Children's Lit Newsletter 3/20/2025

The Bay Area Kids Booksellers group had a wonderful idea and we're thrilled to be participating. The idea? Asking customers to Be The Reason Indie bookstores like ours survive, thrive, and do a great job serving our customers and communities. We're kicking off our first version of that campaign by working with Access Books Bay Area to help refurbish a local public school's library and stock it with wonderful books.

To do that we need YOUR HELP! Please click here to Be The Reason Underserved Children Discover Joy in Reading by purchasing gift cards that can be used to stock the library!

The overall purpose of the Be The Reason campaign is to encourage folks to support their local indie bookstores. We'll be honest and say that it isn't easy being green, and indie, and queer, and focusing on peacemaking, social justice, and inclusion, and competing against they who shall not be named at a time when just about everything we stand for feels like it is under attack (by HE who shall not be named and his minions).

We would NOT keep doing this without you, our partners in peacemaking. Below are links to several ways you can help US thrive as a business so that we can continue to serve you, our community, and the world.

Yes, I AM loving working with Reach and Teach, can you tell? :-) Here's this week's newsletter with lots of good info AND a very sweet welcome to yours truly (I'm definitely blushing). https://shop.reachandteach.com/

Join us Saturday, March 29 10am for a joyful celebration of diversity, inclusion, and storytelling! Our Drag Story Hour features uplifting stories that inspire kindness, acceptance, and belonging. Geared toward elementary-age children but open to all, this event will include engaging story time, a fun craft, and delicious snacks. Come share in a space of joy, learning, and community! We will meet in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church Palo Alto, 1140 Cowper Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301. Parking is available along Cowper Street and in the church parking lot off Lincoln.

This is from a Work in Progress by Marc Aronson (Nonfiction, um CURIOSITY Author extraordinaire). I love what he has to say (printed with permission of the author)

Walk into the children’s section of any library and you will see scattered about books about pets, animals, disasters; books of records, many books on dinosaurs, giant squids, pirates, Vikings, warriors from many times and places, books telling “who was” this famous person or that; books offering How-To advice on everything from Minecraft and coding to knitting and cooking. And you will see anxious parents looking for the right novel for their child. Versions of this same mismatch are repeated in libraries serving tweens and teenagers – there is a gap between the reading needs and interests of young people and the assumptions of the well-meaning adults circling around and wanting to be of help. This book is designed to remove the blinders, open the gates, connect the vast world of nonfiction (which I am about to rename) for younger readers with the adults who are most involved in helping children and teenagers find books.

Let’s start with the most obvious – and yet the very fact that it is not obvious proves my point – fact about nonfiction: its name makes no sense. What else in life is defined by what it is not? Nonfat? Anti-war? The few terms that fit are soon insulting: unmarried – as if the poor person should be married but is, regrettably, “un.” That is the same with nonfiction. The name itself tells you that reading: normal reading, fun reading, pleasurable reading, reading that deepens the soul, sets fire to the imagination, is the foundation of childhood and the pathway to a lifetime of literacy is fiction. Nonfiction is what is left over If you skim off anything anyone would actually want to read. It is this other benighted set of dutiful works that you will learn to consult if you must (and you can’t find what you need more quickly online or by asking AI). How did this weird naming convention come about – if you walked into a supermarket and the produce aisle were called Healthy, and the rest of the store labeled Unhealthy, you can bet General Foods would be in court the next day. Yet the term “nonfiction” has been accepted (more likely ignored) for over a century. I’ll explain, and since we all prefer not to wander in the aisles of the damned, I am going to suggest that henceforth and forever nonfiction should be renamed Curiosity. The books that are the product of an author’s interest in finding something out, and a reader’s desire to follow in those footsteps: curiosity. See how shiny and new, how appealing, those crammed, spine out, shelves suddenly look?

NEW YOU TUBE CHANNEL FOR WRITERS: Coffee With The Authors—Helping You Decode the Craft and Business of Writing

In their fun and free “quick coffee break” episodes, two bestselling/award-winning authors share tips on writing craft, advice on connecting with agents and editors, insights into the publishing industry, and encouragement to keep your writing dreams alive. They also answer questions posed by viewers and will expand future content to include interviews.

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Wendelin Van Draanen is an international-award-winning, bestselling author of more than thirty traditionally-published titles. Her novels include the popular Edgar-winning SAMMY KEYES mystery series; FLIPPED, which became a Warner Brothers feature film; and the SHREDDERMAN series, which became a Nickelodeon TV movie.

Mark Parsons was a prolific non-fiction writer for many years, penning over two hundred articles for national publications as well as a pair of non-fiction books. He now writes YA novels including ROAD RASH (Knopf/PRH) which received accolades from both ALA and Bank Street, and THE 9:09 PROJECT (Delacorte/PRH) which received high critical praise and has been translated into multiple languages.

Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger releases on April 1 (no foolin’ 😊). I

From the flap:

Some people are scared of sharks. Not Cristina Zenato.

As a little girl, Cristina dreamed of making friends with the sharks deep in the ocean. When she grew up, she made those dreams come true, becoming a diver, conservationist, and shark advocate. But Cristina discovered that sharks—the sleek, strong, powerful guardians of the ocean—need our help. She started diving in a protective suit and, as she built trust with sharks, they began coming to her with fishing hooks stuck in their bodies. Did she have the courage to remove the hooks?

Sharks Unhooked is the true story of how one woman is exploring the ocean, helping our ecosystem, and forming incredible bonds with animals beneath the rolling surf.

It is the story of one woman’s dramatic and courageous effort to remove fishing hooks from sharks – even in their mouths.

