Tag Archives: Sleeping Bear Press

Will Write for Cookies: LINDSAY LESLIE Plus Giveaway

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WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS, ILLUSTRATORS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS,
AND BOOK LOVERS EVERYWHERE

TODAY’S GUEST

LINDSAY LESLIE

I’ve known today’s guest quite a few years. We first met virtually, as most of us in the kid lit world do…on social media, in Facebook groups, and perhaps at an online class or webinar. But in 2018, we were part of a debut picture book group, New in 19…and we formed a panel, along with Monica Fields, Ishta Mercurio, Bea Birdsong, and a few others to put together a panel proposal for NCTE Conference that was going to take place in Baltimore that next November. Luckily, our proposal was accepted…and, although I dragged my feet booking a hotel room and found myself without a spot to stay, Lindsay was amazing and offered to let me room with her! She’s the BEST!

And so, when I heard that Lindsay has a NEW book, GUS HEARTS THE BUS, coming out in just a few days, I just had to let everyone know about it. She’s a fabulous person…and a fabulous writer.

Lindsay Leslie is the award-winning author of So You Want to Build a Library (Capstone), Dusk Explorers, Nova the Star Eater, This Book is Spineless (Page Street Kids), and Rock & Moss: The Physics of Friendship (Kiwi Co.). Her next picture book, GUS HEARTS THE BUS (illus. by Geeta Ladi), hits the shelves on July 1, 2025, with Sleeping Bear Press. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, sci-fi/fantasy/horror novelist Ryan Leslie, two teenagers, and two fur-beasts (a.k.a. dogs). Visit her at lindsayleslie.com.
Website: www.lindsayleslie.com
IG: @lindsaylesliewrites
Threads: @lindsaylesliewrites
Bluesky: @lindsayleslie.bsky.social

Geeta Ladi is a passionate picture book illustrator who began her creative journey working with children to address learning challenges in math and science. For over a decade, she designed learning toys, led creativity camps, and used storytelling to simplify complex concepts. These experiences led her to illustrate picture books, including the award-winning My Brain Is Magic by Prasha Sooful. Based in Chennai, India, Geeta loves to travel and draw people and architecture.

IG: @geetaladi_illustration

ME: And now that we know a little bit about our guest and her illustrator, let’s welcome Lindsay! Lindsay, thank you so much for stopping by to chat with us. And thank you for the generous giveaway of a copy of GUS HEARTS THE BUS…note to blog followers: please make sure you leave a comment at the end of the post for a chance to win…and please share the post on your social media for extra tickets in the giveaway hat. And now…for our chat with Lindsay!
Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

LINDSAY: It’s a joy to be here, Vivian. I have a hard time reaching back to when I was reading picture books as a young kiddo, but know I loved them! The only ones that come forward in my memory, which makes me assume they were my favorites, were the Sweet Pickle series. I remember reaching for Stork Spills the Beans, Very Worried Walrus, and Zip Goes Zebra a lot. When I got a little older, my favorite authors were Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Roald Dahl, and Shel Silverstein. My GOATs!

ME: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started writing?

LINDSAY: That Twitter would blow up? I jest, but not really. I invested a lot of time building a wonderful community there filled with writers and authors across the world, and I enjoyed the heck out of it in its prime. But then, we know how that story goes. I’m still struggling to find that same feel with the other social media offerings, and I’m also more than a bit exhausted with social media. Raise your hand if you agree! Also, I had great connections via Facebook only to have a hacker come through my linked Instagram account and lock me out of my Facebook account. I couldn’t regain control and had to restart, so goodbye to that community. I guess what I’m trying to say here is, social media will come and go. Find your community in other ways and hold them dear. I’m so glad to have my awesome critique group, my local SCBWI chapter, 12×12, and my writerly husband, plus the connections I’ve made over the years that I foster the best I can. Surrounding yourself with wonderful and talented writers is the best thing you can do. You will learn so much and have fun along the way. 

ME: Where do you like to write – inside, outside, special room, laptop, pen and paper?

LINDSAY: I’m a fan of my office, which I recently repainted a deep teal. The room is so moody and snuggly, which makes me feel ready to write. When I get to writing, I love pencil and paper, specifically—a really sharp Ticonderoga and a pad that flips top to bottom rather than a spiral notebook.

