Your Work Deserves It: Conferences to Consider

 

by Fran Hodgkins

Writing can be a lonely business. Does this story work? Is this idea a picture book or a novel? Am I even any good at this? Questions like these pester us daily, like blackflies in May in my beloved Maine. 

 

You don’t need bug repellent, though; going to a conference can make all the difference. Even for the most introverted among us, conferences can make a huge impacts. Inspiring keynote speeches, targeted workshops, and the chance to meet kindred spirits can change your life.

 

Many conferences and workshops are held virtually, which allows you to attend conferences around the world. Travel and hotel costs are no barrier to attending, and if your health presents a problem or you are still leery of crowds, virtual conferences are an excellent choice. 

 

Not only can you attend sessions that will help you improve your writing, but conference attendees often get the chance to submit their work (for a given period of time, such as three months), to editors whose publishing houses are normally closed to non-agented submissions.

 

Here’s a roundup of some of the conferences GROG Blog members have found especially valuable.

 

 

Big Sur Writers Workshop

California, USA

February, 2025

Founded by Andrea Brown, Executive Director and President of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc., this workshop gives you access to noted writers, editors, and agents. Writers get the chance to work one on one with industry professionals and get personalized feedback.

 

By attending this workshop, you’ll meet some of the leading editors and writers working in children’s books today. You’ll also meet agents from the ABLA and get the chance to share your work with them.

The ABLA team has also hosted “Big Sur on Cape Cod” in the past, but that won’t be offered again until after 2025.

 

To learn more, visit https://www.bigsurchildrenswriters.com/

 

 

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Annual Conferences

New York, NY  – Winter

Los Angeles, CA -- Summer

SCBWI brings together top professionals in the children’s publishing world twice each year at the annual Summer and Winter Conferences. These annual events feature renowned authors and illustrators as well as top editors, art directors, and agents in the field of children’s publishing. The Summer and Winter Conferences are excellent networking opportunities for those already established in and just starting to enter the world of children’s book writing and illustrating. There are several tracks available to choose from; illustrators have their own track, as do PAL (published and listed) members, beginners, and intermediate writers. Writers can choose from workshops in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, picture books, marketing, and more. 

 

As of today, the Summer conference will be held remotely, and there will be a remote option for the in-person New York Winter conference. To find out more, visit SCBWI.org.

 

SCBWI Regional workshops

SCBWI has regions around the country and around the world, and they offer a rainbow of learning opportunities—literally something for everyone! A few upcoming sessions include Strengthening Voice in Narration and Illustration (SCBWI New Mexico); Creative Approaches to Revision (SCBWI Rocky Mountain); and Harnessing the Marketing Power of Pinterest (SCBWI Indiana). Fees apply, and most sessions are remote and open to people around the country. 

Generally, you’ll get limited-time access to recordings of the sessions, and you may also be able to submit to editors and agents who attend for a certain period of time. You can find current listings at https://www.scbwi.org/regional-virtual-events, or visit the individual regions’ sites. 

 For a personal take on attending a conference, visit Tina Cho's GROG Blog entry from April 24!

 

Rutgers One-on-One Conference

 Rutgers University

New Brunswick, NJ

From the website: “The unique one-on-one format gives writers and illustrators a rare opportunity to share their work with an assigned mentor from the children's publishing world, whether it be an editor, agent, art director, or published author or illustrator. These professionals generously volunteer their time to not only critique the work of new and talented writers and illustrators, but also to share constructive information about the overall business of publishing. Every attendee is guaranteed a forty-five minute one-on-one manuscript or portfolio review session, and there are additional opportunities to network with our faculty members.” 

 

Are you convinced yet? If not, let me add that this conference is hosted by the Rutgers University Council on Children's Literature at the university's Cook Student Center. You won't stay on campus, but there are plenty of hotels nearby.

