Congratulations to MUF contributor Samantha Clark for her SCBWI Crystal Kite award! Samantha won for her book, THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST (Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster), which was released about a year ago, on June 26, 2018.
The Crystal Kite is a huge honor because it is a peer-given award, with each winner chosen by members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Samantha’s chapter, the Austin SCBWI, also had a winning title last year.
Celina is one of the many towns recently devastated by the record-breaking string of tornados that ripped through Ohio on Memorial Day. In Celina alone, more than 50 families lost their homes – completely. Immediate needs are being taken care of, but there are still ways we in the kidlit community can help – primarily with BOOKS.
One of our MUF contributors, Michelle Houts, lives in Celina, and she is collecting NEW children’s BOOKS–Board books, Picture Books, MG, and YA–and working with the local school principal to identify recipients and distribute books to homes that lost favorite books and entire home libraries.
One of Michelle’s friends found two pages from a picture book inside the bushes of a damaged home–Water Dance by Thomas Locker.
Michelle says, “Please help my community find their rainbow. Thank you in advance. #KidlitForCelina”
HOW TO HELP:
* For instructions on where to send your contributions, please message Michelle here: michelle@michellehouts.com.
* Any book contributions that don’t find an individual reader will go to Celina school libraries.
* Books will be distributed mid-late July. The displaced families don’t have much space or storage right now.
If you are an author or illustrator sending your own books: Please sign your book/books!
KidLiteracy, Inc. is a brand new non-profit organization dedicated to bringing writers and books to schools in need. Check them out here, follow them on Facebook, and consider donating to this wonderful new effort to bring literacy to all children everywhere. If you’re an author, illustrator, or publisher, you can sign up online to work with KidLiteracy, Inc. And if you’re a school in NE Florida, go to the website to sign up for a free author visit! Congratulations and best of luck to the group’s founders: our own Jen Swanson, along with her partners Karen Cherney and Sophia Gholz.
Cover Reveals: From the Mixed-Up Files now does cover reveals. If you’re an author with a cover reveal to share, consider working with us to host your big day. To be considered, please write us: msfishby@mixedupfiles.com, let us know your publisher and your time frame. We’re sorry, but we don’t host self-published covers.
