Thank you to the nearly 1,500 people who made our inaugural Children’s Book Changemakers Event such a huge success. It was a true pleasure to bring together our lively, passionate community for an evening of thoughtful discussion.
As a reminder, the lineup included:
-A keynote conversation between iconic racial justice activist and author Ruby Bridges and SCBWI co-founder Lin Oliver
-Henry Winkler on the importance of representing learning challenges in children’s literature
-A remarkable conversation between teen free speech activists and Ellen Hopkins, the most banned author in America (read more about that story in Publishers Weekly)
-A reading from the incredible Tami Charles
-Therapist and author Tara Michener’s announcement of a new resource, Books About Bullying
-The announcement of the Charlotte and Wilbur Award for Compassion for Animals
It was an amazing event and we couldn’t have done it without you. If you missed the live event, we have a recording available on our website.
ILF Taps Seasoned Authors to Mentor Debut Authors through the Latinx KidLit Book Festival
This year, one of the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund’s microgrants sponsored the debut author school visit mentorship program provided by the groundbreaking Latinx Kidlit Book Festival. With the money provided by ILF, three debut authors will embark on their first school visits to promote their books.
Four seasoned children’s book authors will mentor the debut authors on the art of the school visit.
The winning authors are:
Ari Tison, a young adult novelist whose debut novel Saints of the Household crafts a slow-burning drama about families, abuse, and recovery. Holly Thompson will mentor Ari.
Letisha Marrero’s debut middle grade novel Salsa Magic tells the tale of Maya Beatriz Montenegro Calderon and her connection to her unusual family. It comes out in August 2023. Marilyn Salerno and Joan Broerman will mentor Letisha.
Gabriella Aldeman’s debut picture book, Paula’s Patches, comes out on July 11th, 2023. Paula's Patches is a wonderful starting point for discussions of consumerism, throwaway culture, and fast fashion. Denise Vega will mentor Gabriella.
Congratulations to these remarkable authors!
And thank you to SCBWI ILF steering committee members Federico Erebia and Ismee Williams for spearheading this incredible partnership.
Books About Bullying
There are two weeks left to submit titles to the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund’s forthcoming resource, Books About Bullying.
The program’s website will provide books organized by Signe Whitson’s categories of rudeness, meanness, and bullying.
Rudeness: Inadvertently saying or doing something that hurts someone else.
Meanness: Purposefully saying or doing something to hurt someone once (or maybe twice).
Bullying: Intentionally aggressive behavior, repeated over time, that involves an imbalance of power.
A jury of experts including Signe Whitson, Tara Michener, and Allia McCoy will evaluate and curate recommended books to be included in the online resource available through the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund’s webpage later this year.
You can submit titles through this Google form.
As always, if any of these programs speak to you, make a donation to the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund today!