 

And did I mention the faculty? Past mentors include

 

•   Linda Pratt, Agent, Wernick & Pratt Agency
•  Orlando Dos Reis, Editor, Scholastic Press
•  Maria Russo, Minerva/Astra Books for Young Readers
• Jamie Ryu, Editor, HarperCollins
•  Sara Sproull, Assistant Editor, Abrams Books for Young Readers
•  Gaby Taboas-Zayas, Assistant Editor, Penguin Young Readers
•  Beth Terrill, Editor, NorthSouth Books
•  Marietta Zacker, Agent, Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency
•  Andrea Cascardi, Agent, Transatlantic Media
•  Rachel Orr, Agent, Prospect Agency  Diana Pho, Editor, Tor Teen/Starscape/Macmillan

This one-day conference includes breakfast, lunch, and guest speakers. In addition to a one-on-one session, attendees will take part in five-on-five sessions with like-minded authors, illustrators, editors, and/or agents. Please note: you must apply and be accepted to this conference. 

 

Visit the website https://www.ruccl.org/conference/about-one-on-one-plus.html for more information.

 

 

Highlights Foundation

Boyds Mills, PA

I admit it: I’m crazy about the Highlights folks. I attended my first conference at Chatauqua and have attended several more both in-person and online. Today, in-person workshops are held at the founders’ home in Boyds Mills, PA. The Foundation offers working retreats across all genres, as well as Summer Camps, one for writers and one for illustrators. If you want to kickstart your work, the summer camp provides one-on-one mentoring (sorry, this year’s camps are already full, but there’s always next year!).

 

The in-person workshops include not only learning programs, but also food and lodging, either in the cabins on the property or in the “Barn” – the conference center. You are free to wander the grounds, a great way to relax and give your subconscious a dose of peace and inspiration.

 

Online workshops are scheduled all year, and range from one- or two-night minis to six-week programs. Upcoming virtual workshops include:

 

• Shape Your Story: A 6-Week Novel Intensive with Author & Agent Linda Epstein
•  From Idea & Sketch to Dummy & Submission: An Author/Illustrator Online Course
• Picture Book Plotting from A-Z: A Five-Week Course for Writers

 

Highlights offers scholarships to support and encourage creators of all kinds and levels of experience, in addition to having a general scholarship fund. 

 

To find out more, visit highlightsfoundation.org; you can also talk to an ambassador who can help you decide what suits your needs.

 

***

This list isn’t exhaustive – if it was, I could probably fill an entire website. I hope I’ve gotten you thinking. If you want to improve your writing, make friends, and have some fun along the way, a conference is a great place to start. Maybe I'll see you there!

 

 

 

A Parking Ticket, New Friends, & a Book Idea: My 1st Ever SCBWI Conference with 10 Tips by Tina Cho

 April 12-14, 2024, I attended my first SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators) Conference, The Marvelous Midwest Conference, sponsored by six states: Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, & Wisconsin. This was not my first writing conference, but it was my first SCBWI conference. You might be thinking why I haven't attended before. Well, I've been out of country for 10 years, and then when I moved back during the pandemic, they didn't meet.

It was held in Davenport, IA, along the Mississippi River at an event center. Below is a list of tips and reminders to myself for next time I attend a writing conference. Maybe something here will be helpful to you, too!

1. Find out which conferences your agent or wish-agent is attending and go! 
When I saw that my agent was a speaker in my state, I submitted for a day off school (I'm a teacher) so I could see her again (Met her at the So. CA Christian Writers Conference in 2017) It's been 7 years since I've seen Adria Goetz. Attending a conference with your agent allows you to get to know them better, support them when they speak, and just have fun. Plus, I met agency sisters, two other clients that she reps.

Me & Adria Goetz of KT Lit

Adria, Caryn, Me, Leah

2. When your SCBWI RA sends out the email about the conference and booking a hotel, do so immediately. 
Delaying and procrastinating means you won't get the better hotel or maybe even the group rate. I delayed, of course, but did get the group rate for a room at the 2nd hotel (Hilton). Also, take your own pillow if you have neck problems. Ask if they offer breakfast. I ended up driving to Panera because I didn't want to pay $15 for breakfast at the hotel. You could interview a fellow creator and see if they want to split the cost of a hotel room and/or carpooling. The lovely author, Becky Janni, was my roomie for the first night.

