2026 Novel Mentorship

With January right around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about New Year’s Resolutions. For those of you out there who are Middle Grade and Young Adult novel writers, boy do I have a suggestion for you!!

Hi! 

I’m Jessica Zimmerman, and I’m the new(ish) Mentorship Coordinator for SCBWI-MI. I took the reins from the incredible Jay Whistler, and am so grateful for the guidance and materials that she left for me as I transitioned into her former role! This year I’ve learned so much about the uniqueness of our Michigan mentoring program, and I’m so excited to share everything I’ve learned with you…right here in this blog! 

First, let’s talk about how the mentorship program works. 

The program is on a three year rotation for genre: picture books, illustration, MG/YA novels. 2025 was an illustration year, with the incredible Penelope Dullaghan serving as the mentor to Marisa Korovesis. The program runs from April to November, so the two of them worked over eight months exchanging materials and feedback four times. 

As Marisa says, “This has been an absolutely thrilling experience. I have learned so much and gained a lot of knowledge and confidence from Penny. It's truly been one of the best experiences of my life.”

   

The 2026 mentorship will be a MG/YA novel mentorship with Sheela Chari! Sheela is the award winning author of several critically acclaimed novels, including KARTHIK DELIVERS, THE UNEXPLAINABLE DISAPPEARANCE OF MARS PATEL series, FINDING MIGHTY, and VANISHED! She holds an MFA from New York University and is a faculty member at the Vermont College of Fine Arts' MFA Program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. You can read more about Sheela right here on the Mitten, where she describes more about her work and background. 

In October I attended her SCBWI-MI webinar on Points of View and I must say, whoever gets to work with her is going to be sooooooo lucky. Sheela’s pretty awesome. 

So now, let’s talk about what you need to do to apply to work with her!

The mentorship website has TONS of information to help you get ready, including formatting details, an example submission, and a robust FAQ, plus my email if you have lingering questions. I’ll put it at the bottom of this post, too, for good measure🙂. 

One of my favorite things about the mentorship program is that EVERYONE gets SOMETHING!

So, here are the prize opportunities:

The winner receives the mentorship, plus a golden ticket submission to an agent or editor. The first and second runners up both receive gold form feedback from the mentor. In addition: The first-place runner-up will receive one free entry to our annual Critique Carousel for any project and the second-place runner-up will receive one $25 gift card for the SCBWI Member Bookstore. But even if you aren’t one of the top three, YOU STILL GET FEEDBACK!

Each submitted manuscript will be judged by three super-secret, super-awesome, anonymous judges. Every single person who registers will receive a paragraph of feedback from each judge, related specifically to the judging criteria: Appropriateness of Style, Development of Plot, Character Development, Pacing, and Overall impression/Originality. 

You read that right: three, unique, specific reviews of your work. What a great chance to improve your writing! Seriously, you don’t want to miss this.

I’m so excited to be coordinating this program and can’t wait to see the manuscripts that come in! Registration for the mentorship opens on January 2nd, 2026 and closes on January 11th. There are only 20 spots, so get those manuscripts ready!!!

See you soon, and Happy New Writing Year! Let’s help you reach your goals!

Questions? Email Jessica at scbwi.mi.mentorship@gmail.com

Jessica Zimmerman (she/her) is a mom, author, educator, and empowerment coach. She loves reading, writing, running (or walking), hugging trees and being in the sunshine. She holds degrees in education from Central Michigan University and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and has been a public school teacher for twelve years. She was the Michigan World Language Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2024, and currently serves as the Mentorship Coordinator for SCBWI-Michigan.

Jessica’s first book, Drinking from the Fire Hose: A Survival Guide for First Year Teachers was independently published in 2024 and is available on Amazon. She recently completed a project with the Cereal City Sunrise Rotary Club, writing a picture book called Ben’s Diabetes Journey to raise awareness about childhood diabetes, which will be independently published soon. You can join her monthly at Willard Public Library in Battle Creek, Michigan for Bilingual Storytime with “Maestra Zim.”

Jessica’s life goal is to help everyone love themselves, love their people, and love the planet. You can learn more about her at jessicazimmermanbooks.com.

