WOW…just…WOW! Today is launch day for my newest book, PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, the First Woman to Cycle Around the World, brilliantly illustrated by Alison Jay and published by the fabulous team at Calkins Creek/Astra headed by my amazing editor, Carolyn Yoder.
Teddy Bears! I’ll bet just about all of us have had at least one. And today, children still hold them close to their hearts – in times of joy and in moments of sadness or fear. But how and when did these cuddly stuffed toys come about? Great question…and the answer lies in Nancy Churnin’s upcoming picture book, A TEDDY BEAR FOR EMILY…And President Roosevelt, Too! And TODAY we are revealing the cover and posting pre-order links.
Hurray! It’s almost time for the #50PreciousWords 2024 International Writing Contest.
Some of you have been participating since the beginning. But others are here for the first time. So, I’d like to share a bit about the back story of this contest.
In 2012 I had a dream. I wanted to write picture books. One of the most important things I did was to participate in writing challenges like Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 and all of Susanna Hill’s contests. Why was that important? Because it got me writing. It got me revising. It got me submitting. Hmmm….writing/revising/submitting. I believe that if we do those three things enough times, our writing improves and agents and editors get a chance to see our work. And as much as I am thrilled with my own success, nothing makes me happier than to hear about the success of others in our kid-lit community.
When I first got the idea for this contest back in 2016, I thought a few of my friends might take pity on me and submit a story – to my surprise, there were 128 entries.
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 