The Weekly 411 (4/10/26)
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| © Julianna D'Angelo |
April 10, 2026 vol. 15
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 Julianna D'Angelo.
Publishing News
Middle Grade is "Dead" and Why I Think That's Good News (Vicky Weber)
Middle Grade Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the middle grade novel, Where Ella Went by Laurie Morrison (ABRAMS Amulet) out on April 14. Enter to win a copy via the widget below.
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| art by Carol Garcia; design by Deena Micah Fleming |
About the Book: A clever, funny multimedia mystery from author Laurie Morrison, about soccer teammates trying to solve the disappearance of their beloved team captain—and facing a few secrets of their own. Told in recordings, letters, texts, journal entries, and emails, Where Ella Went is a funny and absorbing slice-of-life mystery about friendship, teamwork, and the pressures of being in middle school.
About the Author: Laurie Morrison is a middle school language arts teacher who lives in Philadelphia. She is the coauthor of Every Shiny Thing, and she is the author of Up for Air, Saint Ivy, Coming Up Short, and Keeping Pace. Laurie received her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Picture Book Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, My Life as an Asthmanaut, by Jake Lockett, illustrated by Adriana Predoi (Free Spirit Publishing) out on April 14. Enter to win a copy via the widget below.
About the Book: In My Life as an Asthmanaut, a young boy explains what it’s like to live with asthma. When an asthma attack occurs, Jacob feels like an astronaut floating off to outer space― with an empty air tank. Sometimes outer space is lonely―Jacob can’t always join his family and friends when they exercise or play outside during allergy season. But he has tools to manage his asthma. He stays calm as he reaches for his inhaler to refill his air tank. He counts to 10 and comes back down to earth, where he can breathe easily, surrounded by people who love him. And when Jacob sees someone else who’s low on air, he helps them find solid ground too.
About the Author: Jake Lockett writes books and stories for children. His short stories for young readers have appeared in Smarty Pants Kids, Skipping Stones, and Spider. Jake enjoys learning about space, exploring nature, building Lego sets, and watching movies on his home theater projector. He resides in the forested Allegheny Mountains, where the night skies are clear and blanketed with countless stars!
About the Illustrator: Adriana Predoi grew up in Romania, where she studied mural art in high school and went on to earn her BA in fine art. After graduating, she started working as a freelance illustrator, and she now focuses on children's illustration. Adriana works mainly digitally, and her style is whimsical, with a touch of magic. She draws inspiration from plants, nature, and best of all, books. In her free time, she loves reading fiction, writing stories for children, and dreaming of publishing her own picture book.
Marketing & Creating a Platform
When You Know How to Talk About Your Writing Everything Opens Up
What Bookstores Want From Traditional Publishers--and How the Bookstore Market Has Changed
Key Book Publishing Paths 2025-2025 (Jane Friedman's chart)
What Nobody is Telling Querying Writers About What's Happening in Publishing Now
May 4-May 31 Asian Voices in Children’s Literature, cosponsored by Free Spirit Publishing and Sambasivan & Parikh.
- What: submit original children's books for ages 0-4 (50-125 words), or for ages 4-8 (300-1000 words) which must feature authentic, realistic characters of Asian heritage
- Who: authors of Asian heritage
- Prizes: cash prizes ($1000, $500, and $300) plus serious consideration for publication (not guaranteed)
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