ME: When do you write – early morning, late in the day, middle of the night, on schedule, as the muse strikes?

LINDSAY: I’m all over the place on this one. It’s mostly when I have the time coupled with when the mood strikes. Sounds not very productive, yes? And you’re right. I think this year I’m going to have a serious chat with myself and figure this out. A lot of this comes from the COVID years. It took my mental focus away. I also have an issue with having too much time and then getting complete paralysis as to what to do, so I do housework. Again, can anyone relate? 

ME: Why do you write for children?

LINDSAY: I have so many answers to this question, but the answer jumping out to me right now is I write for the child in my heart—the one who is taken with an idea, because I think there is a child out there who might be taken with it, too. With my most recent book, GUS HEARTS THE BUS, illustrated by the talented Geeta Ladi, I became fascinated with childhood passions. They are like a first love. They take over your mind and space as a child, and there’s nothing more precious. I also believe that those passions tell a child a lot about themselves and what might be down the road for them. So, that idea became my passion, and I had to write the story. 

ME: Also, if you have any thoughts or advice for aspiring writers, please share. 

LINDSAY: Advice can be a double-edged sword. Just as I say when I give a critique, take what works for you and pitch the rest. So, what I would say is don’t believe the hype. Yep. When folks say, agents are looking for author-only clients or this market is sooooo tough. You know what? Just move forward and keep trying. Read all the picture books (current, yes, believe this hype). Be a keen observer and write down your ideas in a notepad. Create a writing process that works for you, because we are all different and that’s a wonderful thing. If you can’t find your way with a particular story, put it away and give it time. Build up your tolerance to rejection, because it’s going to happen when you are pre-agented and after. Don’t let rejection stop you from doing what you love, as that would be such a disservice to yourself and your future readers. And be the most persistent (but kind and considerate) person ever, as that will move the needle. 

ME: Oh my goodness! Lindsay, thank you so much for sharing so much of your journey…with such honesty and authenticity. Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired you to write this story and/or any humorous incident and/or challenging moment on the path to publication?

LINDSAY: I love the inspiration for this story, because it was my son, Mars! When Mars was about five, we took him (and his younger brother) on a city bus for the first time, so we could go explore downtown Austin. From the moment we stepped on that bus, something lit up inside Mars. He became fascinated. What happens in GUS HEARTS THE BUS happened in real life, for the most part. I, of course, took writerly liberties. Now that Mars is 17, I see how his passion for buses has evolved and where it might lead him. I know that so many kids will see themselves in GUS, whether they love buses, too, or they can relate to having such a passion. Also, the way I wrote GUS pulls from Mac Barnett’s The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown (artfully illustrated by Sarah Jacoby). I built in a lot of room for children to ask themselves questions and think about themselves as they listen or read the story. I would love nothing more for a young reader to connect some dots as they read GUS. 

ME: You are the best! So I’ll keep on going…do you have anything else you want to talk about that parents, educators, writers, librarians might want to hear. 🙂

LINDSAY: I recently read an article that highlighted a study commissioned by HarperCollins UK regarding parents losing the love of reading to their young children, and it was like a dagger piercing my heart. Here’s the news release: https://corporate.harpercollins.co.uk/press-releases/new-research-reveals-that-parents-are-losing-the-love-of-reading-aloud/. Following are some results of the study quoted directly from the release:

  • Fewer than half of parents of children up to 13 years old say reading aloud to children is “fun for me”. Gen Z parents, who grew up with technology themselves, are significantly more likely than Millennials or Gen X to view reading as “more a subject to learn” rather than a fun or enriching activity.
  • Almost one in three (29%) children aged 5–13 think reading is “more a subject to learn than a fun thing to do”, up from 25% in 2022. This growing association of reading with pressure rather than pleasure is contributing to disengagement.
  • More than one in five boys (22%) aged 0-2 are rarely or never read to. Only 29% of boys in this age group are read to daily, compared to 44% of girls, underscoring early disparities in exposure to books.

