Children's Lit Newsletter 3/06/2025
AKA Sharon's Book Rx
JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING THE BINC FOUNDATION!! I AM OFFERING A $250 MATCHING GRANT DURING THE GOLDEN POPPY PRESENATION
BINC is an amazing non-profit. In order to support them and encourage others to do so, I'm offering a MATCHING GRANT during the award ceremony tonight. Donate while watching the ceremony (some of us are going to dress up - YAY - I get to wear my Mother of the Bride dress again!), or if you can't watch, donate with a note on the donation, "for the matching grant from tonight's ceremony."
You're invited to the virtual
Golden Poppy Awards Ceremony
MARCH 6TH AT 7PM PST
Please join us as we celebrate the most distinguished books written and illustrated by creators who have made California their home. With our host: award-winning author Joanna Ho!
In partnership with the BINC Foundation, CALIBA is fundraising to help booksellers affected by the devastating wildfires in Southern California rebuild, heal, and move-forward.
Help us in this mission by donating to the Golden Poppy Wildfire Fundraiser with BINC.
VOTE HERE FOR THE ANNA DEWDNEY 2025 AWARD WINNER!!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhMy1yuf7pkhj2pI87N9wERjnFjeZU5b8_gzrFpMggbCRg9w/viewform
About the Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award
The Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award is given annually to a picture book that is both a superb read-aloud and also sparks compassion, empathy, and connection. The award commemorates the life and work of author/illustrator Anna Dewdney and celebrates her commitment to reading with young children and putting books into as many little hands as possible.
As a children’s book creator, a literacy advocate, and a parent, Dewdney believed, “A good children’s book can be read by an adult to a child, and experienced genuinely by both. A good children’s book is like a performance. Reading with children makes an intimate, human connection that teaches that child what it means to be alive as one of many beings on the planet. When we read a book with children, then children — no matter how stressed, no matter how challenged — are drawn out of themselves to bond with other human beings, and to see and feel the experiences of others. It is this moment that makes us human. In this sense, reading makes us human.” (Wall Street Journal)
The Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award, co-sponsored by Penguin Young Readers, the Children’s Book Council, and Every Child a Reader, recognizes a picture book published within the last five years (2020-2024) in the United States that kids and grown-ups are currently discovering and enjoying together. The winning book will be announced in April and celebrated in a live virtual event during Children’s Book Week, the celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading, in May.
This year’s award marks the 20th anniversary of Llama Llama Red Pajama, Dewdney’s classic read-aloud picture book of bedtime care and comfort that spawned a bestselling series with over 45 million books in print, a Netflix original series, and more. To commemorate the anniversary and Anna Dewdney’s commitment to honoring the love and care shown by parents and teachers everywhere, Penguin Young Readers will publish a new picture book, Llama Llama Loves His Teacher on March 25th, and host a series of events, activities, contests, and more to help young readers celebrate the caregivers in their lives.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CBC FAVORITES COORDINATOR? The CBC will provide a Favorites Local Coordinator Handbook, and we will host Zoom orientation calls in August. You will also receive continuous communication from the CBC by email regarding book shipping, materials to use, and upcoming deadlines. We welcome previous coordinators to apply again. If chosen, you will be asked to serve as mentors to new coordinators at orientation. In appreciation of the work this will take, your location may keep 90% of the books. We ask that 10% of the books be donated to a local charity or community organization of your choosing. We will gather that information from you at the end of the program. If you are chosen to be a coordinator, you will be contacted in June. Thank you for taking the time to apply and for all you do every day. This is a significant undertaking by the local coordinators, CBC staff, and the publishers. It’s great fun for young people, teachers, and librarians to be part of a national reading and voting campaign. Email sommer.wissner@cbcbooks.org with any questions about this application and process.
APPLY HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexl4CXRWZtkb47XRvdkHuCeNAgkt3PRSuUqUnk9gXXBaphFw/viewform
Please return form by April 4
SANDRA V. FEDER at Books Inc. Laurel Village MARCH 16 AT 3:00pm
Sandra's latest book in her Emotions and Me series is now out!!! You can see a lovely interview with her here: https://jenabenton.com/2025/03/03/simply-7-with-sandra-feder-shy-me/
GREAT CAUSE, OUTSTANDING FILM!!!!!!!
