As I move my newsletter over from Mailchimp, thank you for coming along with me on this journey.
When I left teaching three years ago to embrace the writing life, it was not an easy decision to make. Being a teacher was such an integral part of my identity that the idea of leaving was like a physical ache. But it was time.
Since then, it has been a whirlwind three years. I will never stop missing my classroom…but sharing my books with readers across the country and the world has eased the separation.
I’m not sure what this space will become. Right now, it’s a place to give you updates on my book news and author events. I hope to add musings on the writing life, insider tips on the publishing industry, and shoutouts to creatives in the writing community.
What do you want to hear? Let me know in the comments!
I hope you’ll connect with what I write and share with me your thoughts. If you are ever in the area near one of my book events, I hope you’ll stop by and say hello. I love meeting with readers, and of course friends, always.
In that spirit, mark your calendars! Please join me on Dec 1, 11:30 am at Books of Wonder (42W 17th Street, New York, NY), where I will be launching my next picture book, LOVE IS HERE WITH YOU. This is a special one (yes, I know I say this about all my books but y’all Nabi Ali, the illustrator, has created magic within the spreads).
My editor at Candlewick, Kaylan Adair, calls this book a warm hug. I couldn’t agree more. And this certainly feels like a time for plenty of warm hugs.
I have loved being at book festivals this fall - Chappaqua, Princeton, Warwick, and the Brooklyn Museum Book Festival were highlights. And I hope to be back at all of them next year! The best part is reconnecting with former students (Vivaan and Tarini pictured below!) and former colleagues and fellow authors (Brooke McKenzie with her adorable daughter Maeve) and meeting grown-up readers who tell me they love my books.
I sold two more picture books. Illustrators and contracts must be finalized before announcements can be made. Maybe I’ll get to share sometime this year? Watch this space!
Look out for my 2025 picture books:
OVER IN THE MANGROVES - a nonfiction picture book coming out next July about the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest (I just found out it’s available for pre-order!)
THE POWER OF YOUR NAME: A PRAISE POEM - an ABC picture book coming out next August that reminds us to love and honor our names.
I’ll be at the NCTE conference in Boston from Nov 21-24 - presenting on choice, voice and engagement in literacy instruction, South Asian identity in the classroom and the power of picture book biographies. While there, I’ll be dropping by Wellesley Books and Porter Square Books to sign my books. So order a few before I get there, and I will personalize :)
If you have read my books and like them, do take a minute to review them on Amazon and/or request them for your local public library or school library. Authors need all the help they can get to spread the word and that Amazon algorithm needs the reviews to make us pop up on searches!
You can also order any or all of my books for yourself or for others in your life at THIS link (which is not the big online retailer but supports indie bookstores).
Want me to visit your school, library, museum, or festival? Contact me.
If you think a friend, teacher or librarian may be interested in this newsletter, please forward it to them, so they can subscribe. Thank you for reading and for your support!
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