Me & author Rebecca Janni

3. Study the map for parking places! Know the prices. Study the event center map. Have an idea of the layout of the place.
If you're forgetful like me, you might even take a picture of your car in the ramp, so you know which floor you're on. Pay the parking. I suggest to the manual machine, not the app. More on that later.

4. Set a conference goal. 
What are you trying to get out of this conference? Working on a specific craft in writing? Meeting your agent? editor? Just attending for social reasons? To help you tailor and revise a certain manuscript? Setting a goal will help you make the most of your time for which you paid big bucks for!

5. Study the sessions and like I tell my kindergartners, make good choices!
If you're a teacher, you know how much work it is to take a day off and plan for a sub. So you bet, I took advantage of every minute! I booked a picture book intensive with editor Carter Hasegawa of Candlewick and paid for a critique by him. I wrote down a list of possible sessions I was interested in, then highlighted the ones I really wanted to attend. Study the session description to make sure it's one you can benefit from. I wanted to meet fellow authors that I've known for years online and never met in person. I attended their workshops. 

Jen Swanson: Using Innovation to Grab an Editor's Attention

Me & author friend Jen Swanson

Teresa Robeson & I are on a team of writers at the Kidlit for Growing Minds Blog.

Teresa Robeson: Writing a Graphic Novel for the First Time

6. Make connections.
Take your business card to give to new friends. Ask on social media who else is attending so you can meet up or look for them. It's also nice to be surprised, running into someone you've known since 2012. I met the fabulous Julie Hedlund who runs the 12x12 Challenge. I was an inaugural member the first two years. I also sat in a session with Mark Ceilley, from one of my critique groups, Pens & Brushes since 2008! You & your critique partners could meet up at a conference.

Me & Julie Hedlund

Mark Ceilley & Me

7. Find alternative places to eat.

Conference food was great. But not all meals are provided. Thankfully, there were nice little restaurants along the event center street. The wonderful ladies Kathy Halsey, Caryn Rivadeneira, and another woman, & I ate out during one of these times. Sorry, I forgot to take a photo, but here's Kathy & I, writers of this Grog Blog.

Grog Blog Writers: Kathy Halsey & Tina Cho

8. Carry Sharpies. 
If your books are in the SCBWI bookstore room, you'll want to be able to sign them. Also, buy books of fellow authors, illustrators, and creators! 

Author/Illustrator James Ransome

9. Be brave & introduce yourself to people. Talk to the speakers.
It was awesome to meet illustrator Zeke Peña, a fellow Kokila creator. He illustrated My Papi Has a Motorcycle. He told me he has a personal copy of my book, The Ocean Calls! 

I ran into speaker Ellice Lee, VP, Senior Art Director of Philomel/Viking/Flamingo books of PRH. She gave a keynote & shared current data on diversity in picture books, which I appreciated. But I was flabbergasted when I said my name to her, she responded, "Tina Cho of The Ocean Calls? I gotta tell Nami I met you." (referring to Namrata Tripathi, my Kokila publisher.) She wanted our photo together.

Ellice Lee, VP Art Director & Me

Diversity Data Ellice shared from CCBC

10. Be flexible. Good things happen when you do.
Sessions you wanted might've gotten canceled. Or maybe you notice your very first parking ticket on your car, ahem, & it ruins your morning. I had downloaded the parking app & faithfully paid onto it throughout the weekend. I have no idea why I was ticketed. So because I was dealing with that, I missed a keynote. I prayed, "God, please let something good happen today." I rushed to my next session, on writing HUMOR, which is what I needed, from Little Bee Books editor, Brett Duquette. Great session. Afterwards, I stayed to introduce myself, because, my very first picture book, Rice from Heaven is a Little Bee Book, although with an editor who is no longer there. Brett was happy to meet me, and we chatted 1 on 1 for a long time about Korean stuff. We came up with a possible book idea, and he even took the time to meet my agent. Because of that, I missed the next keynote, but was able to continue chatting with him and another author friend. Being in person with editors allows you to get a sense of their personality and tastes. 

Me & editor Brett Duquette, Little Bee Books

So there you have my weekend. I have a notepad full of notes. New friendships. Something to research. Oh, back to that parking ticket...I reached out to the city, submitted my parking receipts, and they rescinded my ticket. Thank you, city of Davenport! 

