The Weekly 411 (3/6/26)
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| © Farnaz Nadim |
March 6, 2026 vol. 10
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. We can also be found on Bluesky. This week's illustration is by Farnaz Nadim.
Publishing News & Commentary
AI Editorial Feedback is Getting Better. But Should You Use It?
Board Book Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the board book, Chess for Babies, by Levy Rozman (Ten Speed Young Readers), out now. Enter to win a copy via the widget below.
About the Book: Chess for Babies is an adorable board book that introduces little ones to the basics of chess: the names of the pieces, how they move, and what it takes to win. With bold, high-contrast illustrations designed to support a baby’s developing vision and growing mind, this charming little book is both brainy and beautiful. Whether you're raising the next grandmaster or just want something smart for story time, Chess for Babies is a perfect first move.
Simple, modern, and fresh graphics are appealing to hip parents while also being developmentally appropriate for babies and with the success of board books on complicated subjects like Quantum Physics for Babies; there is a clear appetite for sophisticated material for little ones!
About the Author: Levy is the world's most popular chess teacher on the internet with 5.9 million YouTube subscribers and 2 billion views across his channels. He has 1.1M followers on Twitch, 1.4M followers on Instagram, 1.5M on TikTok and 420K followers on X.
Middle Grade Graphic Novel Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the middle grade graphic novel, Harper Sharp: Kid Detective, by Jarrett Williams (Random House Graphic), out now. Enter to win a copy via the widget below.
About the Author-Illustrator: Jarrett Williams is a cartoonist who grew up in New Orleans and currently lives in Los Angeles. As a young child, his grandfather would regularly tell him to turn off the tv and read newspaper comic strips instead. This set him on the fun and adventurous path towards becoming an artist! Jarrett has worked on a bunch of comic books featuring heroes you might know and loves to create original stories like Harper Sharp! In his free time, he loves drinking coffee, playing chess & powering up in video games!
Harper Sharp giveawayVirtual Event
Books Across Borders, in partnership with the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY), will host Outstanding International Children’s Books: A Celebration, a free virtual event highlighting the 2026 USBBY Outstanding International Books list. The event will take place on Monday, March 16, 2026 at 8:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PST on Zoom. Registration is free and open to booksellers, librarians, educators, publishers, and readers. The panel will be moderated by Michael Reynolds of Europa Editions and will feature presentations by Susan Polos, President of USBBY; Jackie Garcia-Morales of The Storytellers Foundation; Laura Simeon of Kirkus Reviews; and Riky Stock of Frankfurter Buchmesse. There will be trivia and giveaways!
June 3- Aug 5 The Crash Course in Children's Book Publishing 2026 Join lead faculty Editor Harold Underdown and special guests Leah Henderson, Pamela Courtney, and agent and author Sera Rivers for a Crash Course in Children’s Publishing. At the end of this online course, you will have a better understanding of how the children’s book publishing industry works, including submitting, publishing, marketing a book for children, teens, or young adults, and beginning ideas about craft and critique.
Submissions: Agents & Editors.
What If Editors Don't Want Your Kind of Book Anymore?
Marketing & Creating a Platform
What Happens to Book Publicity Now?
Mar. 20 9 p.m. EST Writing an Irresistible Query Workshop (free) Let a former literary agent guide you through what an irresistible cover letter is—and isn’t—and how to pull yours off with style and flair. This workshop involves a presentation covering query basics and best practices. Then reader submissions are workshopped, with different genres, categories, and talking points each time.
Embodied Writing: How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Story
I'm very excited about the CHESS FIR BABIES book. My best friend just had her first baby and we were the only 2 girls in high school to compete for our team. This would make an excellent gift and bring back so many good memories.
ReplyDeleteChess for Babies will be fun to gift to new parents and Harper Sharp sounds fun with STEM included in the plot.
ReplyDeleteHarper Sharp sounds like a fantastic read for my family!
ReplyDeleteMy kids would love that graphic novel!
ReplyDelete