Hugs and Hurrahs

Happy New Year Michkids!

The holidays may be weeks behind us, but here on The Mitten we’re celebrating! Yes, it’s time for our first Hugs and Hurrahs of 2019. Your fellow Michigan authors were hard at work during the last part of 2018 signing contracts and celebrating all kinds of releases. I know you’re all sitting on the edge of your icy seats, so let’s get to it!

Hats off to Julie Angeli! Her serialized short story, “The Pearl Inside,” was published in the May/June 2018, July/August 2018, and September 2018 issues of Cricket Magazine. Congratulations, Julie! 

Three cheers to Neal Levin! Neal sold three new short stories to Super Teacher Worksheets, a website that provides online educational materials to teachers. Neal is also happy to announce his recently redesigned website. You can visit him at www.NealLevin.com. It looks awesome, Neal!  

Kelly J. Baptist is pleased to announce the sale of her debut picture book, THE ELECTRIC SLIDE AND KAI (Lee and Low, 2020). The book is about an African American boy who wants to prove he can bust a move at his aunt’s wedding like everyone else in his family. The manuscript was the Honor Award recipient in the 2017 Lee and Low New Voices Award. Kelly is also excited about her upcoming middle grade novel, ISAIAH DUNN IS MY HERO (Crown Books, 2020), about the misadventures of Isaiah as the new man in the family. We’re giving you a standing ovation, Kelly!

                                                                                                                        Buffy Silverman’s newest nonfiction title, Surviving a Shipwreck: The Titanic, sets sail from Lerner Publishing this month! So happy for you, Buffy!

Lisa Wheeler is pleased as punch that her new picture book, A Hug is for Holding Me (Abrams Appleseed Books), released on Dec. 11, 2018. The book is illustrated by Lisk Feng and has enjoyed some great reviews! We’re giving you a round of applause, Lisa!

Suzanne Lipshaw is excited that her debut picture book, I CAMPAIGNED FOR ICE CREAM: A Boy’s Quest for Ice Cream Trucks (Warren Publishing), will release this spring! Way to go, Suzanne!

Joe Kimble's book Mr. Mouthful Learns His Lesson (Iguana Books, October 2017), has been accepted by DartFrog for distribution in independent bookstores. That is awesome, Joe!

Lauren Ranalli was recently interviewed on The Beginning of Your Life Book Club, discussing her book, The Great Latke Cook Off, and the importance of creating an intentional bookshelf. You can enjoy the podcast here: https://www.thebeginningofyourlifebookclub.com/podcast/2019/1/7/episode-8-the-mighty-page-turn 

Congratulations, Lauren!

Carol Levin's debut picture book, HAGGADAH REGATTA, (Two Kids Books) released this month! The book is a Passover tale about two kids on a matzah raft. The book launches in February in Ann Arbor and Carol hopes to see a crew of SCBWI Michkids at the party! So happy for you, Carol!

Rhonda Gowler Green’s most recent picture book, Here We Come, Construction Fun! (Zonderkidz) released in January. Rhonda also recently learned that this book will be coming out in a French version. Way to go, Rhonda!

Lisa Rose has sold two more picture books! A ZOMBIE VACATION went to Apples & Honey Press and THE SINGER AND THE SCIENTIST to Kar-Ben Publishing. Release dates TBD. So proud of you, Lisa!

And even though we try and reserve Hugs and Hurrahs for all things kidlit, I wanted to offer my heartfelt congratulations to our awesome Mitten editor, Kristin Lenz! Her poem was published in the January edition of Literary Mama. You can read her lovely poem, “Daughter (Dis)Connected,” here.

And that’s it for this edition. It makes me so happy, proud and encouraged to share all of this good news with you four times each year. Our Michkids are the best! Keep writing, revising and submitting, and someday soon you’ll see your own Hugs and Hurrahs shout out!

Watch for announcements and Hugs and Hurrahs deadlines here on The Mitten, on our listserv, and our Michigan SCBWI Facebook page, then Submit all your happy publishing news to Patti Richards at pgwrites5@gmail.com.