⛺ Summer nErDCamp fun, plus new releases, book deals, and more
We LOVE nErDCamp!
Summertime means nErDCamp time. What's nErDCamp? A free literacy event where teachers, librarians, authors, and illustrators discuss reading, writing, and books!
Your favorite Soaring '20s creators have been busy presenting at virtual nErDCamps around the country including in Kansas and Connecticut. Next up is nErDCamp Pennsylvania. Join the (free) fun on July 15. Learn more and register here.
Soaring 20s Valerie Bolling and Rajani LaRocca will be featured on the Spotlight Panel at 3 p.m. "Make a Joyful Noise: A Counterintuitive Way to Fight Racism" along with Christine Taylor-Butler, Emma Otheguy, and Remy Lai.
Many of our members will appear with other authors and illustrators in breakout sessions throughout the day. Here's the full list.:
10 a.m. Breakouts
Neurodiverse Representation in Kidlit
Expanding Minds ~ Expanding Hearts: Middle Grade Fiction that Encourages Thinking Beyond Assumptions, Stigmas and Stereotypes
Diversity Through the Decades: How Diversity in Kidlit Has Evolved
11 a.m. Breakouts
Heroes of Our Own Stories
Humor in Picture Books
Don't Skip the Back Matter
1:10 p.m. Breakouts
Inspiring Striving Writers Using Mentor Texts
Using Books to Spark Classroom Discussions About Consent and Autonomy at Every Age
Where Did You Get Your Information? Research in Picture Books
Saving Earth: Books to Empower Young Environmentalists
2 p.m. Breakouts
Books and Ideas for Social Emotional Learning in the Classroom
Inspiring a Love of STEM through MG Fiction
We hope to see you there!
Don't forget, you can see all our covers and preorder at our BookShop.
New Cover Reveals
New Book Deals
Join us for these events
Got kids at home this summer? Sign up for illustrator Larissa Marantz’s (CLYDE series) summer art classes. Next session starts June 21. Information and sign ups here.
June 17, 7 p.m. Eastern - Mindy Yuksel will be on the panel, “The Debuts: Journey to Publication” for SCBWI Central and Southern Ohio. Learn more and sign up here.
June 22, 6 p.m. Pacific - HOW TO HOST A SARI virtual launch event with Darshana Khiani and illustrator Joanne Lew-Vriethoff hosted by Books Inc. Learn more and register here.
October 4-November 8, 7-9 p.m. Central - RETHINKING YOUR NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK: A Revision Workshop with Kirsten Larson (A TRUE WONDER) through The Writing Barn. Learn more about this six-week course and register here.
Soaring '20s in the news
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Valerie Bolling’s (LET’S DANCE) article WHEW, DEBUT! WHAT A RIDE... appeared in the May/June 2021 New England SCBWI NEWS. She will present at SCBWI’s BIG FIVE-OH Summer Conference with Janae Marks, Ernesto Cisneros, and Tammi Sauer, discussing their paths to publication. And she’s been selected as part of the inaugural cohort of 24 storytellers in the Amplify Black Stories program, which is a partnership between The Brown Bookshelf and The Highlights Foundation.
Gregory Barrington’s COW BOY IS NOT A COWBOY was named a Colorado Book Award Finalist.
Kirsten W. Larson launched a preorder campaign for A TRUE WONDER: The Comic Book Hero Who Change Everything. Order from ONCE UPON A TIME BOOKS and get a postcard designed by illustrator Katy Wu. Click here for details.
Candy Wellins (THE STARS BECKONED) and Kirsten Larson (A TRUE WONDER) were on faculty at The Writing Barn’s inaugural Nonfiction Kidlit Confab. Candy appeared on the debut picture book panel, while Kirsten discussed nonfiction markets and graphic novels in “Beyond the Nonfiction Picture Book.” You can buy replays at The Writing Barn for a limited time.
HOW TO HOST A SARI (Darshana Khiani) is an Amazon Editor Pick for Ages 3-5 for the month of June. Find Darshana’s unboxing video here. She was a featured author on Kidlit411 and Kathy Temean's Writing and Illustrating Blog.
The Passover Guest by Susan Kusel was named a Top 100 Jewish Children’s book by the Association of Jewish Libraries.
DIGGING FOR WORDS (Angela Burke Kunkel) won the 2021 Américas Book Award by the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs. Watch the adorable video too.
Dozens of Doughnuts (Carrie Finison) was a nominee for the Arizona Library Association 2022 Grand Canyon Reader Award. She appeared at a Math-Joy Book Event along with Rajani LaRocca at Silver Unicorn Books.
SOAKED! (Abi Cushman) is a Keystone to Reading finalist.
Mindy Yuksel (IN MY MOSQUE) is the 12x12 Picture Book Group Featured Author for June.
Kirkus Reviews gave THE GREAT STINK by Colleen Paeff a star calling it “far from stinky.” Read the full review here.
FARMERS UNITE! (Lindsay H. Metcalf) was named a 2021 Kansas Notable Book and was featured on the SLJ homepage for an article called "Pairing Children's Literature with Primary Sources.” Read more about Lindsay’s use of primary sources here. Another of Lindsay’s books, NO VOICE TOO SMALL, is a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award for Juvenile Literature.
Isabella Kung (NO FUZZBALL! and ABC CATS) appeared on Legit Kidlit’s Draw Off episode 43. Watch the video here. Her ABC Cats was featured on Fuse 8’s “2021 Board Books: Some Delights Thus Far.”
SLJ Blogger Betsy Bird interviewed NoNieqa Ramos (BEAUTY WOKE) on her Fuse 8 Blog.
Rajani LaRocca’s MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL was featured on The Today Show! Watch the book trailer here. Her RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE was featured in Kweli Journal, Shelf Stuff Blog, and Business Insider's List of Best Books of 2021. She appeared at the Litfest Pasadena Panel on "Writing from the Heart” and a verse novel panel at the Mass Poetry Festival. BRACELETS FOR BINA’S BROTHERS appeared on What to Expect’s AAPI-Authored and Illustrated Baby Books list.
Kirkus Reviews said Vicky Fang’s FRIENDBOTS “amply demonstrates the values of a positive attitude and a little creative thinking.” Read the full review here. Her latest LAYLA AND THE BOTS book, Cupcake Wars, launched as well. Learn more here.
Julie Rowan-Zoch’s I’M A HARE, SO THERE! was named an Amazon Best Children’s Book of 2021 So far. Happy dance!
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