I have so many thoughts and questions about these findings, but I can’t pretend to know everyone’s situation, and it’s unfair to generalize or conjecture. But what I do know is my lived experience as a parent. I found such joy in reading to my boys. At first, I made up my own (shortened) stories to go with the illustrations of board books and picture books, as my kiddos only had so much attention to give. Then, I loved reading all the words verbatim and acting out the various characters while pointing to the pictures together. Then, I loved reading chapter and middle grade books to them, sharing in the delight of what’s-going-to-happen-next and the anticipation of being able to read another chapter. And to this day (my kids are now 15 and 17), I love talking about the books we read and reminiscing about the times we did read together, because they remember. All of this reading together impacted them in ways I see and ways I won’t ever see, because it’s hidden in the fabric of their being. Reading books to your kiddos is love. Goodness, I hope this trend turns around. 

ME: I hope so, too! Lindsay, this has been fabulous…and I know you are not done yet because this is Will Write for Cookies and I know you have a wonderful recipe to share with us…so, take it away, dear friend.

LINDSAY: OK, so I’m not doing a cookie recipe. Eek! Since I am an ex-pie company owner, I probably should offer up a pie recipe and my never-fail crust recipe. Here’s one of my favorites

Tart Cherry Pie

Crust (Makes two):

3 cups of all-purpose, unbleached flour (King Arthur is the absolute best)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup of vegetable shortening
1 stick of refrigerated unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized cubes
9 tablespoons ice water

Combine flour, sugar, salt, vegetable shortening and butter into the food processor. Pulse ten times, one second for each pulse. Add three tablespoons of ice water, then turn on the processor for 10 seconds. Add three more tablespoons of ice water and turn on processor for 10 more seconds. You might need to shake the food processor a bit. Add three more tablespoons of ice water and turn on the food processor. Wait for the dough to become one large clump. Divide the dough in half, flatten each into a disc and cover with foil; refrigerate. 

Filling:

2 – 14.5 oz cans of tart cherries in water (This is important. Don’t get the cherries in syrup or pre-made filling)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup of cornstarch 
1/8 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Drain cherries and reserve the liquid. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Turn on medium/low heat and stir in cherry liquid. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and let simmer until thickened. Add butter, almond extract and cherries.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Add filling. Place in oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 and place a sheet of foil over the pie to protect the crust from burning. Continue to bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

This looks like the PERFECT summer pie…maybe some of you will try it for your 4th of July picnic or BBQ. Meanwhile, we are all grateful to Lindsay for sharing so much insight and love with us…and for her generous offer of a giveaway of a copy of GUS HEARTS THE BUS when it launches on July 1st from Sleeping Bear Press. Of course, you probably don’t want to wait to see if you are the one lucky winner…so you can preorder from her favorite indy bookstore, and get a SIGNED copy delivered to you as soon as it launches. Here is the preorder/order info:
Sales order links:

****Preorder via Lindsay’s local indie BookPeople and get your book personalized! https://bookpeople.com/book/9781534113282 ****

IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/gus-hearts-the-bus/110e671bbb487f52?ean=9781534113282&next=t

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1534113282

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gus-hearts-the-bus-lindsay-leslie/1146882319?ean=9781534113282

Okay…like Porky Pig used to say, “That’s all folks!”
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a fabulous 4th of July week!

Cover Reveal: ROLLIN’ ON DOWN THE LINE: Lady Bird Johnson’s 1964 Whistle-Stop Tour for Civil Rights

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What a special post we have today! It’s a Cover Reveal…and you all know how much I love those! It’s our first look at someone’s new book baby…made even more delightful because co-authors Helen Kampion and Reneé Lyons stopped by to share a bit about themselves and the story behind the story.

But first…here’s a first peek at the awesome cover – and take note of the shiny Junior Library Guild seal…congratulations to the whole team that created this beautiful book!

Launching from Sleeping Bear Press on July 1, 2024

What a beautiful cover!!!

You know, in 1964, I was starting my sophomore year of college…many of us were still reeling from the assassination of John F. Kennedy…and the country was experiencing the first draft card burning to protest our involvement in the Vietnam War, the Beatles had arrived, and President Lyndon Johnson had signed the Civil Rights Act.