Writer Spotlight: Kristin Bartley Lenz

 If I Could Fly, cover reveal, pantsing, 15 words, Social Work, and wayward titles: Author Kristin Bartley Lenz

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet author and former editor of The Mitten, Kristin Bartley Lenz.

When did young Kristin know she wanted to write? When did she find that helping others was something she needed to do?

My second-grade teacher made us write a poem for a Young Author’s Contest. Even though I loved to read, writing a poem seemed impossible. I complained and procrastinated. 

Finally, I stood at the back window of my house looking out at the woods, and inspiration struck. My poem, If I Could Fly, won the contest. I was asked to read my poem in front of the whole school (somehow I didn’t have stage-fright then!), and I attended a young author’s conference where I met real life authors. 

From that point on, I wanted to write. But it took more than 30 years for me to win another writing contest!

Even though I wrote throughout my childhood, I lost confidence in my writing during my teen and college years, and explored other areas of interest, earning a BA in psychology and then an MSW. 

Social work was a detour on my writing path, but it greatly expanded my worldview and ultimately prepared me to return to writing years later with more confidence and a stronger voice. 

Both writing and social work have given me a way to contribute to making our world a better place. I worked at a runaway shelter and counseling center in Michigan, a community mental health clinic and schools in Georgia, a program for children with developmental disabilities in California, and a children's hospital/home-visiting program back in Detroit.

(From your website) My novel is currently out of stock, but we're working on a reprint/updated version, hopefully to be released in 2026!

Wow! Good news and bad news? The good news being that you sold through the first press run. The bad news being that the second print won’t be available for a year. What’s your attitude?

My first YA novel, The Art of Holding On and Letting Go, is not just out of stock, but out of print because the publisher closed just before we could do a third print run. My attitude was bummed because Elephant Rock Books was such a great, award-winning small press. Rights reverted to me, and now Wild Ink Publishing will be re-releasing the novel, along with my new novel, The Door Swings Open, in spring 2026.

You hustle to get your work published, entering contests, writing poetry and flash fiction and prose poems and short stories and YA novels. And you’ve succeeded in building and diversifying your body of work. Is it another full-time job to query and submit your work? How many rejections?

Ha, yes, querying takes a lot of time and it’s a very effective way to procrastinate during the long slog of a novel draft! I haven’t kept track of the number of rejections, but it’s painful to look at the sea of red on my Submittable account which goes back to 2011. 

I like entering contests because they give me a deadline and challenge me to try a prompt/theme or meet specific word counts. My writing has evolved into new directions over the years, and I’ve been fortunate to learn from many wonderful teachers who encouraged experimenting with new forms. 

I write poetry and short fiction when I’m in between novel drafts or stuck. It’s fun to play with them over time. Most aren’t publishable, but every now and then I’m happy with the result, and I’ll research publishers who might be a good fit.

You write freelance for Detroit-area non-profits. Who do you write for, and why?

Over ten years ago, I was looking for ways to blend writing into my social work career, and Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan gave me my first freelance job. 

They have a strong marketing and communications department, but they hire freelance writers when they’re short-staffed or have a big project with tight deadlines. This is collaborative writing which is different from my own individual work. 

The initial idea/direction comes from the Gleaners team, and then my words get blended with their words/formatting, and I enjoy seeing how it ultimately turns out in print.

Rock-climbing Kristin

My favorite assignments are for their Harvest Magazine. One time, they sent me to a senior apartment complex in Detroit that hosted a monthly fresh food distribution. I interviewed and photographed residents and volunteers to share their stories and Gleaner’s impact. 

I will always remember the elderly grandmother who cherished a fresh grapefruit, cutting it in quarters to make it stretch for days. She sat with me and detailed her monthly budget, including rent, utilities, medicines, and the paltry $16 of monthly government food assistance. It was impossible for her to make ends meet and why programs like Gleaners are crucial.

