How to Write a Reimagined Fairy Tale by TIna Cho

Like many of you, I grew up listening to fairy tales. And even more fun for me as a teacher is sharing my love of fairy tales with my kindergartners. In fact, one of our common core literacy standards is to compare and contrast stories. So, I especially like reading the original story to them and then sharing all the fun retellings. For example, we read The Three Little Pigs, and then I share my author friends’ spin on the story: The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz, illustrated by Dan Santat and It’s Not the Three Little Pigs by Josh Funk, illustrated by Edwardian Taylor.

Fairy tales with a twist are often referred to as fractured fairy tales. But I don’t like that description. Fractured means broken, something destroyed. These stories are far from that. Instead, I’m going to refer to them as reimagined. Using one’s imagination, how can you put a twist and make it fresh and new?

In my Storystorm 2022 idea notebook, I scribbled down idea #10 for one of my favorite fairy tales to teach, The Princess and the Pea. I wrote on the page: “The Princess and the Rice.” I ran the idea by my agent in June. She loved it and wanted a draft in the next month! Five months later and many revisions back and forth with my critique groups and agent, it went out on submission. The VERY next day we had a bite. Editor Grace Kendall of Farrar, Strauss, Giroux (FSG), an imprint of Macmillan really liked it because she loved watching Korean dramas. Who knew there would be an editor out there who loved all things Korea and even lived there for a summer?! (Note to writers: you never know what an editor’s interests and experiences are, so submit!!) Grace asked for an R&R (revise & resubmit). Three months later, we had an offer! And the lovely Honee Jang illustrated it. Look for her interview next time.

Here are some ideas to write your own reimagined fairy tale:

    1. Make a list of your favorite fairy tales as a kid.

To jog your memory:
Wikipedia has a running list
Popular fairy tales

   2. Change the setting.

Instead of a Western/European castle setting, I set my princess in olden-day Korea, during the Joseon period (1392-1910). Instead of a castle, it’s a real Korean palace. 

    3. Change an important object in the story.

Instead of a nasty pea (I very much dislike peas), I changed it to a grain of rice, more fitting for my setting. Also, I changed the mattresses the princess sleeps on to blankets because in olden Korea, they slept on the floor using thick blankets. 

    4.Change some characters. Swap some out for others that fit your setting.

In one of my earlier drafts, I had the usual king and queen looking for a princess for their prince. However, to make this story updated for our times, we (critique groups, agent, & editor) deleted the king, gave the princess and queen more agency, and made the prince mellow. I also inserted a mouse, not any mouse, a Korean field mouse which used to be revered in the culture of the day, go figure.

    5. Slightly change the plot to fit the setting.

After doing lots of background research of Joseon princesses, I discovered a princess Jeongson (I changed her spelling to Jeongsoon so Americans will pronounce it correctly). She actually went through a princess challenge to become the next queen for a very old monarch. (I won’t get into that tangent right now.) In olden-day Korea, there really was a competition in which noble girls would apply and flock to the palace. They would compete in etiquette, outward and inner beauty, and wisdom. BINGO! This fit nicely into the standard Princess and the Pea plot. I could just add a sleeping test on 100 blankets for another princess challenge! Do you see how I kept the main plot but changed some of the details? You still want the story to be recognizable.

    6. Add humor.

Everyone loves to laugh, from the child to the adult reading the story. Humor lightens a heavy message in a plot. And fairy tales can be heavy emotionally. Classic fairy tales have good versus evil—the wolf, the witch, an evil stepmother, etc… Children process these concepts and apply them to their own problems. So, adding in humor to lighten a scene adds to the loveable qualities of these stories! In my story, my characters fumble and tumble! Literally.

    7. Add layers to the story—emotional, cultural, thematic.

In my story, Jeongsoon, who has a heart as gentle as jade, wants to become a princess so she can help feed the hungry people in her village. But she’s a little clumsy. However, she stays true to herself to win the vote of the queen. Obviously, there are also cultural Korean details in the story. There’s also a theme of identity. The author’s note alludes to this. Growing up, I nor my daughter, had books or movies with Korean princesses. Disney princess movies had white princesses at the time. And to this day, there isn’t a Disney Korean princess. Maybe someday! So, I want readers, especially Asian kids, to see themselves in this story. There’s another theme—what does it take to become a princess? Certainly, it can’t be based on looks. What does inner beauty look like?

