon Editor’s pick for ages 3-5. Julie discussed turning her character-driven book into informational fiction on Beth Anderson’s blog.
Illustrator John Herzog (CLARINET & TRUMPET) has launched a YouTube channel. Check it out!
THE ELECTRIC SLIDE AND KAI (Kelly J. Baptist) earned a starred review from Kirkus, which called it, “An all-around wonderful book that will inspire laughter and perhaps even a little dancing.” Kelly was featured on The Brown Bookshelf and Tea Time Chat with Lee and Low.
NoNieqa Ramos unveiled the cover for THE HAIR STORY illus. Keisha Morris on Here Wee Read on Instagram. And she promoted YOUR MAMA through a reading and art chat for the San Antonio Book Festival with illustrator Jacqueline Alcantara. The book also was featured on 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast.
IN MY MOSQUE (Mindy Yuksel) received a fantastic review from Kirkus, which called the book “both a celebration of and an introduction to the mosque.” It was also reviewed by Booklist. She was interviewed on Watch. Contact. Read. with Mr. Schu and appeared on Solutionary Stories.
NO VOICE TOO SMALL (Lindsay Metcalf) and DOZENS OF DOUGHNUTS (Carrie Finison) were featured on the Day 1 Reading for Research blog post. Day 7 featured BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST (Lindsay H. Metcalf).
The Teachers, Books, Readers blog reviewed NO VOICE TOO SMALL, saying, ”Sharing these young people who are changing their world with my students is an antidote to the serious conversations we are having in my classroom today." And you can now buy your copy of NVTS at The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center's curated bookstore in Atlanta.
The Tiny Activist reviewed FARMERS UNITE (Lindsay Metcalf), saying "Reading this book gave me chills.” Full review. Tiny Activist also featured BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST in its round up of women in STEM.
Joana Pastro (LILLYBELLE) was featured on Laura Roettinger’s blog.
MUSLIM GIRLS RISE (Saira Mir) was featured in Red Tricycle’s “Books to Help Celebrate National Women’s History Month” and was featured in the Pasadena Now Newspaper. Saira also did a library presentation for the New Jersey Public Library in honor of Women’s History Month.
RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE (Rajani LaRocca) was The Nerdy Book Club’s March pick and was featured in Barrons. She also talked about the book as part of the SE-YA Bookfest.
THE GRAVITY (Anna Crowley Redding) received a Kirkus starred review. Kirkus called it a “sweet windfall of history and inspiration.” Read the full review here.
MIDSUMMER’s MAYHEM (Rajani LaRocca) was mentioned in The Guardian’s “Top 10 Classic Stories Retold.”
Rajani LaRocca’s MY LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK ABOUT KAMALA HARRIS will debut August 2021. Preorder here.
Susan Kusel (THE PASSOVER GUEST) has been taking part in events galore including at the Eric Carle Museum and Books of Wonder. Her book was a PJ Library selection for March. AND the book was featured in The Washington Post’s “18 Books That Capture the Spirit and Essence of Living in D.C.” as well as 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast.
Jen Malia’s article “Anyone worried about their kids wearing masks at school needs to hear our family’s story” was featured in The Independent (UK). Her book TOO STICKY! was included in Not an Autism Mom’s list, “Autism Positive Books for Teachers to Read During April.”
Check out Isabella Kung’s studio on this Candlewick video. She also was interview on Cynthia Leitich-Smith’s blog.
WOOD, WIRE, WINGS (Kirsten W. Larson) was featured in an American Association of School Librarians’ KnowledgeQuest blog post, “Picture Books and Primary Sources” by Tom Bober. The book was also included in The Book Wrangler’s list of Women’s History Month EpicReads along with Elisa Boxer’s THE VOICE THAT WON THE VOTE.
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