The Weekly 411 (12/20/24)
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| © Michele Kempees |
Dec. 20, 2024 vol. 51
The Weekly 411 gathers all the links added to Kidlit411 each week. To receive this post by email, sign up for our email updates. Are you on Facebook? Join our Kidlit411 group for conversations and camaraderie. We can also be found on Bluesky. This week's illustration is by Michele Kempees.
Getting Down to Business (compilation of publishing-related news)
Picture Book Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, Squawk of Spanish, by Gabriella Aldeman, illustrated by Romina Galotta (Charlesbridge 2024). Enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below.
About the Book: Max finds his Spanish-speaking voice with the help of his abuela's pet, Lorito, a talkative parrot, in this sweet and heartwarming picture book. Max isn't confident with his Spanish, especially rolling his Rs, and his cousins always tease him about it. But he loves spending weekends baking with his Spanish-speaking abuela, while Lorito the parrot helps translate. But when Lorito disappears for a day, Max and Abuela must figure out how to communicate. Max's Spanish doesn’t have to be perfect, and Abuela can attempt a little English. Trying is what counts!
About the Author: Gabriella Aldeman is a Panamanian American author. She writes picture books in hopes that more children become readers and that all readers feel seen. She is also a professional translator of academic resources and children’s books. Gabriella holds degrees from Georgetown University and the College of William and Mary. Her books include Paula’s Patches (Free Spirit, 2023), Squawk of Spanish (Charlesbridge, 2024), and the forthcoming Sometimes A Dream (Versify/HarperCollins, 2027). She lives in Fairfax, Virginia with her husband and two children. Please visit her at www.writebetween.com or @write_between on Twitter or Instagram.
About the Illustrator: Romina Galotta is an Argentinian author/illustrator, animal lover, passionate foodie, and forever traveler. Graduated in Graphic Design from the University of Buenos Aires. She works with traditional mediums: watercolors, gouache, colored pencils, soft pastels, and ink. Currently resides in Italy, with her husband and dogs. Other talents include bird rescuing, tattooing, pizza making, and knitting cozy sweaters.
Middle Grade Giveaway
We are pleased to host a giveaway of the middle grade novel, The Rule of Three by Heather Murphy Capps (Lerner/Carolrhoda Books 2024). Enter to win via the Rafflecopter below.
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| art by Jethro Unom, design by Viet Chu |
About the Book: When the rules no longer apply, how do you keep your head in the game? Wyatt has a three-part Plan for Life, and it starts now, at the beginning of seventh grade, with tryouts for his local travel baseball team. A biracial kid in a mostly white town, he’s always felt like a bit of an outsider. The baseball field is the only place where he feels like he truly belongs. If he can just make the team, everything else will fall into place: school, friends, even his relationship with his often-distant dad. But after upsetting incidents at tryouts, something inexplicable happens: wisps of smoke form around Wyatt. As Wyatt tries to figure out what’s causing this mysterious smoke and how to control it, he discovers it’s connected to a painful family history. The more he learns, the more Wyatt begins to question the rules he’s always followed to fit in. With tensions rising at school and on the field, can he face the injustices of the past while keeping his cool in the present?
About the Author: Heather Capps is an award-winning author of upper middle grade books about history, social justice, science, & magic. She is a mother of two and an education equity activist. As a biracial author, Heather is passionate about creating diversity in publishing. Her critically acclaimed debut novel Indigo and Ida received two starred reviews, made Booklist’s 2023 “Top 10 First Novels for Youth,” won a Moonbeam Children's Book Award gold medal, and was a finalist in the Jane Addams 2024 Children’s Book Awards. Her second novel, The Rule of Three, also received a starred review: “The author’s willingness to tackle difficult topics with thoughtfulness and compassion makes this compelling novel a must-read.” (From School Library Journal)
Holiday Special: Free Picture Book Breakthrough Bundle for Writers. What's included in the Bundle:
- The Three Major Components to Help You Break into Traditional Publishing (PDF)
- Proper Manuscript Formatting Guide (PDF)
- How to Hook an Agent with Your Picture Book (eBooklet)
- The 5 Mistakes that Will Kill Your Picture Book Manuscript (PDF)
- The Ultimate Revision Checklist (PDF)
- bonus: Picture Book Coaching Masterclass video training ($297 value, now FREE for a limited time!)
only available for a short time as a holiday special offer!
Tough Love Approach to Backstory
Find and Delete These Phrases from Your Novel
Audio: How Authors Sell Their Next Book
Awesome! Thanks for your generosity!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to read both of these books.
ReplyDeleteMy second grade students would love either of these books.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to read SQUAWK OF SPANISH! Thanks for this giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to read The Rule of Three. I am always looking for books that include something about a sport. Students in my class will love this.
ReplyDeleteEvery year, right around opening day, I published a blog about middle grade baseball books. I would love to get a copy of The Rule of Three to add to that list.
ReplyDeleteBoth books sound great! Can’t wait to read Rule of Three. Vsubhat at Hotmail.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on two great-looking books for kids!
ReplyDeleteTysm for the generous giveaways! I hope everyone has a peaceful holiday :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these books. I've read Squawk of Spanish and thought it was great. I'm always looking for new sports books, so I'm looking forward to checking out The Rule of Three
ReplyDelete