My daughter--Princess Anna 

    8. Add entry points or selling points for marketing.

I recently learned of this term “entry points” from my wonderful agent. This term refers to all the ways the marketing team could market your book. The more the merrier and hopefully more sales! For example, The Princess and the Grain of Rice could be marketed as a princess book. Just having “princess” in the title is high concept, IMO. It’s also marketed as a fairy tale, which teachers and librarians will love. It’s also a diverse story, especially in Asian books. It could be marketed as historical fiction because it shows the Joseon era of Korea. I just looked on Amazon. They even have it marked in the “children’s values” section. As I referred to earlier, what does inner beauty look like?

    9. Add an author’s note and backmatter if needed.

If you use a real setting and time in history like I did, you’ll want to write back matter on the real places and people mentioned in the story. Plus, to my surprise, my editor even added a photo of my family at the princess’s gravesite. *Note, when we lived in Korea, we would go to these huge cemeteries because of their beauty and serenity, the green GRASS that was hard to find in an overcrowded Korea, and the openness of nature. Little did I know I would someday be writing about the very princess-turned-queen on whose ground my children played on!

    10.Add a catchy title that alludes to the original.

The Princess and the Grain of Rice it is! And the title alone sold the idea to my agent.

 

And there you have it! My 10 ideas for writing a reimagined fairy tale. What are your favorite fairy tales? Share in the comments! And if you have more tips, add yours!

Author Tina Cho with her young kids at a Korean palace in Seoul 2012

Tina Cho is a kindergarten teacher and author of many books including Rice from Heaven, The Ocean Calls, (4 starred reviews JLG, Freeman Honor Award), God’s Little Oceanographer, the forthcoming The Princess & the Grain of Rice (Feb. 10th), and The Kimchi Fridge (Oct. 6th). Her graphic novel, The Other Side of Tomorrow received five starred reviews, a JLG Gold Standard Selection, SLJ Best Graphic Novels List 2024, Kirkus Best Middle Grade 2024, Freeman Book Honor Award from NCTAsia, SCBWI Golden Kite Award, state lists, etc… 

You can visit her website at www.tinamcho.com 

The Princess & the Grain of Rice is available!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's Time to FLOAT with Larry Daley & His Debut! Craft Chat and Book Review by Kathy Halsey

Craft Chat with Larry Daley

Yesterday FLOAT, a debut picture book by author-editor Larry Daley, dropped into our world. This fun, engaging read includes hidden, buried surprises to entice readers trapped in the winter doldrums along with a subtle message on how to calm oneself when things don’t work out the way we'd like. What to do? You know . . .FLOAT!

Excitable, spunky main character Rosie knows her trip to the aquarium will be perfect. After all, she’s waited exactly twenty-three days, nine hours, eleven minutes, and nineteen seconds to see the baby sea turtle. But when a pesky seagull nabs her lunch, she’s frantic to retrieve it. In pursuit, she tangles with otters, penguins, seahorses, and even piranhas as they munch on her Slappy Sour Loopty Froots, lightly salted Corn Crackles, and even her fudge-covered Cookie Toes! (Such fun language in this book!)

When her madcap chase with the seagull leaves a trail of devastation throughout the aquarium Rosie is frustrated with herself and the mess she made. But the patient aquarium manager teaches Rosie to “float” and take a pause when the water gets rough. 

FLOAT makes for a great read aloud with the humorous, kid-friendly language, and educators and librarians will appreciate the backmatter on what sea creatures really eat at snack time. 

Craft Chat with Larry Daley

Kathy: I’m curious as to how your background in children’s media development and supervision of comic book brands such as Batman and Superman has influenced your debut FLOAT. What’s the connection between comics and picture books for you as a writer and illustrator?

Larry: I think when you’re a young artist starting out in pursuit of work, every opportunity put in front of you is worth exploring, even if it’s not your first choice. I had not read comics growing up, but an introduction during my first year in college presented me with a unique chance to intern at Marvel Comics in New York City, and for the first time, I saw writers and artists working professionally in the field, producing stunning work that truly energized me. 