Now, I'm off to research & write. 

Tina Cho is the author of Rice from Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans (Little Bee Books 2018), Korean Celebrations (Tuttle 2019), My Breakfast with Jesus: Worshipping God around the World (Harvest House 2020), The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story (Kokila/Penguin Random House 2020), God’s Little Astronomer (Waterbrook 2024), God’s Little Oceanographer 2025, & The Princess & the Grain of Rice (FSG 2025). Her lyrical middle grade graphic novel, The Other Side of Tomorrow, debuts from Harper Alley 11/12/2024. After living in South Korea for ten years, Tina, her husband, and two kids reside in Iowa where Tina also teaches kindergarten. 

Whispering Pines Writing Retreat 2022 Recap with Chris Mihaly and Kathy Halsey

Whee! After two-plus years away from conferences, we (Kathy, from Ohio and Chris, from Vermont) met up at the wonderful Whispering Pines Writing Retreat in Dedham, Massachusetts this weekend, with forty-some other writers and illustrators and a crew of five magnificent mentors. Organized and run with panache by Pam Vaughan and Julia Boyce, this SCBWI-New England workshop is a gem. Here's a quick recap:

Words of Wisdom (from the mentors)

Each mentor shared an amazing presentation. From our copious notes we've distilled a single shining sentence from each ...

Jessica Anderson (editor, Christy Ottaviano Books) offered practical pointers on optimizing symbolism and plot devices, and weaving them organically into your writing.

 

❤ "Your opening pages will be more powerful and resonant if they include a nod to your most significant symbol or plot device."

Alex Aceves (author, associate editor, Holiday House) explained how to create compelling characters that readers will feel a connection to. 

❤ "Deploy character flaws strategically: readers don't connect with a perfect character, so write a protagonist whose flaws make us care about them and their success."

Sera Rivers (agent, Martin Literary Management) revealed the secret of "why THIS book!" -- what makes a work stand out from the slush pile.

❤ "Bring a fresh perspective to a universal theme, and make your work accurate and authentic."

Abby Mumford & Brent Taylor (Photo, Mary Cronin)

Brent Taylor (agent, Triada US) broke down the business of children's books. Even the seasoned authors learned a thing or three. (Territories: World, World English, North American) 

❤ Books like Prince & Knight  "would have meant the world" to Brent as a kid. Brent believes territory is just as important to negotiate as royalties."

Chris Krones (editor, Clarion Books) energized us to knock the socks off writer's block.  They suggested going to the bookstore for inspiration and what gaps your book could fill.

❤ For Chris, "interest in the Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. 'they,' and creating a simple list, led to The Pronoun Book. Create lists, look for simple yet compelling concepts. 

Applying the Lessons

L to R: Brent, Alex, Sera, Jessica, Chris (photo, Mary Cronin)

We applied mentors' suggested writing exercises and pointers to make fresh improvements to our WIPs. A couple of examples:

Chris: I used Jessica's insights into symbols and structure to review a picture book manuscript word by word, working to instill visual and other sensory expressions of my major theme. I think it's better!

Kathy: Thanks to Sera's writing exercise, I changed a problematic setting in my picture book manuscript which enabled me ramp up the conflict.

Parting Thoughts: Top Tips for Writing Workshops

We're each sharing a single top tip for workshop and conference-going. (What? Are they contradictory??) We also include a couple of pointers from other attendees -- because WPWR is all about learning from one another! 

Chris: My top tip is: Say yes! Even if your first reaction is that you don't want to play the silly picking-up-dice-with-cups-on-your-hands game with these people you just met ... just say yes. You'll (probably) be glad you did.

Sally is game! photo by Charlotte Sheer

Kathy: My top tip is: Say no! Know when you've reached your limit socially or mentally. Take a break. Nap, walk in nature, write in private and come back refreshed. 

Laura Renauld: Step outside your comfort zone and be receptive to new ideas. That's what it's all about!

Connie Smith: Ask questions. If you don't understand what a presenter is saying, ask for an explanation ... and if you forget other people's names, just keep asking!