Reviews

“Through Newman’s sparkling, alliterative verse, a portrait of Cristina emerges—a dreamy wonderer who felt out of place growing up yet found a sense of belonging beneath the waves. Hall’s delightful cartoon illustrations avoid anthropomorphism as they depict a more vulnerable side of sharks. Above all, readers will emerge with a strong grasp of sharks’ crucial role in ecosystems.” —Kirkus Reviews

“...a good contrast to the still-prevalent narratives casting sharks as villains.” —Booklist

“Sharks are amazing creatures with terrible reputations, and this semi-biography of Cristina Zenato, a self-proclaimed ocean ranger who has been fascinated by sharks since her childhood, seeks to undo their abysmal PR…The back matter goes into detail about how sharks help the ecosystem, strengthening the message of preserving the Earth for everyone. ” —School Library Journal

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Book trailer selected Shelf Awareness Trailer of the Day - https://youtu.be/Z_SPhtqRh3s

Podcast interview

With host Tom Nixon of Book Flood Podcast – https://bit.ly/4iCSHKy

Visit Patricia's website for more information - https://www.patriciamnewman.com/books/sharks-unhooked-the-adventures-of-cristina-zenato-underwater-ranger/

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Also, Patricia was on with the INCREDIBLE Betsy Bird. More info here:

Betsy Bird from A Fuse #8 Production/SLJ featured a conversation between Patricia and Martha Meyer, founder of the Blueberry Award (children’s nature books that promote stewardship). They discussed how to teach the hope when talking to children about the environment.

Link: https://bit.ly/3F18QdY

Title of article: Climate Anxiety: Teaching Hope. A Pre-Earth Day Conversation with Martha Meyer and Patricia Newman

One of Patricia's quotes from the article: “My books, school visits, and conference presentations Teach the Hope by focusing on the things we can control. I help audiences understand their personal connections to nature in relation to environmental issues. Sure, I cover problems like plastic marine debris, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and endangered species, but I’m not sensationalizing them. I use science to make invisible concepts visible in a way that empowers rather than paralyzes. As understanding dawns, my audiences begin to appreciate the significant role we humans play in the health of our environment. This appreciation creates a bond between us and nature—a bond that I’m betting will cause them to feel grateful for the gifts nature bestows on us.”

From School Library Journal. Watch the recording here:

https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/console/apollox/mainEvent?&eventid=4885353&sessionid=1&username=&partnerref=&format=fhvideo1&mobile=&flashsupportedmobiledevice=&helpcenter=&key=8BB78C4EFAE774C6BE681AFA6DC3D42D&newConsole=true&nxChe=true&newTabCon=true&consoleEarEventConsole=true&consoleEarCloudApi=false&text_language_id=en&playerwidth=748&playerheight=526&eventuserid=741483800&contenttype=A&mediametricsessionid=637881907&mediametricid=6866509&usercd=741483800&mode=launch

You can read all about it here!!

https://www.slj.com/review/elsas-chessboard

APPLY HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexl4CXRWZtkb47XRvdkHuCeNAgkt3PRSuUqUnk9gXXBaphFw/viewform

Please return form by April 4

We are being bombarded with bad, and badder, news from those who are 'running' our country. They are actively trying to destroy all that is good about the United Statesv (there's plenty that is bad, they're doubling down on that). But WE ARE NOT HELPLESS! There are many things, large and small, that we can do.

That's why I love this very positive graphic from the incredible Elly Swartz who says she is "inspired by the Book Warriors in life and in Same Page "

If you haven't read SAME PAGE, you have a treat in store. VERY inspiring, a great read!! You can check out more about Elly Swartz here: www.ellyswartz.com

ENTER YOUR SCHOOL TO WIN A FREE WELCOMING SCHOOLS TRAINING!

We’re so excited to bring back the Welcoming Schools Training: Let Kids Read Training Grant. Looking for Anti-Bias, LGBTQ+ and gender inclusive professional development training? Penguin Young Readers and Random House Children’s Books are sponsoring school trainings from the Human Rights Campaign's Welcoming Schools program for FIVE Title 1 schools! Apply by March 30, 2025. Welcoming Schools Professional Development trainings are designed for the entire staff and are two hours in length.

NOTE: This Grant is Exclusively for Title 1 or Title 1 Equivalent Schools

Note: Please ensure you have prior approval from your school leader before submitting this form.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJ4bG6X-CrBm48LEF1lXtf1F0lNTs6EQVuRkNPt6sKNrQAGw/viewform

I LOVE these choices!!! I feel like NOT NOTHING was overlooked this year and it is an INCREDIBLE book!!!!

Hey all!!

Recently I have given Book Talks to students and parents that can focus on Engaging Reluctant Readers, Diversify Your (home or school) Bookshelves, and Great and Engaging Books (for various ages/grades). They've been well received and participants leave with TONS of information (and quite a few win prizes). I do these in schools or libraries, but would love to be hired by companies as a 'Perk' for their employees who have children in their lives. So, using my 'Social Capital' (that's you all) to spread the word.

I also work with teachers to help find great books that fit (and expand) the curriculum (otherwise known as my idea of a good time).

Please feel free to spread the word and send people my way: sharonlevin @ mindspring.com

We now return to our regular programming.

I try (when I have time/energy/spoons) to visit store websites and pull event information. However, the best way to get your events in is to e-mail me directly with FOR THE NEWSLETTER as the subject line. There are over 2000 subscribers to this newsletter - plus it gets posted on Facebook, Twitter (I said what I said), BlueSky and my local NextDoor. I am happy to spread the word, it's just easier if 'the word' (not the religious one) comes directly to my inbox

I'm only as good as my sources, so please do feel free to share events, good news, etc.! Please e-mail me at sharonlevin at mindspring dot com and put For the Newsletter as your subject line.

I'm always happy to feature giveaways. There is NO paid advertising in this newsletter - I do not require anything to feature a giveaway. I'm just happy to do it.