2023 Spring Fling Writing Contest
Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez and Ciara O’Neal’s “Spring Fling Writing Contest” takes place between April 1-3. I’ve been selected as a winner in the past and I’m really excited to enter again. I enjoy entering writing contests because it gives me a chance to take a break from a current manuscript. Plus it opens the possibility…
#50PreciousWords Writing Contest 2023
Every year, Vivian Kirkfield hosts a writing contest called #50PreciousWords to challenge authors to write a SUPER short story. It can be no more than 50 words and it must have a beginning, middle, and end. Definitely not an easy feat, and not for the faint of heart. It’s been a couple years since I…
2022 Fall Writing Frenzy Contest
I’ve been working on a R&R for a middle grade manuscript lately, as well as writing the first draft of a second MG story, so I was excited to take a step back and participate in a fun writing contest. I’ve always participated in the “Fall Writing Frenzy Contest” and it has become somewhat of…
Spring Fling Writing Contest
Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez and Ciara O’Neal’s “Spring Fling Writing Contest” takes place between April 1-3. I’ve been selected as a winner in the past and I’m really excited to enter again. I enjoy entering writing contests because it gives me a chance to write about a topic that might not work for a full book,…
2021 Fall Writing Frenzy Contest
As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, I LOVE entering writing contests! The prizes, the writing community’s support, and the chance to write about a topic that might not work for a full book; all reasons they are so much fun. I just finished reading through my current middle grade manuscript so going back into…
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
Description: Zoe Washington isn’t sure what to write. What does a girl say to the father she’s never met, hadn’t heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who’s been in prison for a terrible crime? A crime he says he never committed. Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to…
9 Middle Grade Food Stories
This post may sound similar to one I had posted previously about cookbooks for kids, but now I’m talking only about middle grade novels that center around food. Again, this list was compiled as I researched for my next middle grade manuscript and I have to say, this has been some delicious and taste-bud-delighting research.…
2021 #ReadICT Reading Challenge Update
If you didn’t see my original post on the 2021 #READICT Reading Challenge, here is the link to the original post. Check it out to read more about the challenge and to see the first four books I read for the it. As a reminder, every year in Wichita, KS the Wichita Public Library partners…
Spring Fling KidLit Contest
I LOVE entering writing contests! Not only is there the possibility of a prize, but it also gives me a chance to write about a topic that might not work for a full book, take a break from a current manuscript and all the editing, and opens the possibility of encouragement or gratification from an…
#50PreciousWords Writing Contest
Every year, Vivian Kirkfield hosts a writing contest called #50PreciousWords to challenge authors to write a SUPER short story. It can be no more than 50 words and it must have a beginning, middle, and end. Definitely not an easy feat, and not for the faint of heart. Here is the information you need to…
Unsettled by Reem Faruqi
Description: When her family moves from Pakistan to Georgia, Nurah wants to blend in, yet she stands out for all the wrong reasons. Nurah’s accent, floral-print kurtas, and tea-colored skin make her feel excluded, until she meets Stahr at swimming tryouts. And in the water Nurah doesn’t want to blend in. She wants to win…
The Voice That Won The Vote by Elisa Boxer
Description: In August of 1920, women’s suffrage in America came down to the vote in Tennessee. If the Tennessee legislature approved the 19th amendment it would be ratified, giving all American women the right to vote. The historic moment came down to a single vote and the voter who tipped the scale toward equality did…
The Nightmare Thief by Nicole Lesperance
Description: Maren Partridge works in her family’s dream shop and hand-crafts any dream imaginable. The shop has one rule. Dreams cannot be given to a person without their consent. Her sister, Hallie, has an accident that leaves her in a coma, and Maren’s certain she can cure Hallie with a few well-chosen dreams. And when…
Bea is for Blended by Lindsey Stoddard
Description: Bea and her mom have always been a two-person team. But now her mom is marrying Wendell, and their team is growing by three boys, two dogs, and a cat. Finding her place in her new blended family may be tough, but when Bea finds out her school might not get the all-girls soccer…
2021 #READICT Reading Challenge
What better way to start the new year than with a resolution to read more? Every year in Wichita, KS the Wichita Public Library partners up with the local newspaper, the Wichita Eagle, to challenge residents to read 12 books in 12 months. Pretty easy, right? There’s a catch though (because of course there is).…
Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McAnulty
Description: Felix Rannells is a rule follower. Benji Porter is a rule bender. They don’t have anything to talk about. Until . . . They find a wallet that belongs to tech billionaire Laura Friendly. They return it-but not before Benji “borrows” twenty dollars to buy hot dogs. Because twenty dollars is like a penny to a…
The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray
Description: Eleven-year-old Amelia Ashford (Millie) is given the opportunity to spend the night in Amelia Earhart’s childhood home with five other girls. Once at Amelia’s house in Atchison, Kansas, Millie stumbles upon a display of Amelia’s famous flight goggles. They’re about to be relocated to a fancy museum in Washington, DC. But the goggles disappear,…
Quaran-READICT Additional Reading Challenge!