I knew this was not the artistic work I was good at and even wanted to do, but it made me want to learn everything about how books were made and how the art directors and editors worked with talented artists. It became an incredible education for how and who makes books. It helped me understand how to pitch stories, work with art directors, make corrections on press-checks (the process of checking how the color looks when printed), it even open my eyes to why some artists never get hired while others do.

All this exposure helped me jump into picture books with more confidence because I understood the business. Being a creative professional, more often than not, is about being reliable, courteous, and a team player, rather than the greatest artist that ever lived. Whether it’s making comics, picture books, or any other form of storytelling, I’m grateful to know that making anything takes many hands and every one of them should be appreciated. 

Kathy: More children’s book creators are choosing to self-publish or go with a hybrid model since the children’s market is so tight now. How did you discover Bookling Media? What made that model the right choice for you?

Larry: I had been familiar with the publisher of Booking Media, Becky Gehrisch, creative work as we had met at a SCBWI conference in New York. I was very excited to see her start her publishing imprint and decided to submit a story. What immediately impressed me was her willingness to try something new to counter her own frustrations with the exclusivity of the children’s book market. Unfortunately, entry into kid’s publishing has become quite a mystery for most, so it’s not surprising to see so many aspiring writers and artists turning to self-publishing as their chance to share their stories.

Sadly, both the production quality and the marketing know-how is still not available to most who take that path. Success for people interested in a chance to be on the shelves still need a partner to make that happen and I believe small publishers have a lot going for them, depending on their business model. As for Bookling Media, their business model definitely has them doing some things right. For one, artists under their imprint retain the intellectual properties they create, meaning Bookling Media only licenses the rights to publish, versus owning the material. This is not the case for major imprints. 

Bookling Media also puts out a high quality product. Most self published work will not find an audience because the quality is difficult for most bookstores to carry. Lastly, Bookling Media partners with artists in marketing their book by helping them understand what an artist must do to have their work recognized in an oversaturated marketplace. In the end, an artist must know how to both create and market their product. A small publisher will help an artist understand what they need to do, even if they themselves can’t do it themselves.

Kathy: The main character Rosie is likeable and engaging. Did your own daughters serve as inspiration for her? Did you do character sketches first in her development or imagine and write about her?  

Larry: I would love to say that any one of my daughters inspired me for this character, but from the start, Rosie was always inspired by my grandmother. Standing at 5 feet tall, with fiery red hair, my Nana was a sweetheart who never seemed to be afraid of anything. She had a spark that was bold, brave and vulnerable in one package.She embodied a spirit that I wanted to see in this little girl, particularly in a situation when life threw her an unexpected curve ball. 

There’s no right way to behave when a seagull steals your food, but it was funny to see Rosie process those emotions in a way my grandmother would have loved. That said, I went through many versions of what Rosy would look like and the process took me a few months before I found her in the artwork. It was also interesting drawing her with wet hair as her adventure takes her into some scenarios I had never drawn before. Thankfully, Rosy turned out the way she was meant to be and I think my Nana would have adored her.

Kathy: Informational backmatter and facts about sea creatures make this book stand out from others. How did you arrive at the topic of sea creature snacks and the idea of lunchboxes? It's so kid-centric!

Larry: One of the things I love about Bookling Media is that educational material at the back of the book was part of the agreement. It was their suggestion to find a theme that was relevant to the story but offered factual information that gave teachers and librarians a starting point for conversation. Learning about real snacks for ocean animals seemed a natural pairing with Rosy’s story, but the idea of lunchboxes came from my own memories as a kid. 

For me, the start of school always began with shopping for school clothes and picking out my new metal lunchbox. I could have skipped the clothing part, but the thrill of selecting my lunchbox was the equivalent of having the newest sneakers in school. Why exactly? I’m not sure. They were just great. And to include them in the story as something all the kids owned was a personal gift to myself, which is also why there is a photo of me, at age seven, proudly showing off my King Kong lunchbox. 

Kathy: As a former K-12 school librarian, I was impressed that you have already attended ALA! What tips do you have for authors attending their first library conferences? What were your goals for these events?

Larry: What an interesting question. I had never been to one before I attended the ALA this year in Philadelphia. For those that haven’t been, it’s a large conference event for not only publishers showcasing their new book arrivals, but also new technology manufacturers in publishing and library services that offer an interesting glimpse into how the industry works. Many authors attend only by invitation from their publishers to sign book copies and be the stars for the imprint brands. 