Books by WPWR attendees (photo, Nancy Tupper Ling)

Is it time to break your pandemic-era isolation and congregate again? Thinking of brushing off your Lucky Scarf and signing up for a workshop or conference soon? 

If you're looking for a little help getting back into the swing of things, check out these GROG posts from the archives: 

Introverts attending conferences: words of advice 

Flying high with SCBWI Southern Breeze

Writing conference critiques

The write conference for you

Highlights: Nuts and Bolts of Science Writing

Leave a comment below about your favorite book gatherings. 

And good luck out there!

How to Turn Your Vacation into a Star Story by Tina Cho

Yesterday (August 4th) was the book birthday of The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story published by Kokila, illustrated by Jess X. Snow, my 4th picture book. It’s the end of summer, and I want to encourage you Grog Blog readers to turn your curiosities and vacations into stories! Then your vacations can be tax deductible, hehe.

An 83 year old haenyeo & me

So, it all started with a tweet I read on Twitter in 2016 about the haenyeo. Here I was living in South Korea, and I had never heard of them! They are diving women off the coast of Jeju Island, the southern tip of Korea. They are unique because they don’t use breathing equipment, and most of them are over 50 years of age. Some are in their 80s. 

I scoured the Internet for everything I could read and watch about these fascinating mermaids of the sea. I wrote a first draft. This draft was pure nonfiction, and I thought Highlights Magazine would be interested. I was correct. They were interested, but they wanted more sensory details and quotes. Ugh. No sale.

Jeju Island

I asked my husband how far Jeju was from where we lived, how much it would cost to fly there, etc… It turned out to be a cheap ticket & 30 minute flight. This would be our spring break vacation. I could research haenyeo. I dragged took my family to every haenyeo spot around the island. I took photos, talked to them, and even visited the haenyeo museum. When I returned home, I wrote a new story, this one fictional with a haenyeo grandmother teaching her granddaughter the tradition. The story went through 9 drafts with my critique groups. My agent sold it to Kokila, a new imprint of Penguin Random House in 2018. Since then, we’ve flown back to Jeju for spring break 2019 and snapped more photos for the illustrator, Jess X. Snow. I also found haenyeo in Busan, a large city on the southern tip of Korea and was able to take photos of them.

intergenerational theme

My advice for turning your vacation into a star story:

1. Plan your vacations around your curiosities and places you are interested in.

Canola among the volcanic rocks

2. Write down detailed sensory notes. Because I was able to watch the haenyeo firsthand, I could hear their special breathing called sumbisori which sounds like “hoowi,” when they exhale all their held-in breath. You will find that several times in my book. I took photos of the landscapes and shared them with the illustrator. Off the sandy shores were fields of bright yellow canola flowers and volcanic rocks. Jess did a beautiful job showing it! This is my favorite scene.

my favorite spread

3. Find a way to tell your story using your vacation as the backdrop. You can write nonfiction, or like me, fictionalize it but keep it based on something true.

4. Take lots and lots of photos and videos. You never know when an editor or illustrator will need them. I took photos of locals’ houses, and when invited inside a haneyo spot, I took more photos. 

Haenyeo spot in Busan, South Korea

5. Talk to the locals. Get their perspective on things.

6. Find the uniqueness of your vacation story. My uniqueness is the haenyeo themselves. I couldn’t find any English children’s books about them. 

7. Find a way to relate your story to today’s generation of kids. In my story the main character is afraid to swim & dive in deep water. She also learns something new from her grandmother. And many kids nowadays are trying new things since they have been home-bound.

8. Add layers of themes. My story showcases women and girls who are strong and courageous, attune to nature, with an intergenerational thread, the passing of tradition and culture, in a caring sisterhood of community.

9. Make sure it has a snazzy title that gives a hint about the story and snags an agent or editor. Add back matter if appropriate.

10. Send it to your critique group(s). I belong to 3. And they each chimed in with different perspectives and advice.

The Ocean Calls garnered 4 stars—from Kirkus, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, & School Library Journal. It’s also a Junior Library Guild selection.

