30 books. 74 stars. Loads of awards. We’re talking today with the founders of the Heartdrum imprint to find out how they did it (and continue to do it) so well. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/04/16/h...
I have long said that children’s books should be more friend than mentor. This essay is spot on.
“Adults are often looking for something worthy. Children are looking for something alive.”
“They want the thrilling little power of knowing what is about to happen and being right.”
Yes! ❤️ #kidlit
Travis Jonker has built The Ultimate Caldecott Database. Yes, it includes the Medal and Honor winners since 1938, but it’s also a searchable resource with: Illustrator demographics, Artistic mediums, Publisher information, Page/word counts, and more.
100scopenotes.com/2026/04/16/t...
We have now held our first two Hangouts, both of which were fun for us and informative for those attending, and there is still room to sign up for the third and beyond...
Some days, writing feels like wrestling an alligator.
Author Scams
How do you identify and avoid author scams?
#kidlitlinkoftheday #kidlit #writing #writingtips
writersinthestormblog.com/2026/03/how-...
The president has used a loophole in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to get away with mass warrantless surveillance of Americans — and this week Congress will vote on whether to expand this power.
Tell Congress to vote NO at 833-946-2258.
Cover of the Daily Mail article. Headline reads: Elon Musk's social media platform X is pushing pornographic content to children as young as 13, study finds.
8 in 10 searches of common sexual terms on X, resulted in graphic content for 13-year-old accounts – including sexual acts and nudity, according to CCDH UK’s latest research.
Here's what you need to know 👇
Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2026: Jacqueline Woodson on the Global Majority and the Future of Children’s Publishing buff.ly/dng5W6L
I note that @hunderdown.bsky.social is a great source of news and commentary on so much of our biz. #kidlitchat
A Statement In Opposition to HR 7661 The freedom to speak and to read is a fundamental principle of the United States of America. That is why we have joined together — parents, students, educators, library workers, authors, free expression advocates, booksellers, and publishers — to stand in support of our nation’s school-aged children and teens and in opposition to H.R. 7661. H.R. 7661, if passed, will compel nationwide book censorship. It confuses obscenity with identity and stigmatizes vulnerable young people, particularly trans children and teens, based on who they are. It will continue to drain funding from our already underfunded schools and libraries. And it will threaten the creativity and critical thinking that are vital to education in the U.S.
Authors Against Book Bans has joined dozens of other organizations, nonprofits, publishers, & stores to issue this joint statement opposing HR7661
Thanks for sharing, Debbie!
DELICIOUSNESS!!
Enter to win this fruit- and family-filled picture book from @feedingmindspress.bsky.social that teaches children about the science of grafting and apple growing!
APPLES FOR ALL is out on April 28th for ages 4-8.
#bookgiveaway #kidlit #stemforkids #applesforallbook @marypeterson.bsky.social
@eileenwrobinson.bsky.social @hunderdown.bsky.social and I are answering revision questions in our KBR+ FB Group. Take a look! #kidlit #YAlit
Canadian author-illustrator Jon Klassen has been named the laureate of the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world's largest prize for children's and young adult literature! #BCBF
Every trend has a saturation point.
By the time you've written, revised, and queried a book you didn't really care about, the window has usually closed anyway.
The book that keeps pulling you back--the idea that just won't leave you alone--that's the one worth finishing. #AmWriting #WritingLife
Did you know that Kids Book Revisions Plus has a Facebook Group? We're currently discussing our first Hangout, and some questions that people asked about revision.
You can see (and join, if you want) the Group here:
www.facebook.com/groups/kidsb...
I love this photo of astronaut Christina Koch looking back at Earth from Artemis II.
She's the first woman to see the full sphere of our beautiful planet.
Welcome home to the crew, and thank you for reminding us of all we can discover together.
This is a good, close look at the details of several very prevalent AI-driven writing scams (including contacts on Facebook, which is a major offender) and ways to unmask them feliciasalber.substack.com/p/scam-attac...
Well, this is just DELICIOUS!
It won’t solve the problem, but ensuring that book editors have ample time to thoroughly edit every single book on their lists would help. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/10/b...
New #WriterBeware blog post: An update on the Anthropic copyright settlement, now that the deadline for filing claims has passed, including how many claims there've been and an objection to the settlement that could change everything if approved writerbeware.blog/2026/04/10/a...
This is one of the best sites for keeping up with AI lawsuits, including this tracker map of cases in the USA and abroad chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/aicopyrightc...
Our weekly big list of kid lit links I up (April 10): kidlit411.com/2026/04/the-... Inside: How to Talk about Your Writing, What's Happening in Publishing, Key Publishing Paths, more. Thanks Julianna D'Angelo for the illustration, ABRAMS & @jlockettauthor1.bsky.social for the giveaways.
This newsletter about the difference between "idea" and "concept" is about documentary filmmaking, but it 100% applies to books, especially picture books. Super smart, and now I have three more films I want to see: lennypane.substack.com/p/ideas-are-...
In honor of Earth Day on April 22, PW gathered a selection of books for young readers that invite them to learn more about the world around them and advocate for the environment buff.ly/GeYJn93
Ugh - but necessary. Dammit!