It’s not the first place you would expect to meet and greet talent who work on the books, but it is a great place to better understand the book market. ALA is a space to ask a lot of questions and for the most part, those that attend are willing to give you thoughtful answers. What I appreciated was the great cross section of industry people in-the-know: publishers selling their new titles, reviewers such as the Library Journal or Kirkus Reviews taking note of what’s coming out, and librarians looking to order their next list of books.

If you’re lucky enough to be invited as a published author, your day will be filled with questions about your book. However, if you decide to attend on your own, it’s an opportunity to see what are the newest books in your genre and ask questions about why the marketing team is excited about them. As a creative writer or artist, this is the place to potentially see the next big hit and ask the librarians what kinds of books they’re interested in purchasing and why. Whether or not you decide to follow the book trends is up to you, but knowing what the market is looking for plays a role in how you pitch your ideas.   

Kathy: You have a few fun secrets buried in FLOAT. Can you share what surprises are hidden and why you were interested in adding them?

Larry: Yes, FLOAT has a few secrets for the readers to find that might not be obvious at first glance. For starters, Rosy is not the only one having an adventure at the aquarium. If you look closely, you will discover a small white octopus, named Bubbles, has escaped her tank and pops up on a number of pages, looking for a way out of the building. I love finding secondary stories in picture books that are simply there to entertain curious eyes who happen to spot something in the details. 

Another secret, that’s a bit harder to find, are the 20 tiny turtles that are hidden in the artwork, one for every page. If you have a magnifying glass and a lot of patience, you might be able to find them all. But the best secret in the book is a hidden riddle, written somewhere in the illustrations, that if found gives readers a chance to win a real treasure. Lucky participants can enter their name on my website at www.larrydaley.com/riddle if they can find and answer the riddle. 

The prize in question is a treasure box with a 1 oz silver coin inside. The coin is adorned with marine animals and truly a treasure for one lucky reader. The drawing for the prize will occur on August 9, 2026 in a live event on my Instagram account @larrydaleyart, so I hope to see a lot of entries for this special event. 

Kathy: Congrats on your book launch yesterday. Describe what you plan for your debut year…a blog tour, school visits, bookstore events? What are you working on next?

Larry: At the moment, my focus is on launching my FLOAT book tour and visiting schools, bookstores and libraries with the message of “just float when life throws you something unexpected.” I believe it’s a good message for kids and parents alike, as it’s tough to remember to take a breath sometimes. My hope is that parents and their children will find FLOAT has a few giggles, a kind, adult role-model looking to help rather than scold, and a reminder that emotions get the best of us all. 

I’m thankful to be partnered with a publisher committed to seeing this story out in front of young audiences and I’m optimistic that some of the surprises buried in the illustrations will have readers turning pages with curiosity and a keen interest in finding my hidden secrets. In terms of what’s next, I’m developing a new picture book adventure, once again filled with chaos mixed with kindness, that I hope to announce shortly. Until then, I hope FLOAT finds its way into libraries, classrooms and sleepy bedtimes everywhere.

Biography

Larry Daley is an author/illustrator and freelance creative director in children's media development. An alumnus of Warner Bros. Entertainment and DC Comics, Larry supervised major comic book brands such as Batman and Superman in film, television, video games, toys, comics, licensed promotions, and children's publishing. His illustrative and written work is known for its quirky humor, playful characters, and exaggerated perspectives. Right now, his focus is on creating funny stories that blend chaos with kindness. Larry lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three lovely daughters.

Find Larry on IG @larrydaley.com. and his website www.larrydaley.com

 

Shannon Hitchcock Writes a Sequel (13 years later)

Middle grade fans are in for a treat -- coming March 3, 2026. Shannon Hitchcock's forthcoming novel, Wild Mountain Ivy, is a sequel to her historical fiction The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, and let me tell you, the thirteen year wait was worth it! Not only that, I've got a cover reveal for a 13-year old novel ... Read on!