Me in South Korea

Bio: Tina Cho is the author of four picture books-- Rice from Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans (Little Bee Books August 2018), Korean Celebrations (Tuttle August 2019), My Breakfast with Jesus: Worshipping God around the World ( Harvest House June 2, 2020), and The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story (Kokila/Penguin Random House Aug. 4, 2020). Her lyrical middle grade graphic novel, The Tune Without Words, debuts from Harper Alley in 2023. On July 22nd, she and her family flew across the ocean to start a new life back in the states. Korea will always be part of their home.

Crafting a Story with Two Main Characters--Where Giving Each Equal Weight Is Important, Guest Post by Vivian Kirkfield

Author Vivian Kirkfield is no stranger to the kidlit world. You can find her just about everywhere in kidlit social media. Her newest picture book, Making Their Voices Heard, debuted the end of January. I, Tina Cho, invited my critique partner to share her writing expertise with our Grog readers. Take it away, Vivian!

Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to share on the Grog Blog, Tina. I’ve seen a question come up several times on Facebook groups that are devoted to writing, and I thought I would speak to that.

How do you craft a story with two main characters where giving each equal weight is important?

Before I wrote the draft for MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD: THE INSPIRING FRIENDSHIP OF ELLA FITZGERALD AND MARILYN MONROE, I used several picture books as mentor texts. One of the most helpful was Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Brian Selznick. Another book was Martin and Mahalia: His Words, Her Song by Andrea Davis Pickney, illustrated by Brian Pickney. I studied how the authors introduced their characters and how they relayed information about their lives and how their lives connected.

I’d already done a bunch of research, but none of my sources, mostly books about Ella and Marilyn, spoke about their friendship. I had to become a detective. I contacted the author of one of the Marilyn Monroe books. She didn’t know but she directed me to the website of the president of the Marilyn Remembered fan club. He didn’t know either, but he kindly gave me the phone number of the woman who had been Ella’s promoter for thirty-seven years. It was so hard for me to call her…I’m really timid that way. But I knew I needed the information because I knew I wanted to write an authentic and accurate story for children…and I wanted it to be a story that children could relate to – a story about friendship. Even young kids know about playdates and going to a classmate’s birthday party and how it feels when your friend is mad at you. How to be a good friend is an important lesson for kids. And although it’s true that each of these icons had enormous talent, each was being limited because of discrimination of one kind or another…and it was their friendship and respect for each other which helped break those barriers.

I took a deep breath…or maybe a few…and I called Audrey Franklin. I got her answering machine. And left a message. Miracle of miracles…she called me back the next day - we chatted for hours and she verified that they were, indeed, friends.

So, now I had verified they were friends, but I knew I also had to balance these two superstars. The mechanics of the text set out to do that. I began by introducing both women and pointing out how they are different yet the same.

Ella and Marilyn. On the outside, you couldn’t find two girls who looked more different. But on the inside, they were alike—full of hopes and dreams, and plans of what might be.

Next, I showed how Ella got her start – going from living on the streets to playing with a real band. Then, on the next page, I showed how Marilyn got her start – going from working at an airplane factory to signing a studio contract.

But we need to throw rocks at our heroes, right? And what I love about writing nonfiction is that I don’t have to invent the rocks…these women really faced huge obstacles and barriers. On the next two spreads, I show how Ella, though a jazz phenomenon, battled racial discrimination. And then I show how Marilyn faced an industry run by men who controlled her career.

So far, so good. I was keeping it pretty even and balanced. Now I wanted to show how Ella helped Marilyn…and then how Marilyn helped Ella. The nightclub incident where Marilyn persuades the owner to book Ella by promising to bring the media to his doorstep was easy. There was plenty of online information about that – and Ella even speaks about it in an interview. But how was I going to show how Ella helped Marilyn? That was definitely a challenge.

I found interviews where Marilyn mentioned how much she loved Ella, not only as a singer, but as a person. Ella was actually her idol…Marilyn was a fan girl! And then I read several articles that spoke about how Marilyn studied Ella’s voice to improve her own vocals to get ready for her singing role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Bingo! When critics gave Marilyn rave reviews and her bosses amended her contract and gave her a higher salary and more control over script approval, I knew I had what I needed. Because this was a BIG deal – it’s what she had been fighting for all along. Marilyn also used Ella’s records to help with her insomnia – she’d fall asleep listening to Ella’s voice.