Once Covid hit and everyone went into quarantine back in March, the Wichita Public Library came up with a way to distract everyone. They added 6 books to their #READICT Reading Challenge, and they are all related to the quarantine in some way. Here are the bonus categories for 2020: A book about a microhistoryThe…
#READICT Reading Challenge Final 2020 Update
I finished!! This is the first year I have completed the #READICT Reading Challenge. Yay me!! If you didn’t see the first two posts on the #READICT Reading Challenge, the links are here and here. Check them out to read more about the challenge and to see the first eight books I read for the…
Picture Book Literary Agents (Final Post)
I have officially exhausted my list of picture book literary agents! Hopefully you found the first six posts helpful in finding literary agents that represent the type of picture books you write, and maybe even sent out a few queries. If you haven’t read the first six batches of agents, you can find them: #1:…
Cookbooks for Kids
I’ve started doing research for a new middle grade novel, and part of that involves finding recipes that kids can make and will actually eat. So I’ve basically checked out every kid cookbook that was shelved in my local library, with a focus on meals and snacks instead of desserts and baking. With the holidays…
A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Description: Sixth-graders Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a white, Jewish girl could not be more different. Sara is at a huge new school that is completely unlike the small Islamic school she used to attend, and Elizabeth’s British mum has been struggling with depression. The girls meet in an after-school South Asian cooking class,…
A Galaxy of Sea Stars by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
Description: At a time when everything in her small town seems like it’s changing, eleven-year-old Izzy wants things to stay the same. She wants her dad to start acting like he did before he was deployed to Afghanistan, she wants her mom to move back to the marina where they live, but most of all,…
One Earth by Eileen Spinelli
Description: Kids can count reasons to love the planet and ways to protect it in the pages of this conservation-themed book. Gentle verse reminds the reader of Earth’s beauties. The text then starts counting backwards, listing simple ways children can help, such as reducing waste and reusing items. The conclusion takes us back to number…
The Wonder of Wildflowers by Anna Staniszewski
Description: Ten-year-old Mira must balance the loyalty she feels towards her family with the desire to be accepted by her new classmates in this powerful coming-of-age story about identity, community, and finding a place to call home. She’s not like most of her classmates. At least not yet. Her family came to the country when…
Halloweensie Writing Contest
To celebrate Halloween, Susanna Hill (@SusannaLHill) has an annual writing contest that embraces the holiday to its fullest. Like every writing contest, this one has some unique rules:- First, the story has to be no more than 100 words. And it has to read like a story, it can’t be a mood piece.- Second, the…
Picture Book Literary Agents (Post #6)
Hopefully you found the first five posts helpful in finding literary agents that represent the type of picture books you write, and maybe even sent out a few queries. If you haven’t read the first five batches of agents, you can find them: #1: here #2: here #3: here#4: here #5: hereBelow are a few…
Collection Themed Picture Books
A couple of months ago I started brainstorming for a picture book idea I had that revolved around collections. My daughter collecting rocks while she was supposed to be playing T-Ball was the inspiration behind it. So I borrowed a few books about collecting from my local library to see how they approached the topic,…
Lili Macaroni by Nicole Testa
Description: Lili Macaroni loves exactly who she is. That is, until she starts kindergarten. There her classmates tease her, and she has never felt such unhappiness before. It makes her want to erase herself and draw a brand new Lili. But does she really want to erase her hair that’s just like Mom’s? Her eyes…
Fall Writing Frenzy Contest
As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, I LOVE entering writing contests! The prizes, the writing community’s support, and the chance to write about a topic that might not work for a full book; all reasons they are so much fun. It’s also a welcome break from my current manuscript and all the editing/revising, Most…
Kindergarten Themed Books
My oldest is going to kindergarten this year, and she was feeling pretty anxious about it, which I can’t blame her. On top of the normal nerves about a new teacher, new classroom, and new classmates, she is also very aware of Covid-19. Basically, for two weeks she was a bundle of nerves and didn’t…
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