Shannon Hitchcock writes middle grade and picture books. Many of her stories are inspired by her childhood growing up on a North Carolina farm. The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, published in 2013, was her first. That book, based on Shannon's own family history, is set in North Carolina in the 1920s, during the tuberculosis outbreak. The TB pandemic upends 14-year-old Jessie Pearl's plans for her future as she must stay home and take care of her nephew and the family farm. You can read more about Shannon's writing process here.

Although a friend urged Shannon to write a sequel about what happened next in Jessie Pearl's life, she turned instead to other writing projects, both fiction and nonfiction. Then Covid-19 arrived. 

While she was writing about tuberculosis, Shannon never suspected she'd live through a subsequent pandemic herself. But the arrival of Covid brought inspiration for the plot of a Jessie Pearl sequel. As Shannon contemplated the similarities between the two pandemics, she decided to write a ghost story weaving together the stories of two young protagonists from two different pandemics, a century apart. 

In Wild Mountain Ivy, 12-year-old Ivy is suffering from long Covid. Hoping it will help her to rest and recover, Ivy's mother takes her to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina for the summer. Ivy's uncle owns an inn there, an inn that was once a tuberculosis sanitarium. Ivy becomes intrigued with the mystery of the fate of a long-ago sanitarium resident, Jessie Pearl. Without spoiling the story, I can say there's a bit of the supernatural in this tale about illness and resilience, music and family, healing and hope. I particularly enjoyed the musical elements, including watching Ivy learn to play the dulcimer, and the actual Ballad of Jessie Pearl. This is a lovely, heartfelt, and uplifting read.

And there's some bonus good news. Years ago, the original Ballad of Jessie Pearl publisher, namelos, closed down and returned all rights to the authors. In March, after being out of print for some time, The Ballad of Jessie Pearl will be back! Lerner/Carolrhoda Books, in addition to publishing the sequel, is re-releasing The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, with brand new cover art. Ta-DA!

New Cover, 2026

Wild Mountain Ivy is available for pre-order now. You can order direct from the publisher here, at IndieBound here, or visit your favorite local bookseller. You'll be glad you did! 

Shannon Hitchcock lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she can see the mountains. She is the author of many books for children, including Flying Over Water, cowritten with N.H. Senzai (a Kirkus Best Book of the Year) and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection Dancing in the Storm, co-written with Amie Darnell Specht. Visit her website to find out more.  

Nancy Castaldo stretches Beyond Books for Kids

by Sue Heavenrich

Nancy Castaldo is an award-winning author who writes about the connections between science, people, and our planet. Her latest picture book, Whales in the City is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. She’s written about moose, wolves, and sniffer dogs for middle grade readers, and her books for young adults address environmental topics with global implications.

Her latest book is Squirrel: How a Backyard Forager Shapes Our World, a detailed dive into a common critter most of us see every day. And… it’s not written for kids. 

Like most folks, we’ve got squirrels a-plenty in our backyard: gray squirrels, red squirrels, chipmunks. This time of year they’re busy raiding the bird feeder! I wanted to learn more about them (squirrels) and Nancy’s book, so I reached out to her a few weeks ago.

Sue: Hi Nancy. I’ve got to know… why squirrels?

Nancy: Why not squirrels? That’s really what drew me to them. They’re everywhere, yet most of us only notice them when they’re entertaining us—or frustrating us. I wanted to take a closer look at these familiar creatures and invite readers to see them differently. After all, we already have two endangered squirrel species in the United States. Time is essential. My hope is that after reading Squirrel, people will pause and really consider them as vital members of our ecosystems. 

Sue: Why a book for adults rather than a picture book or middle grade book?

Nancy: Each book I write tells me what it wants to be. To explore squirrels as fully as I hoped to—with all their ecological, cultural, and historical significance—a book for adult readers felt like the right fit.

Nancy presenting one of her library programs

Sue: I love the structure of the book—the table of contents has a very "13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" feel. Can you talk about how you came to this structure?

Nancy: Organizing Squirrel around the many roles squirrels play in our world felt natural. Each chapter highlights one of those identities—cultural icon, keystone species, dinner entree, endangered species, and so on. In a way, it’s similar to how I structured my middle grade book, Beastly Brains. Ask anyone about squirrels, and they’ll likely jump right into one of these roles—so I followed that instinctive pattern.

Sue: How is writing for adults different than writing for kids? Are there ways in which it’s similar?

