October: Smells like pumpkin spice and book challenges
October: Smells like pumpkin spice and book challenges
Bookish news, giveaways, a profile of Nancy Churnin, and new mini lesson on sensory language!
On Not Turning Into a Pumpkin
It’s October, which means pumpkin spice and… Banned Books Week. We’ve all read the alarming statistics and seen the photos of classrooms with bare bookshelves. I want to focus on how we as creators, teachers, and librarians, keep going after reading the news of the latest school district implementing policies designed to keep books out, instead of welcoming them into the classroom.
Whenever I feel discouraged about the size of the problem and my own smallness, I turn to the amazing young people in the two anthologies of young activists that I’ve had the privilege to co-edit and illustrate: NO VOICE TOO SMALL and NO WORLD TOO BIG.
Greta Thunberg was almost consumed by her despair over adults’ inaction on climate change. But instead of giving up, she took a small action which connected her to a few others who who shared her feelings. That first small action led to more that changed her life and eventually the lives of many other young people around the globe.
If you are working in a district where every book has to be vetted for “appropriateness,” or worrying about challenges to your library acquisitions, or struggling to create in an environment that feels hostile to your voice and vision - know that you are not alone. We all came to this work because we care about kids and understand the importance of kids’ relationships to books. While some adults don’t value your work, kids do - especially kids like Greta, who are neurodivergent, or have mental health challenges, or are alone in the crowd. And their potential to change the world is yet untapped.
Keep going! The world needs your magic.
— by Jeanette Bradley
Kidlit Creator Profile: Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin, a former theater critic, shines a light on people who made the world a better place and encourages kids to make the world a better place, too. Her picture books have won international and national awards, have been honored by the Junior Library Guild and A Mighty Girl, and have been on multiple state reading lists. They all come with free teacher guides, resources, and dedicated projects on her website where kids share the great things they do. Nancy lives in North Texas with her husband, a dog named Dog, and two cantankerous cats. To connect with Nancy and learn more about her books, visit her at nancychurnin.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.
Nancy Churnin has two books coming November 7! Preorder now!
COUNTING ON SHABBAT by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Petronela Dostalova, Kar-Ben Publishing
VALENTINES FOR ALL, ESTHER HOWLAND CAPTURES AMERICA'S HEART by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Monika Roza Wisniewska, Albert Whitman
Mini Lesson
A mini lesson from Beth Anderson on Sensory Language—Featuring "SMELLY" KELLY AND HIS SUPER SENSES.
Bring reading into writing with this mini lesson using children's literature as a model for writing. Learn about sensory language with examples from "SMELLY" KELLY AND HIS SUPER SENSES. Pause the video as needed to discuss and examine text to identify sensory words. Explore further to find more examples in this book or others. Then try it. Make your writing come alive!
Celebrate Children’s Book Week with KidLit for Growing Minds with Free Virtual School Visits
For the week of November 6-10, Kidlit for Growing Minds members will be offering free, 20-minute virtual school visit Q&A sessions. Stay tuned for signups!
Book News
Leonard Marcus, while at Astra Books for Young Readers, acquired world rights to Clear and Bright: The Ching Ming Festival by APALA Award-winner Teresa Robeson (l.), illustrated by William Low; Susan Dobinick will edit. Two Chinese American children gather with their family to celebrate Ching Ming, where they honor and give thanks to their ancestors for the immigration journeys that blended their heritage and adopted cultures to make them the family they are today. The book is set to publish in spring 2025; Tracy Marchini at BookEnds represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented.
Beth Anderson’s nonfiction picture book, SCULPTING PRESIDENT LINCOLN: VINNIE REAM CARVES OUT HER FUTURE, illustrated by Jenn Ely, has been acquired by Astra/Calkins Creek. This story about the 18-year-old prodigy who persisted past tradition, gender, age, class, education, and critics to create the Lincoln statue standing in the Capitol Rotunda today releases Spring 2026.
Back-to-School Giveaway Winner
Congratulations to our Back-to-School Book Bundle Giveaway winner, Naz Alibhai! Naz won these Kidlit for Growing Minds books:
NO WORLD TOO BIG by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley, illus. by Bradley
QUEEN OF PHYSICS by Teresa Robeson, illustrated by Rebecca Huang
EGYPTIAN LULLABY by Zeena M. Pliska, illustrated by Hatem Ali
CLOAKED IN COURAGE by Beth Anderson, illustrated by Anne Lambelet
New October Book Bundle Giveaway for Subscribers!
Subscribe to be entered for a chance to win this fall book bundle! Tell your friends!
FROM HERE TO THERE: INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES by Vivian Kirkfeld and Gilbert Ford
SOMETHING GREAT by Jeanette Bradley
LILA AND THE JACK-O’-LANTERN: HALLOWEEN COMES TO AMERICA by Nancy Churnin and Anneli Bray
MAMA’S YEAR WITH CANCER by Nancy Churning, Shayna Vincent, and Wazza Pink