THE POWER OF A GOOD WRITING CONFERENCE, by Hilda Eunice Burgos

On Saturday, April 8, I caught a 7:19 am train from Philadelphia to New York City to attend the annual The Color of Children’s Literature conference hosted by Kweli Journal.  According to Kweli’s website, the all-day conference promised to be “an excellent opportunity for writers and illustrators of color to learn, get inspired, and network with others in the industry.”  Kweli delivered on this promise.

The first person I met when I arrived was the publisher of Tu Books (the imprint of Lee & Low Books that is publishing my first middle grade novel).  I learned from her that my publication date has been moved up, so that was exciting news.  We later had lunch together, where she introduced me to a number of writers and editors, including my editor.  So, networking with others in the industry: check.

Three authors and one author-illustrator started off the day by speaking on a panel entitled “Why We Create Now.”  While their experiences were varied — for example, Karuna Riazi shared that she has encountered Islamophobia her whole life and wants her books to help those who are discriminated against feel welcome; Traci Sorell explained that there are many different Native American tribes with different cultures and beliefs, and she hopes her books show that Native Americans should not be put in a box — they were also universal.  Every community has families, and everyone is ashamed of something.  The speakers (in addition to Riazi and Sorell, the panel included Cozbi Cabrera and Zoraida Cordova) encouraged us to tap into those universal themes when we write our specific stories.  Later in the day, keynote speaker Cynthia Leitich Smith spoke about the need for “authentic diversity” in children’s books, the fact that “silence speaks” when certain communities are underrepresented in literature and in history books, and how any kid can be a hero everyone cheers.  Inspiration: check.

The conference also included many simultaneous workshops on craft and marketing.  They covered topics on: writing picture books, plotting, developing multidimensional characters, writing process and revision, submissions and queries, worldbuilding and structure, nonfiction, and many others.  Learning: check.

I have a full time job that has nothing to do with writing children’s books, and sometimes I slip away from my writing and get consumed in the other parts of my life and work.  Attending a good writing conference every now and then can be the spark I need to get me to start a new writing project or to delve into revisions of an existing one.  The Kweli conference was just what I needed, and I look forward to attending again next year.

What about you?  Is there something that helps you get back on track when you’ve gotten sluggish in your writing routine?

FIVE FABULOUS FINGER-TINGLING NOVELS TO LOOK FORWARD TO by Michael Gettel-Gilmartin

Nothing gets me more excited than a new middle grade novel (well, maybe chocolate does, but I'm trying to be cerebral here.) Recently, I had the honor of a cover reveal for Michele Weber Hurwitz's latest, and decided that I needed to share the love for Michele's new novel with y'all--as well as sharing some other notable upcoming novels. The Mayhem hive mind came to my rescue, and I have a list of five novels, including Michele's, that I'm positively salivating over. Here goes:

Michele Weber Hurwitz's ETHAN MARCUS STANDS UP

From Michele's WEBSITE:

ETHAN MARCUS STANDS UP will be published on August 29th, 2017 by Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, with a sequel to follow in 2018.

Seventh-grader Ethan Marcus is fed up with sitting in school, and one day, enough is enough. He doesn't cause trouble or wander around, he just refuses to stay seated in class. His spontaneous protest doesn't go over so well with his rule-oriented teacher so Ethan is sent to the principal's office, and then is given two days of "Reflection" -- McNutt Middle School's answer to detention. When the faculty advisor suggests Ethan channel his energy into the school's Invention Day, at first Ethan says thanks but no thanks. He's never been a science-y kid. That's his Irish twin sister Erin's department. Except when Ethan and his friend Brian decide to give it a try, they realize they might have something. And it's good. Maybe great. But can they actually pull it off?

Ethan Marcus Stands Up -- narrated by five different kids -- shows how we all may have labels that define us, but that doesn't mean we can't step out of our comfort zone and attempt a new challenge. And, along the way, we may just learn from someone who sees the world from a different perspective.

See my cover reveal post on Middle Grade Mafioso for more fun!

THE DANGER GANG AND THE PIRATES OF BORNEO by our very own Stephen Bramucci, coming August 1st, 2017

Ronald Zupan is a daring master adventurer! But he actually hasn't experienced any grand adventures . . . YET! When his world-traveling parents are kidnapped on his twelfth birthday, Ronald seizes the chance to prove himself with a dazzling, danger-defying rescue operation.

Teaming up with his trusty butler Jeeves, his quick-witted fencing nemesis Julianne Sato, and his pet cobra Carter, Ronald sets course for the jungle of Borneo where his parents were last sighted. If they can crash-land a plane and outrun a hungry snow leopard, surely they can find the secret lair of Zeetan Z, the world's most ruthless pirate! But as their adventure becomes more and more dangerous, can Ronald and his companions muster enough courage to see this adventure through? (From Bloomsbury site)

Visit Stephen's new website!

LEMONS by Melissa Savage, coming May 2, 2017

Lemonade Liberty Witt’s mama always told her: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But Lem can’t possibly make lemonade out of her new life in Willow Creek, California—the Bigfoot Capital of the World—where she’s forced to live with a grandfather she’s never met after her mother passes away.

 Then she meets eleven-year-old Tobin Sky, the CEO of Bigfoot Detectives Inc., who is the sole Bigfoot investigator for their small town. After he invites Lem to be his assistant for the summer, they set out on an epic adventure to capture a shot of the elusive beast on film. But along the way, Lem and Tobin end up discovering more than they ever could have imagined. And Lem realizes that maybe she can make lemonade out of her new life after all. (From blog tour material, Penguin Random House)

Lot of buzz about this one--I will be part of the blog tour on Middle Grade Mafioso, coming soon to a blog near you!

BEYOND THE BRIGHT SEA by Lauren Wolk, coming May 1st, 2017

Crow has lived her whole life on a tiny, starkly beautiful island. Her only companions are Osh, the man who rescued her from a washed-up skiff as a baby and raised her, and Miss Maggie, their neighbour across the sandbar. But it is only when a mysterious fire appears across the water that an unspoken question of her own history forms in Crow's heart, and an unstoppable chain of events is triggered. Crow sets out to find her lost identity - and, ultimately, to learn what it means to be a family. (From Penguin UK)

THE GAUNTLET by Karuna Riazi, (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, published March 28, 2017)
When twelve-year-old Farah and her two best friends get sucked into a mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand—a puzzle game akin to a large Rubik’s cube—they know it’s up to them to defeat the game’s diabolical architect in order to save themselves and those who are trapped inside, including her baby brother Ahmed. But first they have to figure out how.

Under the tutelage of a lizard guide named Henrietta Peel and an aeronaut Vijay, the Farah and her friends battle camel spiders, red scorpions, grease monkeys, and sand cats as they prepare to face off with the maniacal Lord Amari, the man behind the machine. Can they defeat Amari at his own game…or will they, like the children who came before them, become cogs in the machine? (From Goodreads)



I'm so excited to welcome all these novels in the coming months. Please add any novels you are excited about too. I'm going for a Guinness World Record of a TBR list.