Nancy: In both cases, it starts with research—lots of it. But the kinds of questions I ask scientists and the way I frame the answers differ. Writing for adults allows for more complexity and context, while writing for kids means choosing words and examples that meet them where they are. Still, my goals remain the same: to inform, inspire, and empower readers, no matter their age.

Sue: Do you have any advice for kidlit authors who want to try writing a book for adults?

Nancy: Read widely in the genre you want to write. It’s the same advice I give to writers working in kidlit: know what’s already out there, and be able to articulate how your book adds something new. Understanding where your work fits on the shelf is key, whether that shelf is for children’s books or adult nonfiction.

Sue: Will we be seeing a children’s book about squirrels in the future?

Nancy: There are already quite a few wonderful picture books about squirrels—so we’ll see! I’m currently working on something that takes a slightly different approach from what’s already on the shelves.

Sue:  Today is National Squirrel Appreciation Day. What’s the coolest thing you learned about squirrels while working on this project? And what can we do to appreciate them?

Nancy: One of the coolest things I discovered is that some squirrel mothers actually gift parts of their territory to their daughters. That kind of generosity in the animal world really caught my attention—it’s a fascinating glimpse into how squirrels maintain social and ecological balance within their populations.

As for appreciating squirrels, start by getting to know the squirrel species that live near you—you might be surprised by how many there are. Each species has its own story and challenges, from habitat loss to climate shifts. The more we learn about them, the more we can appreciate how deeply intertwined they are with our world.

Thank you, Nancy, for joining us today! Folks can find out more about Nancy and her books at her website, nancycastaldo.com. Follow her on BlueSky, X, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

What I Learned from Presenting at NCTE by Tina Cho

I attended my first NCTE conference in Denver last weekend, November 21st - 22nd, and I wanted to reflect on what I learned as a newbie attender. 

Denver Convention Center

NCTE stands for National Council of Teachers of English. Since I'm also a teacher, I've seen NCTE on many research articles, but I had never been a member. That is until...

I had been invited by author friends to present at the conference. Why would authors and illustrators want to present to teachers? Well, for one, these are English language arts teachers who sit in sessions for several days and take back to their districts all the great products and books and wisdom to share with the gatekeepers (A.K.A. principals, educational coaches, etc...) And if your book fits into English language arts standards and curriculum, why not share it? 

The only problem--writing a creative proposal for a presentation that fits into the conference theme set by NCTE. The Denver theme was Dream Boldly. Debra Shumaker headed my group--Nancy Churnin, Amy S. Hansen, Linda Katzenberger, and me. Our presentation was titled "Using Historical & Informational Picture Books to Spark Dreams." We found what we had in common with our books and each of us wrote part of the proposal. We met several times on Zoom to plan and even had a run-through of our presentation on Zoom. So by the time we all arrived, we were ready! 

Debra, Amy, Linda, Tina, Nancy

Next year's conference is in Philadelphia, Nov. 19-22. The theme is "Imagine. Innovate. Inspire. Ideas That Illuminate."  The proposal window has already opened and closes January 27th, 9:00am, EST. Here are the rules. If you want to present, find a group of authors/illustrators with books/themes you have in common as well as something meaningful and helpful for teachers to share in the classroom. You'll also probably make a handout. And oh, one more very important thing--you need a teacher on your team. 😁 Um, this is a conference for teachers! 

Something else to consider is price. This conference is costly. Ask your publishers if they will be attending and if you can sign or if they will help pay your way. Some do. Some don't. You also need to add in the price of travel, hotel, meals, transportation from the airport, etc... Save your receipts if you will be writing this off your taxes.  One thing I learned--how to use Uber for the first time! I "ubered" from the airport to the hotel and then used my phone Maps to walk to the convention center.

My "aha" moments and tips:

1. Take running shoes. Yep! You'll do a lot of walking in the convention center. Also, there's an exhibit hall and newly published books are given away. However, there's a catch that no one told me--there are only a certain amount of each free book that publishers give out. For some (the well-known authors), you need a ticket. And worse, the giveaways are mostly held at the same time. So you need to plan strategically which author/illustrator you're willing to stand in line for. 

I planned on standing in Andrea Wang's line! 

