The Weekly 411 (11/17/23)

© Brian Kirby

 Nov. 17, 2023 vol. 46

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 and camaraderie. This week's illustration is by Brian Kirby.

Picture Book Giveaway

We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, Our Wish for You, by Dano Moreno, illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke (Charlesbridge 2023). Enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below!

About the Book: A birth mother is pregnant and wants to find parents to adopt the child. Eventually she finds two men who will be just the right parents, because they, too, share her same wish for the child’s life to be full of love and family. Author Dano Moreno drew from his and his husband’s experience with open adoption to write a gentle, universal story about all the hopes, dreams, and wishes parents have for their children. 

3. Author bio

About the Author: Dano Moreno began writing for children when he became a dad (or Dado, as his son likes to say). He is also the author of Hope for Ryan White. When not writing, Dano works as a public health advocate and enjoys time with his family in Portland, Oregon.

About the Illustrator: Ryan O’Rourke’s passion for art led him to a long career in creating books for children. He is the illustrator of Alphabet Trucks; Up! Up! Up! Skyscraper; Night, Night, Curiosity; and many others. Ryan lives in Amherst, New Hampshire and is an Associate Professor of Illustration at the Institute of Art and Design at New England College.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Picture Book Giveaway

We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, Our World: China, by Sonju Ma Daemicke, illustrated by Jam Dong (Barefoot Books 2023). Enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below! 

 

About the Book:  Hello, Nǐ hǎo! Let's spend a day in China! Fly kites in the square, buy sweet lychee at the market, and go paddle boating at the lake.

About the Author: SONGJU MA DAEMICKE, a former software engineer with Motorola, is an award-winning Chinese-American children's book author. Her book, Tu Youyou’s Discovery – Finding a Cure for Malaria, is a finalist for the 2023 SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books; Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant was a Best STEM book, among many other honors. Songju loves taking her family to visit her siblings in China, practicing Tai Chi, flying kites, and eating all kinds of delicious dumplings. Visit her website, Twitter and Instagram @SongjuDaemicke and on Facebook.

About the Illustrator:  Jam Dong is an illustrator and picture book author, who has been recognized by many influential awards around the world. Her works have been selected by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2020, 2021 and 2022. She was born and raised in Shanghai, China, and is currently based in Boston, USA.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For Writers

The Breakout Outline with a Twist

Writing Courses

Nov. 18, 1-5 p.m. EST Digging Even Deeper: Making Graphic Novels Intensive workshop for writers, illustrators, and writer-illustrators. Presented by Katherine Battersby, the workshop will focus on the craft of creating books for young people; specifically the complex but exciting world of making graphic novels, and will appeal to both beginners and more intermediate creators. Sponsored by SCBWI Canada East.

Dec. 9, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (MST) A Step-by-Step Guide to Breaking into the Educational Market. Learn about the opportunities the education market has for freelance authors! In this presentation Laura Perdew, an author with over ten years experience writing for the education market, provides a step-by-step guide to breaking into this market including how to approach educational publishers and generate a writing sample (even if you are pre-published). She will also discuss how to choose assignments, research topics, write to assigned specs and reading levels, revise according to editorial feedback, and keep records. Presented by SCBWI Rocky Mountain.

Freelance Editors & Critques

Rate Your Story is currently open for 2024 Membership, which runs 1/3/24 - 11/30/24.  RYS provides honest Ratings and Feedback on Kidlit Manuscripts from traditionally-published authors who write in the genre. In addition, we feature 11 Plus Crafty Webinars, Guest Gurus, Help Desks, Mentor Text Talks and more! If you can't attend live, replays for events and book chats are available all year so you don't have to miss out on the fun and learning. For both new writers and published authors. Limited slots available. 

Diversity in Kid Lit

Indigenous Reads Rising - site run by We Need Diverse Books to support teachers, librarians, and readers to highlight books for and about Native, First Nations, and indigenous communities

 

Conferences, Workshops & Retreats

Feb. 9-11 Annual SCBWI New York conference Come and be inspired by renowned authors and illustrators, learn about the state of the children's book publishing industry from panels of agents, editors and art directors, dive deep into your craft with TWO three-hour Creative Labs, and get your work in front of industry professionals! 

 

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