Summary: Zuri’s hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it’s beautiful. When mommy does Zuri’s hair, she feels like a superhero. But when mommy is away, it’s up to daddy to step in! And even though daddy has a lot to learn, he LOVES his…
Picture Book Literary Agents (Post #5)
I took a bit of a break with this series the last few months, but hopefully you found the first four posts helpful in finding literary agents that represent the type of picture books you write, and maybe even sent out a few queries. If you haven’t read the first four batches of agents, you…
What Lane? by Torrey Maldonado
Description: Anything his friends can do, Stephen should be able to do too, right? So when they dare each other to sneak into an abandoned building, he doesn’t think it’s his lane, but he goes. Here’s the thing, though: Can he do everything his friends can? Lately, he’s not so sure. As a mixed kid, he feels like he’s…
Honeysmoke by Monique Fields
Simone is a little girl who doesn’t know where she fits in. She’s not black like her mama or white like her daddy, so what color is she? She is bound and determined to find her color, but it has to be the perfect color.Such a gorgeously written story about mixed families, and the beauty…
The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel
Summary: With a dad who disappeared years ago and a mother who’s too busy to parent, Emmy’s shipped off to Wellsworth, a prestigious English boarding school. But then she finds a box of mysterious medallions in the attic of her home–medallions that belonged to her father who may have gone to Wellsworth.When she arrives at…
How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk
I’ll be completely honest. Before I read this book, I knew NOTHING about coding except that it involved computers. With how our world becomes more and more reliant on technology and the jobs that revolve around tech, I love how books are being written and produced that introduce these concepts early on. Josh Funk did…
Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum
This book came out in 2019, but it was based on a manuscript and sketches that Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss) had completed before he died. It takes the reader on a tour of some of the most famous pieces of art in history… and they all feature horses. When I first picked it up, I…
Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader by Jolene Gutiérrez
Summary: Mac and Cheese are the class guinea pigs, and Oliver is their biggest fan. So he watches them and takes notes to learn how he can be a good friend. But while snuggling in close might be fine for guinea pigs, Oliver’s classmates don’t like him getting in their personal space bubbles. With the…
#SunWriteFun Writing Contest
I haven’t posted about a writing contest in a while, but here is one that popped up this summer that I have really enjoyed participating in. Hosted by Karen Green and Jennifer Buchet, the idea is to write a complete non-fiction or informational-fiction summer-themed story geared towards kids in 200 words or less. Piece of…
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
Lucy is 12 years old and developed genius-level math skills from a lightning strike four years ago. Along with those math skills, the lightning strike also made Lucy extremely conscientious about germs and she has developed some rituals around the numbers 3 and pi that make her stand out (not always in the best ways).…
Let’s Dance by Valerie Bolling
Before I read the story, I assumed this book would be like most picture books, encouraging kids to get up and move in order to be healthy. But this was SO much more, and I was pleasantly surprised! With every page turn you are transported to a new culture or time period and can see…
Too Sticky! By Jen Malia
When I finish a book and decide to write a review about it, it goes on my writing desk so I don’t forget. I kept forgetting to write a review for Jen Malia’s wonderful book because it kept disappearing from my desk. My youngest daughter loves it so much that we have to read it…
A Path Divided by Jeanne Moran
Between needing to finish books from the library before they were due, and then not being sure I could handle the emotional toll of a World War 2 story while dealing with Covid-19, I really wasn’t sure when I’d be able to read this book. I received it months ago as part of a giveaway,…
Picture Book Literary Agents (Post #4)
Hopefully you found the first three posts helpful in finding literary agents that represent the type of picture books you write, and maybe even sent out a few queries. If you haven’t read the first three batches of agents, you can find them here and here and here. Below are a few more to look…
A Doll for Grandma: A Story About Alzheimer’s Disease by Paulette Bochnig Sharkey