2. Leave extra room in your luggage for the books you might acquire. *see #1 

3. Dress nicely and have your phone/camera ready. You never know who you'll see! I was a fangirl to so many authors I had known for years but had never met in person! 

me and Jyoti Gopal

me and Dow Phumiruk

4. Take your updated business cards or bookmarks--something has that your website, email, social media handles. Give these to interested educators, other creatives, and even publishers. 

5. Connect with others! This is a time to meet up with author and illustrator friends, perhaps your editor is there, or publisher. Get to know teachers in your sessions. I got to meet one of my editors, Joanna Cárdenas, from Penguin Random House Kokila. We met up at a coffee house. I also sat in a session and discovered editor Nancy Paulsen was sitting next to me! I introduced myself and told her it was an honor to meet her. I love that editors support their authors and illustrators! And I met many more kidlit friends. See my Instagram reel.

me and editor Joanna C.

6. Share lodging or stay in the same hotel. I met my critique partner of 13 years for the very first time--Vivian Kirkfield. I roomed with her. (I only stayed for one night at the convention b/c I'm a teacher, it's very hard for me to have a sub...)

me and Vivian Kirkfield, one of my critique partners

Lisa Rogers, me, Vivian--breakfast at the hotel

7. Visit your publishers' booths. I found my graphic novel that came out Nov. 24. And I saw my forthcoming picture book, THE PRINCESS & THE GRAIN OF RICE, at the Macmillan booth for the very first time as a hardcover book! I ooed and awed and took pictures. They even had me sign it for their giveaway. (I wanted it!!) 

Macmillan

Harper Collins

8. Visit any organizations' booths in which you are affiliated. NCTAsia (National Consortium for Teaching about Asia) gave the Freeman Honor Award to my books The Other Side of Tomorrow and The Ocean Calls. So I stopped by their exhibit and discovered my graphic novel on display with the sticker award. They gave me some stickers for my books. And they took pictures, and one representative came to my session! 

I also visited the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) exhibit because they used my book The Ocean Calls in their reading curriculum. So I stopped by to say thank you, and the founder, Lucy Calkins happened to be there. So I met her & took a photo. My district uses her curriculum. 

9. Attend sessions that interest you or support your friends! Of course, I attended my critique partner's session and as many author friends' sessions that I could. Another one of my school's reading curriculum publishers was there teaching a session, so I sat in their session as a teacher gathering wisdom to share with my kindergarten team. 

Vivian Kirkfield, Jolenne Gutierrez, Nyasha Williams

10. Attend the keynotes to be inspired. The new face of Reading Rainbow, Mychal Threets, gave a powerful keynote. Authors and illustrators need their emotional buckets filled, too! 

Mychal Threets

11. Get a souvenir. 

I love the message on this shirt and will be a reminder of my 1st awesome NCTE conference! I enjoyed sharing my highlights with you and with my teacher team and students!

back in my kindergarten classroom sporting my NCTE shirt

 So, if you'd like to learn more about NCTE or write a proposal to present, click the links in this post! If you have any questions or tips, leave them in the comments!

Tina Cho is the award-winning author of six picture books--RICE FROM HEAVEN: THE SECRET MISSION TO FEED NORTH KOREANS, KOREAN CELEBRATIONS, MY BREAKFAST WITH JESUS, THE OCEAN CALLS: A HAENYEO MERMAID STORY (4 starred reviews, JLG, Freeman Honor Award), GOD’S LITTLE ASTRONOMER, GOD’S LITTLE OCEANOGRAPHER, and the forthcoming THE PRINCESS AND THE GRAIN OF RICE (Feb. 2026), THE KIMCHI FRIDGE (Oct. 2026), GOD’S LITTLE ZOOLOGIST (2027), & GOD’S LITTLE BOTANIST (2029). Her lyrical middle grade graphic novel, THE OTHER SIDE OF TOMORROW received five starred reviews (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal, The Horn Book), an SCBWI Golden Kite Award, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, SLJ Best Graphic Novels List 2024, Kirkus Best Middle Grade 2024, & Booklist Editors’ Choice 2024 & the Freeman Book Honor Award/NCTAsia). She’s a kindergarten teacher by day and an author by night. You can visit her website at www.tinamcho.com  or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.