And here’s a little bit about the co-authors:

Helen Kampion finally pursued her dream of writing for children after a career in high-tech sales. With an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College, she began writing poetry, picture books, and middle-grade novels. Helen’s interest in history and strong women led her to co-author a picture about Lady Bird Johnson’s courage and grit. She lives in Wayland, Massachusetts.

Reneé Lyons’ mother always said would be a writer; as a youth, she wrote on everything—the coffee table, the walls, even the lamp shades! Reneé took this prediction to heart. Now, as a creative writer (with an MFA from Vermont College) and a professor of librarianship/children’s literature at East Tennessee State University, Reneé finds that little-known points of history inspire her creative bent, as does traversing the Blue Ridge hills of North Carolina, her family home for more than 250 years. She lives in Boone, North Carolina.

And here’s a little bit about the illustrator:
Erin McGuire is an illustrator of many books for children, including several other picture book biographies of powerful women: Alabama Spitfire: The Story of Harper Lee by Bethany Hegedus (HarperCollins), and her author/illustrator debut biography of Rose Valland, The Spy in the Museum (Simon and Schuster). For the past ten years she’s been the cover artist for the Nancy Drew Diaries book series and has taught and lectured internationally. Erin lives near Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and son.

And lucky us…we get to see the flap copy for Rollin’ on Down the Line; Lady Bird Johnson’s 1964 Whistle-Stop Tour for Civil Rights
The year 1964 was a turbulent time in America. After years of racial struggle, in July of that
year, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. This law, declaring that all citizens were equal, outlawed racial segregation. Many Americans cheered this legislation, yet some did not. Many Southerners despised it and worried about what it meant for their traditions and way of life. With the upcoming November presidential election, President Johnson was advised not to campaign in the South due to the threats of violence since the signing of the new law.
But someone needed to visit the citizens in the South and explain why the new law was
necessary and good for the entire country. Born in Texas, First Lady Claudia Alta Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson was from the South and understood its people and customs. Despite her fear of public speaking and threats to her own safety, Lady Bird undertook a train tour to reach out to her fellow citizens and Southerners. This is the true story of her historic Whistle-Stop Tour, making almost fifty stops through eight Southern States in four days.


Points of interest:
-July 1, 2024 is the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act
-2024 is a campaign year
-Lady Bird’s campaign trip was the first time a First Lady had ever campaigned without her husband.

And now we’ll hear from Helen and Renee who were kind enough to stop by and share a bit about the path to publication for this book.
ME: Welcome, Helen and Renee. Thank you so much for making time to come by.
What inspired both of you to write this book?

Helen: Thank you so much, Vivian, for providing a platform for us to spread the word about the book. Renee is what I call a “history hoarder.” She loves history, reads it voraciously, and squirrels away little-known facts. When she came upon Lady Bird’s Whistle-Stop Tour, she knew someone had to tell the story. She told me about it, I researched Lady Bird’s tour, and immediately agreed. So, we both hopped on board the Lady Bird Special and after months of research, wrote the story of Lady Bird’s bravery, grit, and determination.

ME: What was difficult about writing the story?

Renee: Though kids love adventure, and a train trip certainly is a quintessential adventure, Lady Bird’s train story is also full of REAL danger – rumors of snipers and bomb threats! We needed to speak to such danger to show the extraordinary bravery exhibited by Lady Bird during the Whistle-Stop Tour. Our difficulty arose in writing about these threats, all the while making sure we focused primarily on Lady Bird’s character. We didn’t want to scare the reader in anyway, thus we had to write about the bomb threat using a “lighter” mood and tone. We worked on this part of the story longer and harder than any other!