Kiera loves her Grandma and all of the fun activities they do together. But when Grandma starts forgetting things, those precious moments between them seem to be lost too. Kiera doesn’t give up on Grandma, and finds a special doll that connects them when they are together, and even when they are apart. Paulette Bochnig…
I Want to Help…
Like nearly everyone in the United States, I have been surrounded by tweets, news footage, and videos of the tense and often terrifying events unfolding throughout our country. I have cried, seeing how people are treating each other, and have been stunned by the level of hatred I’ve witnessed. So I want to help. I…
Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
This story quickly became one of my favorite middle grade novels. So much so that I went out to purchase my own copy so I can read it with my girls when they are old enough. I usually check books out at the library, so purchasing a book is a big deal in our house.The…
Picture Book Literary Agents (Post #3)
Hopefully you found the first and second posts helpful in finding literary agents that represent the type of picture books you write, and maybe even sent out a few queries. If you haven’t read the first two batch of agents, you can find them here and here. Below are a few more to look into!…
Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller
Be Kind, written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Jen Hill, is a wonderful book about a little girl who has trouble deciding the right thing to do when her classmate spills grape juice all over her own dress. She knows she should be kind to help her feel better, but what does that…
#READICT Reading Challenge Update
If you didn’t see my original post on the #READICT Reading Challenge, here is the link to the original post. Check it out to read more about the challenge and to see the first four books I read for the it. As a reminder, every year in Wichita, KS the Wichita Public Library partners up…
Picture Book Literary Agents (Post #2)
Hopefully you found the first post helpful in finding literary agents that represent the type of picture books you write, and maybe even sent out a few queries. If you haven’t read the first batch of agents, you can find it here. Here are a few more to look into! Click on the name of…
Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos
This beautiful story takes place during the week or two leading up to the Space Shuttle Challenger launch in 1986. Though it takes place in the 80’s, the author didn’t write it to feel that way. This novel is very relevant for our day and age, and the reader can easily forget it is set…
Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab
Let me set the tone for you:Cool Fact #1: Cassidy almost died, but was saved by a ghost, Jacob. Cool Fact #2: After being rescued, Cassidy develops the ability to communicate and interact with ghosts in order to help them move on. Cool Fact #3: Remember Jacob? Him and Cassidy are best friends, but he…
Picture Book Literary Agents
I’ve been seeing a lot of frustration on Twitter lately about how many hours authors are spending searching for the perfect agents to submit their unsolicited query letters. I keep a comprehensive list for myself (that took hours and hours to compile), but I figured why not post it a little at a time for…
Spring Fling Writing Contest
I LOVE entering writing contests! Not only is there the possibility of a prize, but it also gives me a chance to write about a topic that might not work for a full book, take a break from a current manuscript and all the editing, and opens the possibility of encouragement or gratification from an…
The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie
After reading the first couple of chapters, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. (Bear with me, I swear this is a positive review.) It took me awhile to figure out why it wasn’t sticking with me, but I finally figured out that I wasn’t connecting with the main character. Guinevere has…
The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry
I read a lot of picture books. Like A LOT. I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old who love to read, and I read quite a few picture books as mentor texts or potential comparison books for my own picture book manuscripts. So yeah, I’ve been around the picture book block…
#READICT Reading Challenge
This post would be more appropriate in January, but since I did not create this site until recently, here we go! Every year in Wichita, KS the Wichita Public Library partners up with the local newspaper, the Wichita Eagle, to challenge residents to read 12 books in 12 months. Pretty easy, right? There’s a catch…
A New Endeavor
Hello, and welcome to my website! I’m so glad you’re here. Take a look around, get to know me and my writing, or send me a message. This website is intended to highlight amazing books and authors, help new and aspiring authors, and be a place I can share my love for reading and writing.…
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