The Weekly 411 (6/11/21)

© Gracey Zhang

 June 11, 2021 vol. 24

The Weekly 411 gathers all the links added to Kidlit411 each week. To receive this post by email, sign up for our email updates. Are you on Facebook? Join our Kidlit411 group for conversations & camaraderie. This week's illustration is by Gracey Zhang.

Author Spotlights

We are pleased to feature author Jasper Sanchez and his debut YA novel, The (Un)Popular Vote (Harpercollins June 1, 2012). Enter to win a copy!

Cover artist is Max Wittert. Designer is David DeWitt.

We are excited to feature author Yvette Clark and her debut middle-grade novel, Glitter Gets Everywhere (HarperCollins, May 2021). Enter to win a copy!

 

illustrator: Oriol Vidal; designer: Jessie Gang

We are pleased to feature author-illustrator Gracey Zhang and her debut picture book, Lala's Words: A Story of Planting   (Scholastic), coming out July 6. Enter to win a copy!

Picture Book Giveaway

We are excited to host a giveaway of the picture book Milo's Moonlight Mission, by Kathleen M. Blasi, illustrated by Petronela Dostalova (YeeHoo Press) out on June 15. Enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below!

 

About the book: Outer space is out there for exploring, and Captain Milo is ready for takeoff! If only he didn’t have to wait for his Second-in-Command—or as he also calls her, Mom—to report for duty. Yet Mom’s list of daily tasks grows ever longer, and she can’t launch until they’re done. So, like any good captain, Milo offers to help! Work? Check. Dinner? Check. Cleanup? Check. When the weather forecast predicts a middle-of-the-night meteor storm, Captain Milo wants desperately to witness it. But will his Second-in-Command have enough time to accomplish this magical mission with him?

In lyrical prose and charming illustrations, Kathleen M. Blasi and Petronela Dostalova capture how the most spectacular night skies are revealed when we plan for the perfect moment—with loved ones by our sides. This heartwarming tale is perfect for space fans and young budding astronauts!

About the Author: Kathleen Blasi writes books for young readers, including Hosea Plays On (illustrated by Shane W. Evans), A Name of Honor, and Are Organized Sports Better for Kids than Pickup Games? Active in the children’s writing community, Kathleen has served as Co-President of Rochester Area Children’s Writers & Illustrators and is former Co-Director of the Rochester Children’s Book Festival, for which she and her Co-Director received the 2015 New York State Reading Association Literacy Advocate Award. Kathleen lives in western New York, where, along with writing, she enjoys fostering the curiosity of young storytellers. Visit her at kmblasi.com.

About the Illustrator: Petronela Dostalova graduated from the Cambridge School of Art with a MA in Children’s Book Illustration. Before the MA she was studying Fine Arts at the University of East Anglia. In 2015 her children’s book The Reds and Greens was highly commended for the Creative Conscience Award. The project promoted equality. Petronela comes from a Czech-Slovak-Hungarian background but decided to nest into the heart of Suffolk where she currently lives and works with her partner and their dog Haribo. If you don’t find her drawing at her desk, she will be out traveling or cycling somewhere. She likes to be near, in, on, or underwater at any time of the day except when she is drawing–she is still working on a way to be able to do these things at the same time. Visit her at https://www.petroneladostalova.co.uk/. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For Writers

Rules Schmules: Don't Follow the Rules, Tell a Good Story

Plotting & Pacing

4 Keys to Writing Un-Put-Down-Able Middle-Grade Adventure

Writing in Different Children’s Book Genres and Categories

Marketing & Creating a Platform

Grooving 22s: The Picture Book Krewe:  Traditionally published picture book authors and illustrators with picture books coming out in 2022

Picture Books

Writing for Kids: How to Write Funny Stories

Adding Humor to Children's Stories

Picture Books That Show Character Change

Middle Grade

How to Write a Middle-Grade Novel

6 Golden Rules of Writing Middle Grade

Note to email subscribers: beginning in July 2021, we will be switching to a different email provider for the feed from this website. Hopefully, it will be seamless on your end. In July, we will send around a new email sign up link in case you want to receive this post each Friday in your in box. Thanks for all your support!