The Weekly 411 (5/22/26)
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| © Marie Banville |
May 22, 2026 vol. 21
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 Mary Banville.
We're pleased to host a giveaway of the chapter book, You're So Brave, Gracie Wei by Kristen Mei Chase, illustrated by Basia Tran (Knopf Books for Young Readers) out now. Enter to win a copy via the widget below.
About the Book: Gracie Wei has grown an entire inch over summer and she’s positively sure she’s ready for the Zipper—the coolest ride at the Spin City Spectacular Carnival. The big night finally comes, and Gracie is having a blast with her BFFs, eating cotton candy and going on all the rides—but before the girls can make it to the Zipper, they take a detour to the haunted house. Gracie tries to be brave and go along with her friends but she’s running in the opposite direction before the first “boo!” Gracie knows that best friends like all of the same things, at least according to Keira Patel. Has Gracie lost her BFFs because she’s too afraid? Or can their friendship survive the haunted house fiasco?
About the Author: Kristen Mei Chase is an author and essayist known for her writing about family life, relationships, and the complex realities of modern motherhood. Her books include her debut novel, A Thousand Miles to Graceland, her debut children’s picture book We Are American, Too, and her debut children’s chapter book series, Gracie Wei. Kristen’s work balances humor with emotional depth, bringing cultural nuance to her storytelling that is inspired by her own experiences as a multiracial Asian American woman. Along with writing, Kristen can be found driving around her four kids, and taking care of two dogs, one lizard, and a very loud bird in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
About the Illustrator: Basia Tran is a Polish-Vietnamese children's book illustrator based in Jersey City, NJ, where she lives with her husband Evan, baby Naomi, and puppy Latke. With graphite and pixes she creates illustrations that share her love of lore and laughter. Other times, she explores the world, visiting family, bouldering gyms, and indulging in local cuisines and teas.
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the middle grade graphic novel, History's Greatest Games: Lionel Messi's World Cup Triumph, byChris Barish, illustrated by Nate Sweitzer (Abrams Books). Enter to win a copy via the widget below.
About the Book: This thrilling new nonfiction graphic novel series offers a front row seat to the greatest moments in sports history, starting with Lionel Messi and his triumph in the 2022 FIFA World Cup against French superstar Kylian Mbappé. It’s the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, and Lionel Messi—one of the greatest players to ever take the field—is one match away from victory. Despite his many awards and accolades, Messi has never been able to add a World Cup trophy to his collection. If Argentina wins, this would be a historic moment not just for the country, but for the entire legacy of soccer on the international stage.
About the Author: When Chris Barish is not reading about sports or history, he’s writing about sports history. Much like the first person who ever put together the chocolate and the marshmallow, he realized that it was possible to combine his two favorite things to make an even cooler thing. Barish currently lives in New York with his family, in a house filled with sports gear, books, instruments and lots of muddy boots.
About the Illustrator: Nate Sweitzer became an illustrator shortly after he could hold a pencil. His work bridges the past and present, blending techniques from art history with fresh approaches from the digital world. He brings human stories to life with dynamic illustrations full of action, suspense, and striking perspectives. A lifelong fan of history and sports, Nate draws inspiration from the drama of real-life events and athletes competing at the highest level. He works out of his studio in New York, creating artwork for books, magazines, and posters. When he’s away from his desk, you’ll likely find him exploring the outdoors, watching sports, or stubbornly refusing to change his guitar strings.
PB Rising Stars Collective 🚨 BIG NEWS IN KIDLIT 🚨 After years of watching thousands of picture book creators apply to opportunities like PB Rising Stars, hoping to be chosen, Ebony Lynn Mudd wanted to build something different: a long-term support space where creators could finally choose themselves. Introducing the PB Rising Stars Collective, a brand new space giving picture book creators ongoing personalized 1:1 critique support, career strategy, publishing education, and community all in one place. For years, so many creators have been stuck trying to piece together publishing careers through scattered classes, temporary critique groups, generalized advice, and support that disappears the moment a workshop ends. Inside the Collective, creators receive personalized 1:1 critique support every 3 months from creators like Lian Cho, Andrea Wang, Shamar Knight-Justice, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, and more, plus personalized career and business strategy sessions, live MFA-level workshops for writers, illustrators, and author-illustrators, a growing 24/7 craft library, honest conversations about the REAL side of publishing, and long-term community and accountability designed to help creators actually move forward no matter where they are in their journey. We already have award-winning creators, agents from Starling Literary, and editors from major publishing houses like Penguin Random House involved, and the conversations inside the Collective have already been incredible, covering everything from how to know when you’re truly ready to query to the mindset shift of treating your creative work like a real business. Founding Member enrollment closes May 31st, and after that, founding perks disappear permanently, and enrollment will only reopen briefly each month for a limited number of creators. Click here to learn more and become a founding member here!
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A book on Messi would inspire some of my school’s more reluctant readers to pick up a book!
ReplyDeleteThe Messi book is perfect to read during the World Cup. The chapter book sounds like a great read for beginning middle grade readers.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to sharing this book about Messi!
ReplyDelete