Most recently I’ve volunteered to do grant writing for Making Spirits Bright, a Detroit area literacy nonprofit that provides free school book fairs and more. They always need donations of gently used books, and they have a variety of volunteer needs! Check it out: https://makingspiritsbright.org/volunteer/

You co-founded The Mitten Blog, and worked as editor-in-chief for seven years, which is where I had the pleasure to work with you. Who else founded the blog? What was the original vision? How was The Mitten different when you started it versus when you left?

Jodie Fletcher and I were co-editors way back when The Mitten was a quarterly newsletter, first in print and then digital. Blogs were becoming popular and a way that we could share content more frequently, while giving our members more opportunities to contribute and promote their online visibility. Jodie set up our initial blog format, but then she was ready to explore other projects beyond children’s writing.

Patti Richards and Nina Goebel joined me on the original blog team, and it seems like only a few years ago that we gathered at a coffee shop to brainstorm. Patti has since published numerous picture books, and Nina is working as a licensed counselor/art therapist. 

Henry wants Kristin to take a break

I enjoyed the weekly rhythm of the blog posts/planning and how it kept me connected to our chapter’s leadership and members. Volunteering is a great way to meet people in a large organization, and I loved that my job gave me a way to champion our members’ work and success stories. 

It was hard to let go of my role, but it was time to shift my energy in other directions and I knew the blog would benefit from fresh eyes. It’s been fun to see the new team grow into their roles and make it their own, keeping some of our traditions and starting new ones. 

Thank you for your long run, Charlie! Your in-depth interviews foster connections and build community throughout our chapter. 

Congratulations on your second novel, The Door Swings Open, forthcoming in March 2026 from Wild Ink Publishing. You describe it as a genre-bender with mystery, suspense, and magical realism. Was there a bit of the “Sophomore Jinx” playing through your head at times? Like, maybe one novel is all I get?

Oh my goodness, yes. It took ten years to get my debut novel published, and I never thought it’d be another ten years before the next one came out! 

Three different agents believed in this novel and took it on at various stages of revision. We had some close calls and some bad luck (like going out on submission just as Covid hit New York), but we finally found the right fit with a small press.

Here's the teaser for your new novel:

THE DOOR SWINGS OPEN

Ella’s missing. Without a trace. A runaway.
Charlotte’s searching. For her missing friend. For help for her veteran father.
Aiden’s running. From his brother. From his past.

Tarot cards, urban art, lunar energy, fireflies, thin places.

A girl trying to reinvent herself.
A girl trying to find herself.
A boy trying to right his wrongs.

One will escape.
One will get caught.
One will die.

Did you slowly “pants” this one? How did your writing process evolve from your first novel to the second?

I’m definitely a pantser, but it was the many revisions that took so long. The story grew from a straight-forward first-person narration/simplistic plot to its current genre-bending form with multiple perspectives, a non-linear timeline, and elements of magical realism. 

Along the way, I was fortunate to win the SCBWI-MI novel mentorship competition with Leslie Connor. I’m so appreciative of her support and encouragement (and SCBWI-MI for providing these opportunities!)

Florida Writers blog shows your short poem “Flying,” about a young girl learning to ride a bike. You were able to take the heart of that poem and submit it to the NY Times, where it was published and honored.

How conscientious are you in recycling and repurposing your words?

Thanks to SCBWI-MI member Shutta Crum for recognizing the lesson in my poem and writing about it for the Florida Writer’s Association (where she spends the winters). 

I tinker with my words endlessly, and the work often evolves in unexpected ways over time. I can only think of one other instance where I deliberately recycled/repurposed my words for publication – a poem turned into a short story and both were published in different anthologies. 

I never intended to publish the first version of Flying. I wrote it as my own personal reflection on my daughter’s upcoming high school graduation. 

Years later, when I saw the call for submissions from The New York Times, I misread the instructions. I thought they asked for short poems on the theme of renewal with a maximum of 15 lines. I thought I could cut a few sentences from Flying. 

Then I realized the directions said it could only be 15 words! I cut the poem to the bone, and it worked! You can read more about the process, and how Shutta turned this into a writing exercise with other examples here: https://floridawriters.blog/hidden-treasures-finding-poems-within-your-poems/

You’ve been an active SCBWI member for at least fifteen years. Many friends and colleagues have helped you in your career: Heather Meloche, Natalie Aguirre and Deb Gonzales, to name a few. Want to name a few more?