OFFSITE & TICKETED EVENT: With book bans skyrocketing across the country, let’s celebrate the value of children’s books by supporting our local public school libraries together.
Children’s books are often one of the first moments that allow children to dive deep into their imaginations. Come celebrate the impact of children’s books with a benefit screening of a new documentary “Story & Pictures By” followed by a discussion with filmmaker Joanna Rudnick.
“Story & Pictures By” is the first feature documentary to take audiences behind the scenes to meet the authors and artists who create children’s books. Following bestselling authors Christian Robinson (Last Stop on Market Street), Yuyi Morales (Dreamers), and Mac Barnett (Sam & Dave Dig a Hole), as well as highlighting perennial favorites such as Goodnight Moon, Snowy Day and Where the Wild Things Are, the film shows how children’s books reflect the mysteries of childhood, champion the marginalized, and provide children with windows and mirrors into their own lives.
Film Trailer: https://vimeo.com/925152924
This ticketed event will take place at the Santa Cruz High School Auditorium | 415 Walnut Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
BUY TICKETS HERE: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/bookshopsantacruz/1602607
This event will feature a film screening (Run Time: 1 hour, 24 minutes) + 20-minute conversation with the filmmaker
100% of the proceeds of every ticket will be used to buy children’s books from Bookshop Santa Cruz for Santa Cruz County Schools Public Libraries. The first 50 teachers who buy tickets will receive a free tote bag filled with literary goodies!
“This film beautifully captures the magic of children's books and the creative minds behind them. A must-see for anyone who cherishes the joy of storytelling—whether you’re a child at heart or have little readers in your life.”
—Barbara J. Lawrence, Library Media Teacher at Gault Elementary School
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
Let Kids Read: Anti-Bias, LGBTQ+, and Gender Inclusive Professional Development
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!!!!
YES, QUIT AMAZON AND SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDIE!!!
This is the text from Reach and Teach (have I mentioned how much I LOVE working with these amazing people?!!?)
By customers' request, Reach and Teach is on https://bookshop.org/shop/reachandteach where you can get books, ebooks, and audio books while supporting independent bookstores across the nation. But you can still order directly at reachandteach.com to get our books, toys, Fair Trade gifts for a more peaceful, sustainable, and inclusive world (and pick up your order at our shop to save on shipping!) https://www.reachandteach.com/bookshop #sancarlos #cityofgoodliving #indiebookstore #betterworld
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NOTE; I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO INCLUDE GRAPHICS LIKE THIS FROM OTHER INDIES. WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
SPECIAL STORYTIME AT LINDEN TREE ON SUNDAY, MARCH 16 at 10:30 am
LOOK AT THIS GORGEOUS COVER!!!
A tender and vulnerable exploration of love and loss that follows two boys as they take their first trip back to the lake without their father, from debut author-illustrator Angie Kang.
Today, Brother is taking me up to swim in the lake like Father used to.
I want to thank him for bringing us here, but I can’t find the words.
Instead, I loop my arms around his torso, and he does the same back.
Here, in our lake, the water holds us close.
On a sweltering hot day, a little boy mirrors his brother as he takes off his shirt, stretches, and walks toward the edge of the tall rock, ready to dive into the cool lake waters glistening below. Only this time, Father is not here. And the water looks so far away. How can he take the plunge?
With a gorgeous, deft touch in her exquisitely soft illustrations and words, Angie Kang conveys vulnerability, longing, and connection as these two boys hear Father’s laugh and see his memory all around them, uniting them in a bittersweet moment.
About the Author
Angie Kang is a Chinese American illustrator and writer presently based in LA. Her work has appeared in Narrative, The Believer, The Rumpus, Ecotone, Catapult, and elsewhere, and she has received support from MacDowell, Tin House, Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, VONA/Voices, SCBWI, and the Sundress Academy of Arts. More of her art and writing can be found at AngieKang.net or on Twitter and Instagram @anqiekanq.
FREE OGILVY POSTER
BOOK TALKS (for adults or kids), CURRICULUM CONSULTING (finding books that fit), etc.
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.
NOTE TO AUTHORS, ILLUSTRATORS, BOOKSTORES HAVING EVENTS!!
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.