It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts is on sale now. By Andrew Shvarts As soon as I decided to write about a magic school, I knew the book would have to be about burning it down. Write long enough, and you begin to notice your recurring obsessions, the themes, and the images you come back to … [Read more...] about Burn It Down: On World Building a Defiant Queer Response to Hogwarts
Personal Essay
What Connects Us as Humans: The Power of Our Stories
Bella's Recipe for Success by Ana Siqueira, illustrated by Geraldine Rodríguez, is on sale on July 13, 2021. 30,000 Stitches by Amanda Davis, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport, is on sale now. By Ana Siqueira and Amanda Davis What does it feel like to walk in another person’s shoes? To get … [Read more...] about What Connects Us as Humans: The Power of Our Stories
Finding Yourself Through Dance
Dancing in Thatha's Footsteps by Srividhya Venkat, illustrated by Kavita Ramchandran, is on sale now. By Srividhya Venkat Dance can be different things to different people. You may like to just shake a leg, or engage in ballet, ballroom, bhangra, Bollywood, or even bharatanatyam (an Indian … [Read more...] about Finding Yourself Through Dance
Centering Queer Families in Young Adult Literature
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron is on sale on June 29, 2021. By Kalynn Bayron Relationships with family and friends are at the heart of young adult novels. Whether it’s contemporary or historical, fantasy, or sci-fi, it is always about the human connections. YA fiction is such a good place … [Read more...] about Centering Queer Families in Young Adult Literature
Mexican Paleteros Inspired My Children’s Book
Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz, illustrated by Micah Player, is on sale now. By Lucky Diaz As a child, I remember my dad affording himself very few luxuries. He was a giver, with what little he had. He loved taking my brother and me to the panderia to choose a pan dulce, to el mercado to buy a … [Read more...] about Mexican Paleteros Inspired My Children’s Book
Why I Wrote A Picture Book About Sadness
Jenny Mei Is Sad by Tracy Subisak is on sale now. By Tracy Subisak I remember exactly where I was when I began to write this book. I was sitting in a hammock in my backyard when the first words came out in my notebook. “Jenny Mei is sad.” I began to cry because it was my way of … [Read more...] about Why I Wrote A Picture Book About Sadness
Q&A With Ken Lamug, Mischief and Mayhem
Mischief and Mayhem #1: Born to Be Bad by Ken Lamug is on sale on June 15, 2021. Watch the book trailer. If you order your copy of Mischief and Mayhem through The Writers Block, you will receive a signed book, bookmark, character sticker pad, and a poster. By Ken Lamug Ever since I was a child, … [Read more...] about Q&A With Ken Lamug, Mischief and Mayhem
I Am Once Again Asking You To Use the Word Lesbian
The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott is on sale now. By Rachael Lippincott The first time I had an inkling about my sexuality was when I was in elementary school. I heard an NPR interview in the backseat of my parents’ car about a lesbian couple that had been together for a number of years, … [Read more...] about I Am Once Again Asking You To Use the Word Lesbian
The Importance of Joyful Stories in Diverse Children’s Books
Rea and the Blood of the Nectar by Payal Doshi is on sale on June 15. By Payal Doshi Picture a twelve-year-old with magic. Do you see a white kid with brown or blond hair living in England or America? Or a brown-skinned girl with dark eyes and dark hair living in an apartment complex in … [Read more...] about The Importance of Joyful Stories in Diverse Children’s Books