I couldn’t have kept going without the support and camaraderie of so many writer friends from SCBWI and beyond. Critique partners, accountability partners, nature trail walking partners… There are too many to name, some have moved on to other states and career paths, and I will surely forget someone if I try to name them all! 

But I’ll give a special shout out to Tracy Bilen because she approached me at a conference over ten years ago, we became critique partners, and we’ve been cheering each other on ever since.

You’ve done tons of workshops and presentations, but the ones that surprised me were creative writing sessions aimed at social workers. That’s your personal Venn diagram, but it must be for others, too? What kind of audience do you get when you ask social workers to write?

I even have an SCBWI-MI member to thank for pointing me in this direction! Years ago, Betsy McKee told me about the University of Iowa National Poetry Contest for Social Workers. I entered, placed 2^nd, and was given a scholarship to attend their annual Writing Workshop for Social Workers. 

So many people have personal stories they want to write – often for their own healing and/or to help others. My workshops introduce social workers/counselors to therapeutic writing for their own self-care and to benefit their clients. We delve into journaling, poetry, short stories, and memoir, depending on the group’s interest. 

Many people write in secret, and my goal is to provide a safe, supportive place to be vulnerable and receive encouragement and validation. I wish I knew years ago that poetry therapy even existed! I’m not planning to return to school to become a certified poetry therapist, but I’ve taken workshops to further my skills, and I benefit personally from the sessions too.

How do you, as a writer, take the experience you’ve gained over the years and various jobs as a social worker, while maintaining privacy for your clients?

The Just YA anthology included one of Kristin's short stories.
Free online access at https://open.library.okstate.edu/justya/

That’s a really good question that I’ve thought about a lot. Confidentiality is paramount. Their stories are important, but not mine to tell. 

I think it comes back to resilience. That’s what I’m tapping into when I write. Not the actual details of my clients’ circumstances, but the resilience that keeps them going, keeps them hopeful and seeking light and love. Individual resilience as well as resilience in families and communities. 

And then this all gets mixed up with my own values and personal experiences, so in the end it’s a new creation yet universal and relatable. The Art of Holding On and Letting Go grew out of my own rock-climbing experience, but readers have remarked that my social worker empathy is infused throughout the story.

You’ve praised editor Jotham Burrello for his help with The Art of Holding On and Letting Go. What did you learn working with him?

Jotham was the founder of Elephant Rock Books, but he’s also a college professor, the director of the Yale Summer Writing Program, and a published novelist. I had already revised The Art of the Holding On and Letting Go countless times on my own, with my first agent, and through the Highlights Foundation Whole Novel Workshop. 

But working with Jotham, the story grew deeper and richer. He asked me to step away from my computer and journal by hand, to write a scene of a seminal moment for each character. I was initially resistant – after all the revising I’d already done, now I wanted to be on my computer making final changes in the actual manuscript. 

I didn’t want to write scenes that wouldn’t be included in the final book. But I gave it a try, and it led to important discoveries about my characters. The scenes didn’t make it into the book, but many details did – so many layers.

And now I’m working with a new editor at Wild Ink on my next novel and just received a 12-page editorial letter with such thorough, thoughtful feedback. 

Small publishers can’t compete with the big NY publishers in many ways, but I’ve been fortunate to receive such personal attention and care from editors at small presses.

 

Thank you card from a high school student after Kristin's school visit

Titles, they’re a bugaboo of mine. What does it take to come up with your titles?

I never have a good title to start. The Art of Holding On and Letting Go was initially titled Climber Girl and then Carabiner, and my first agent said we needed something better before we went out on submission. 

We brainstormed and then scanned the entire manuscript looking for a word or phrase, and I found it on page 232! I love that the title describes the physical action of climbing and my character’s emotional journey.

The title evolved similarly for my forthcoming novel, The Door Swings Open. My drafts were titled Runaway. But in a revised scene, a door swung open, literally, and then that grew into a theme for each of the main characters.

What’s next for Kristin?