Now when Marilyn spoke, her bosses paid attention. And reporters and photographers followed her everywhere. Determined to thank Ella in person, Marilyn bought tickets to Ella’s next show.

After the show, Ella and Marilyn sit shoulder to shoulder, chatting. When Marilyn discovers that the Mocambo club refused to book Ella, she wanted to help her friend the way her friend had helped her.

Putting their heads together, Marilyn and Ella hatched a plan.

And I love the illustration Alleanna Harris did.

Marilyn put her career on the line to a certain extent because in those days, there was a lot of racial discrimination (not much has changed, unfortunately) and movie studios controlled what their actresses could and couldn’t do. By calling the nightclub owner and insisting that he book Ella, Marilyn stepped up and spoke out. This is what we mean by allyship. You don’t just give money to the cause…you step in and make it happen. The Civil Rights movement was just in its infancy…in fact, the nightclub incident happened in 1954 and it wasn’t until the end of 1955 that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus.

I was able to show that both of these strong women admired and respected each other. Ella said, “She was an unusual woman – a little ahead of her time. And she didn’t know it.” And Marilyn said, ““Well, my very favorite person and I love her as a person as well as a singer. I think she’s the greatest and that’s Ella Fitzgerald.”

I also wanted to show how we are all complex individuals. Most of us know Marilyn as a sexy Hollywood star…and kids probably don’t know her at all. Similarly, most kids may never have heard of Ella, but her music was genius…in fact, at the very first Grammys in 1959, Ella Fitzgerald won for best female pop vocalist and best improvised jazz performance. I thought it was time for kids to discover these two special women and how differences in race, color, and creed played absolutely no role in their amazing friendship. And how poignant a time for a book like this. We can, and must, all step up, making our voices heard for what is right, so that our nation can be healed. Covid-19 will, at some point, have a vaccine that will protect us from it. But this sickness of hatred and anger can only be healed with kindness, love, compassion, and with the willingness to listen to the voices of people of color.

Most of you who know me know that I am an extremely optimistic person and I’m always trying to find a positive, even in the darkest of times. My older sister used to call me Pollyanna, after the storybook character who finds something to be glad about in every situation. And I think I have found it. Young people are stepping up and refusing to allow this hatred to go on. A high school junior reached out to me last week. As a school service project, she is building a website where she will showcase videos of teachers reading aloud books from different cultures. She wants to use Sweet Dreams, Sarah and she wrote to ask my permission. Of course, I checked with the publisher who is totally on board. What thrilled me the most were the young girl’s words: “Your book has had a profound impact on my life and has given me the confidence to use my voice.”

And THAT is why I write books for children! Just like Ella and Marilyn, everyone needs to make their voice heard.

Bio: Writer for children—reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. Her bucket list contains many more than five words – but she’s already checked off skydiving, parasailing, banana-boat riding, and visiting critique buddies all around the world. When she isn’t looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books in the quaint village of Amherst, NH where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her young grandson is her favorite board game partner. A retired kindergarten teacher with a masters in Early Childhood Education, Vivian inspires budding writers during classroom visits and shares insights with aspiring authors at conferences and on her blog, Picture Books Help Kids Soar where she hosts the #50PreciousWords International Writing Contest and the #50PreciousWordsforKids Challenge. She is the author of numerous picture books. You can connect with her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, or just about any place people with picture books are found.

Vivian's books:

PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE (Holiday House) illus by Jill Weber

FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN: AN ANIMAL COUNTING BOOK (PomegranateKids) illus by Mirka Hokkanen

SWEET DREAMS, SARAH (Creston Books) illus by Chris Ewald

MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD: THE INSPIRING FRIENDSHIP OF ELLA FITZGERALD AND MARILYN MONROE (Little Bee Books, January 14, 2020) illus by Alleanna Harris

FROM HERE TO THERE: INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, January 2021, illus by Gilbert Ford