Strong by Rob Kearney and Eric Rosswood, Illustrated by Nidhi Chanani Rob dreams of becoming a champion strongman. He wants to flip huge tires, lug boulders, and haul trucks -- and someday be the strongest man in the world! But he feels like he can't fit in with his...
Miscellaneous Awesomeness
Small Town Pride – A Gay 13 Year Old Finds Himself, His Voice, and Maybe… Community
Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper Jake is just starting to enjoy life as his school’s first openly gay kid. While his family and friends are accepting and supportive, the same can’t be said about everyone in their small town of Barton Springs, Ohio. When Jake’s dad...
We Need To Be Talking About Reparations for Descendants of People Who Were Enslaved
This New York Times Article, "The Ransom: The Root of Haiti's Misery: Reparations to Enslavers" starts with some slides: In 1791, enslaved Haitians did the seemingly impossible. They ousted their French masters and founded a nation. But France made generations of...
The Political Theater of Book Banning Continues…
Two new developments - One absurdist, the other about the kid lit community standing together in solidarity. 1) As reported at Book Riot by Kelly Jensen, "Barnes & Noble Being Sued in Virginia Beach Over Gender Queer, Court of Mist and Fury," "No longer is this...
Pride, Prejudice, and Creating a Safe Space at My Day Job
So over at the Independent Book Publishers Association, we're having our annual IBPA Publishing University conference this month in Orlando, Florida. We'd actually planned to be in Orlando for the conference back in 2020, but had to cancel due to the pandemic. 2021...
Look At Me – A Picture Book I Wish Had Been Read to Me When I Was a Little Kid
Cover of "Look At Me" Look At Me: A Celebration of Self, Playfulness, and Exploration by Audrey Beth Stein, Illustrated by Kristina Neudakhina What do YOU like to wear? Nail polish? Fancy suits? Pigtails? Monday underwear? Possibilities are endless in this vibrantly...