Wild Ink Publishing just did the cover reveal for my new novel, so it’s starting to feel real! Look for The Door Swings Open next spring, as well as the updated reprint of The Art of Holding On and Letting Go. 

I need to revamp my website and plan events. My current work-in-progress surprised me by turning from YA to adult, and I’ll be plugging away at my slow pace. 

It might take ten years to publish that one too (!), but in the meantime, I’ll keep writing poetry and short stories and teaching workshops and taking nature walks and cheering others on.

Please share any social media platforms:

I’ve stepped away from regular posting/sharing on social media, but I still pop in and out every week to keep in touch.

 https://www.facebook.com/kristinbartleylenz

https://www.instagram.com/kristinbartleylenz/

Website: www.kristinbartleylenz.com

 

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 Reminders about Upcoming SCBWI-MI Events

• TOMORROW (Saturday)! Little Free Library Day hosted by SCBWI-MI's E&I Team- September 27th
• OPEN UNTIL TUESDAY! SCBWI-MI 2025 Critique Carousel- Registration: Sept.18th-30th
• DUE WEDNESDAY! SCBWI-MI's BIPOC Scholarship- Sept.1st-Oct. 1st
• Fall webinar with Sheela Chari- Oct. 22nd at 7:00 pm Registration period: Oct 1-22
• Fall webinar with Cate Berry- Nov. 12th at 7:00 pm Registration period: Oct 22-Nov 12
  

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month with Jacqueline Alcántara!

By Isabel Estrada O’Hagin

It’s time to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15-Oct.15! In recent years, I have focused on the book titles of some of my favorite authors such as Donna Barba Higuera, Yuri Morales, and Elizabeth Acevedo. This year, I spoke with author-illustrator, Jacqueline Alcántara, whose work, which often features diverse characters, has already earned her plenty of kudos. 

We’d love to learn more about you and your background.

I’m from Chicago but spend a lot of time in Southwest Michigan, and I lived in Detroit for a year (2021). I was part of the SCBWI Michigan for a brief time! [I remember sending Jacqueline our Welcome to SCBWI-MI letter back then]. I studied art education at DePaul but only taught for a year before I was laid off and then started to pursue illustration while simultaneously doing a lot of random jobs - framing, art gallery, hospitality, TV (Chicago Fire, of course). I took the dive into focusing full time on illustration around 2016. I also teach illustration at Columbia College Chicago. 

I’m curious. . . when did you know you wanted to be an illustrator? Was there a turning point where you “didn’t look back?”

After I was laid off from teaching, I discovered “illustration” from a website a friend shared with me. I decided then that I wanted to give myself the time and space to find out who I was as an artist. I took a summer intensive at Parsons in New York and then took Continuing Educations classes at SAIC when I returned that fall. I took a handful of classes but really think my education in publishing and illustration came from SCBWI conferences and critique groups and a WNDB mentorship I landed in 2016. That was the year I “didn’t look back.”

 

Several of your Instagram posts are about upcoming publications and receiving recognition for past publications. For example, Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs by Pam Muñoz Ryan sat on my shelf. Solimar’s stunning portrait on the front cover was one of the reasons I picked it up from the bookshelf. Only recently, did I learn you illustrated the book cover! What are some of your past and future projects our readers will want to know about?

My forthcoming book, titled Just Shine, released 9/9/25 was written by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Also published this year was my author/illustrator debut titled Tíos and Primos (published simultaneously in Spanish as Tíos Y Primos). I have illustrated 9 books in total, my 10th book is the one I'm currently finishing up titled Wifredo's Jungle, a biography of Cuban artist Wifredo Lam written by Margarita Engle. My past titles that I've illustrated include The Field and its companion Climb On!, both written by Baptiste Paul; Freedom Soup, written by New York Times bestselling author Tami Charles; Jump at the Sun, written by Newbery honoree (and Detroit native!) Alicia D. Williams; Your Mama, written by NoNieqa Ramos, which was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize; Jam, Too written by Janay Brown Wood; and Ordinary Days, a biography of Prince written by Angela Joy. 