This book looks like one I need to add to my collection. And friends, I hope you feel the same way. We can help new books become a success by
Buying them
Here are two Links to pre-order:
Silver Unicorn
https://www.silverunicornbooks.com/item/S1SjsBJkMZIca-CMZxWe0Q
Bookmarks https://www.bookmarksnc.org/search/site/Rollin%20on%20Down%20the%20Line

We can also review them
Add them to our Goodreads Want to Read Shelf
Tell friends about the book
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

Thank you all for spending your precious moments with us.
Speaking of precious, I’m up to distributing prize #30…so we are moving right along. Thank you for your patience. And, thanks to the lovely Judie Offerdahl who created our awesome #50PreciousWords badges, I now have an updated flyer for the #50PreciousWordsforKids International Writing Challenge which happens during Children’s Book Week, May 6-10. If you know any kids (of any age up to age 18), please encourage them to write a story in 50 words or less – parents and/or teachers can email the stories to me (viviankirkfield@gmail.com). I’ll create a Heads-up post this week and share it on social media – what a wonderful way to encourage our young people to get in touch with their storyteller soul.
But right now, let’s share this post to spread the word about ROLLIN’ DOWN THE LINE!

Happy Book Birthday AND Perfect Picture Book Friday: JUST FLOWERS

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Sometimes a book comes along that is so inclusive, I want to HUG the author and illustrator! And guess what? This brand-new, just-launched-today book by author Erin Dealey and illustrator Kate Cosgrove is exactly that! Each page BURSTS with individuals who have long been marginalized…and they appear in the most natural and organic of ways – huge congratulations to the publisher, Sleeping Bear Press, for giving the world such a beautiful and much-needed book!

I hope you’ll join me in a rousing Happy Birthday to You for JUST FLOWERS!

JUST FLOWERS

Written by Erin Dealey

Illustrated by Kate Cosgrove

Published by Sleeping Bear Press

Ages: 4-8

Themes:

Synopsis from Amazon:
Izzy’s new neighbor is a bit of a grump–though they are both botanically inclined. When the neighbor discovers unwanted flowers–again and again–in his precious rose garden, he bids Izzy to take them away. Izzy does–and uses the blooms to brighten someone else’s day. Before long, the town is bursting with Izzy’s flowers. The grumpy neighbor doesn’t see the fuss. “They’re JUST FLOWERS!” he yells. “Just flowers” that brought joy and color to everyone in town. Can Izzy finally get that neighbor to accept the bloom of friendship? Back matter includes a seek-and-find and information on the flowers mentioned in the book.

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love stories that encourage children to have hope and share kindness.
2. I love stories that burst with inclusivity – important characters and characters in leadership roles have all types of disabilities – we see the principal has a prosthetic leg, a child in a wheelchair – and are of all nationalities and colors and genders.
3. I love stories that are filled with fabulous art – the illustrations are so joyful – even the grumpy old neighbor!

RELATED ACTIVITIES:
Flower Crafts for Kids

Photo courtesy: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/52654/21-flower-crafts-for-kids/

Check out this link for detailed instructions on 25 awesome flower craft activities for kids: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/52654/21-flower-crafts-for-kids/

And please remember that the best way to help beautiful books become a success is to:
Buy them
Review them
Add them to your Goodreads Want to Read Shelf
Tell friends about them (please share this post on your social media
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us. Speaking about precious…
we are still working our way through all 672 awesome contest submissions…not sure if another week will do it…but I’ll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, I spoke to Cassie at The Bookery bookstore in Manchester. She says she has about 70 books in the #50PreciousWords pile. Thank you to all who have purchased books! And I also have about 30 books that have been mailed to me by authors…plus about 50 books sent to me from publishers which I plan to add to the pile.

Of course, I’m hoping we are not done – please remember there are kids out there whose lives will change because of the books they read in their classroom or school library – and with the Literacy Initiative, we are helping to provide those books. If you participated in #50PreciousWords and haven’t ordered a book yet but are able to now, here is the bookstore online website: https://www.shopbookerymht.com/
And here is their phone number if you prefer to order with a person: (603) 836-6600
Maybe someone will order JUST FLOWERS! Or CHRISTMAS AHOY! Or DEAR EARTH: FROM YOUR FRIENDS IN ROOM 5 or some of Erin Dealey’s other fabulous books!

And here is a link to the latest PW issue that features a Q&A celebrating Women’s History Month – I think you’ll recognize at least one of the authors! I’m honored to join such an A-list group.

Have a wonderful weekend, dear friends. And remember the message of JUST FLOWERS! Please share beauty and kindness. The Universe needs to be fed positive energy – and that energy comes from us.