Happy book birthday to Full Circle by Elisa Boxer!
Plus cover reveals, new book deals, and events across the country
Happy birthday to Full Circle by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Vivian Mineker.
According to the publisher, “This lyrical adventure follows the bluefin tuna, puffin, sea turtle, and Atlantic salmon through their life cycle. Each of these special species has a characteristic called natal homing. They're born, leave home to eat and mate, and then return to precisely where they were born to start their own families. This is a scientific look at these animals' habits--but includes a parallel story reflecting humans' own tendency to return home. Science and nature backmatter includes additional information on the included animals as well as an author's note.” Learn more and buy it here.
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Welcome back to our series, 20 QUESTIONS!,
where we answer questions about writing, reading, and author life.
(Note that we enjoy the series so much we’ve decided to just keep the questions coming!)
This month’s question:
Do you have a success story for a book that tanked on submission?
Two of my books tanked on submission with one publisher and later another publisher acquired both of them in a two-book deal! After writing LET’S DANCE!, I wanted to write about other activities that children enjoy, so I wrote a book about many of the universal, timeless games that children play called LET’S PLAY; that book became RIDE, ROLL, RUN: TIME FOR FUN! LET’S DANCE!,which is about dances from around the world, inspired me to write a book about musical instruments from around the world called LET’S JAM!; that book became BING, BOP, BAM: TIME TO JAM!
– Valerie Bolling, author of I SEE COLOR with co-author, Kailei Pew, illus. Laylie Frazier (Harper Collins, 2024)
Cover Reveals
New Book Deals
Mark your calendars...
Note: All events are in person unless otherwise indicated.
Connecticut
July 28 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern: Valerie Bolling will be the guest author at Back to School Shop, Stamford, CT.
August 2 at 4:45 p.m. Eastern: Valerie Bolling will be at the Annual Sharon Summer Book Signing at the Hotchkiss Library, Sharon, CT.
August 13: Valerie Bolling will be at the Read to Grow Bookmobile at the Boys and Girls Club, Greenwich, CT.
August 24 at 2 p.m. Eastern: Storytime with Valerie Bolling at Youth Day Neighborhood Block Party, New Haven, CT.
Illinois
July 25-26: Join Vicky Fang and Valerie Bolling for Litapalooza in Naperville, IL. Get tickets here.
Maine
September 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern: Join Rajani LaRocca and Angela Kunkel at the Bath Book Bash, Library Park, 43 Summer St, Bath, ME 04530
Massachusetts
August 10: Valerie Bolling will be signing stock at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore, Vineyard Haven, MA
August 7 at 11 a.m.: Barbara Cooney Birthday Tea Celebration with Angela Kunkel, at Lawrence Memorial Library, Pepperell, MA
September 14 at 11 a.m. Eastern: Pigs Dig a Road Launch Party! with Carrie Finison, Belmont Books, Belmont, MA
September 22 at 11 a.m. Eastern: Story Time with Josh Funk and Carris Finison for Pigs Dig a Road & Attack of the Scones, lala books, Lowell, MA
New York
August 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern: Rajani LaRocca will appear at the Adirondack Family Book Festival, John Brown Farm State Historic Site 115 John Brown Road, Lake Placid, NY 12946
September 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern: Join Carrie Finison at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, Chappaqua Train Station, Chappaqua, NY
Vermont
August 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Eastern: Storytime and craft with Angela Kunkel at Lawrence Memorial Library, Bristol, VT
August 17 at 10 a.m. Eastern: Storytime and craft with Angela Kunkel at Inklings Children's Books, Waitsfield, VT
August 18 at 2 p.m. Eastern: Storytime with Angela Kunkel at the Northshire Bookstore, Manchester, VT
Virtual
August 3 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern: SCBWI Annual Summer Conference – Valerie Bolling will present "Authentic Voices in Early Readers" with Kelly Starling Lyons, Melissa Iwai, and Emma Otheguy.
August 13 from 5-6:30 p.m. Eastern: From Facts to Fascination: Using Nonfiction to Drive Curriculum and Enthusiasm with Patti Newman and Kirsten Larson (International Literacy Association) $44 for nonmembers. Learn more and register here.
August 14 at 11 a.m. Eastern: VIRTUAL Storytime with Valerie Bolling at Boston Public Library, Lower Mills Branch.
August 15 from 1 - 2: 15 p.m. Eastern: Talking About Takeaways in Nonfiction" with Kirsten Larson (Inked Voices) $25 for nonmembers. Learn more here.