 

Quite an impressive list! Congratulations on your many honors. You’ve worked with several well-known authors. Did you get to meet any of them in person or virtually? Also, I’m wondering if your agent was instrumental in making these connections or did editors or authors request your work directly?

Yes! To answer your first question: I have met Justice Sotomayor as I was invited to her office at the Supreme Court to look through her family photo albums while doing research for Just Shine. It was incredible— I never thought a career as an illustrator would bring me to collaborating with someone so impressive and beloved. I have met most of the authors I have worked with— I love to do events with them during book launch and still have great friendships with a number of them today.

But yes, my agent, Adriana Dominguez, was very instrumental in all of these book deals. While perhaps it was the editor who shared my work with the authors directly, it was my agent who is always out there advocating for us, sharing our work and fostering relationships with editors to keep us top of mind when the perfect manuscript falls onto their desk.

Amazing! Meeting Justice Sotomayor in her office at the Supreme Court! And how fortunate to collaborate with Super-Agent Adriana Dominguez who believes in you and your work.

Describe your typical workday in the studio.

Well, I now have an 8-month-old baby so my workdays are very different than they used to be! Long gone are the mornings where I sit with coffee, jot down my daily goals, do a little sketch, write down some thoughts, and take my dogs for a relaxed stroll before having a long day in my home studio playing around with materials, ideas and then maybe heading out for some research at a museum, gallery, bookstore, or bar. 

My workday now consists of jotting down ideas in my phone whenever a spare moment allows and squeezing an 8-hour workday into maybe 3 or 4 hours! But wow I feel like I'm getting more efficient with my time and perhaps actually appreciating how my art style is changing with limited time. I've long wanted to have more of an intuitive approach to making my final art and with less time to mull over details, I think I'm naturally achieving that! Ha! 

I’m glad to hear you’re making it work and that your stylistic approach reflects these changes in your lives.

Who are some of the major influencers on your work, and who are some of your favorite illustrators?

Illustrators I love: Patricia Polacco— her people are illustrated with such personality and movement. I've loved her books since I was a kid. Chris Rashcka - same as above. I've long been obsessed with his style, people, and characters. Not to mention his style of writing is what I hope to achieve— he has a contagious rhythm in everything he creates. Olivier Tallec— his artwork made me fall in love with using gouache. Picasso/Matisse—I know what a cliché to list them as favorite artists but I did a study abroad in Barcelona and spent a lot of time looking at Picasso sketchbooks and just love his way of drawing. I think too a lot about his famous quote: " It took me four years to paint like Raphael but a lifetime to draw like a child.” So many other artists and illustrators I'd like to keep mentioning. For each book I do, I love the research the most, and in the process I’m always discovering other artists that become inspirational for that and future projects. 

In addition to SCBWI, you’re a member of Las Musas, a collective of Latinx women and otherwise marginalized people whose gender identity aligns with femininity, writing and/or illustrating in traditional children's literature. What does being a member mean to you?

I'm thrilled to be a part of Las Musas. While as an illustrator I have a nice number of books under my belt, I'm a debut author this year and so I finally applied to be a part of the group. It's wonderful to know you have a network of fellow creators to ask questions, get advice, read each other’s books to get ratings/reviews, etc. I'm looking forward to meeting many Musas at the upcoming Latinx Storytellers conference in NYC.

[Note: The Latinx Storytellers conference met Sept. 12-13 at the NYC Scholastics Headquarters.]

The Las Musas collective spotlights the new contributions of Las Musas in the canon of children's literature and celebrates the diversity of voice, experience, and power in our communities. I, too, am a member of Las Musas and identify as Mexican-American. Would you care to share your ethnic identity?

I’m Latinx (Honduran/ American) I'm 100% born and raised in the USA. I’m first generation on my father’s side - he is from Honduras where all of my Tíos and Primos still live. My mother is from Chicago (Irish/German). 

Under the current administration, there’s an ongoing effort to dismiss or downplay people’s heritage, ethnicity, and related celebrations of culture and cultural traditions, including art and literature (re: book bans). Some would call it an erasure. National Hispanic Heritage Month— should we keep it going? 

Of course! While I hope that one day the Latinx representation in books (meaning Latinx creators and Latinx main characters) is greater, it still feels important to highlight the month dedicated to highlighting these stories. Of course, I wish these stories weren’t only pulled out during this month, but I think the time with attention to them is still valuable and helps to put new titles on everyone's radar. 

I'm still overjoyed when I see someone who looks like me on the cover of a book— I'm more likely to pick it up, to buy it, and read it. I'm still going to be able to connect with characters of any background when reading— that's the beauty of books of course—but seeing someone who looks like me illustrated still makes my stomach jump and gives me a shock of excitement.

[Me, too, Jacqueline!]

The stories with specific cultural or language elements are of course important and we're still making up for lost time in having books and stories that represent the huge Latine population. I think we ( myself included!!) need to keep assessing our home libraries, school/local libraries, museums, curriculums, etc., to make sure we are seeing ourselves illustrated in the pages of books and painted on the walls of our world.

What do you see on the horizon? Any new directions for kidlit in relation to diversity on the page? Any predictions?

In regard to diversity, I think we are finally moving away from thinking about all Latino people as a monolith, and so we are finally seeing stories with more nuance in cultural representation. 

For example, in my book Tíos and Primos, I wanted to SHOW Honduras in the illustrations but I didn't think it was necessary to be mentioned in the story itself. As the illustrator I got very specific— down to the mountains of coffee, the Ceiba trees, the skinny dogs, and the architecture, etc. But I was also wanting to share an experience that is very universal— a kid trying to bond with their family who lives far away and they are meeting for the first time. 

As an illustrator, I love working on books where the story is just a great story, but I'm able to illustrate it with diverse characters.  It's equally important to be creating books where black and brown kids are the main characters but their skin tone or heritage isn't the main theme of the book. I believe this helps to show parents just as much as it shows children— that all are equally as innocent, adventurous, silly, curious, kind, mischievous, creative, and full of potential.

I hope to receive more books that give me this opportunity as an illustrator. 

Your perspectives differ from those who are leading book-banning efforts across the country. Any thoughts?

Books that are being “Banned” and contested are disproportionately books by or featuring diverse characters— BIPOC and LGBTQ. So, we have to keep showing our support for them by supporting libraries and librarians. Checking out their books, sharing them on social media, gifting them, and buying them if possible. 

Books are some of the safest places we can think about, reflect, and digest life experiences before we may be faced with them head on. We need to protect children's freedom to read. 

While shying away from creating and advocating for diverse books isn't the right thing to do in the long term, perhaps a lesson for us all in the short term would be to start identifying ourselves simply as authors and illustrators, versus “Latinx/e/a Author/Illustrator.” Identifying ourselves alongside our heritage— in relation to our creative output—  can perhaps leave us out of conversations, bookshelves, lessons, story times, etc. where our work belongs. 

 

 I’m in agreement! Thank you, Jacqueline, for sharing your insights with us. I encourage our members to click on your portfolio and check out your Instagram posts that feature your fabulous illustrations.

May our celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month extend through the rest of the year! 

Isabel Estrada O'Hagin grew up in the desert borderlands of Arizona, dancing and singing her way through life. Always a dreamer, she blends her life experiences as a performing arts educator with her love of Mexican-American culture & folklore into stories. When she’s not writing, she loves to dance, cook, read, daydream, and play with her two gatitos, Dante and Cosmo. She also loves her volunteer work for SCBWI-Michigan as Outreach Coordinator and K.A.S.T. Co-Coordinator. LA MARIACHI is her debut storybook.

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Reminders about Upcoming SCBWI-MI Events

• SCBWI-MI's BIPOC Scholarship- Sept.1st-Oct. 1st
• SCBWI-MI 2025 Critique Carousel- Registration: Sept.18th-30th
• 
  Little Free Library Day hosted by SCBWI-MI's E&I Team- September 27th
• Fall webinar with Sheela Chari- Oct. 22nd at 7:00 pm Registration period: Oct 1-22
• Fall webinar with Cate Berry- Nov. 12th at 7:00 pm Registration period: Oct 22-Nov 12