 I'm super delighted to share that Mama's Chicken & Dumplings (Margaret Ferguson Books, 2024) is a 2026-2027 Virginia Readers' Choice elementary school title! What an honor to have young readers across Virginia considering my debut novel as a possible favorite come next school year. More about the Virginia Reader's Choice program HERE.
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 (C) Abi Cushman, abicushman.com Welcome, Sara! I'm super excited to have you here to talk about your debut MG, Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign, which was released from Regal House October 14, 2025. It sounds like a perfect book for young readers! Thanks, Dionna, for reaching out! If I heard correctly, this project took you some 15 years to find its way from draft 1 to traditionally published book. Talk about not giving up! So what was it about Georgia and her story that helped you stay the course with this story? First and foremost, I am lucky to have a strong, supportive network of writers, friends, and family members. They believe in me, listen to me when I whine, and help me celebrate the micro-wins along the way. Every writer needs support. Even one friendly voice in the void can light the path forward. Second, I grew to love my characters and my story. Hence, when I found a way to improve the writing, I couldn’t not do it--even if it meant deleting half of my manuscript and rewriting from the bottom up (true story!). The promise of intensifying conflicts and deepening character arcs was intoxicating. It was impossible to give up. Finally, the message of the story is profoundly important to me: we are all much more alike than we are different. In these troubled times, it’s an essential truth that is the antidote to fear and conflict. In fact, I volunteer with a group called Braver Angels, which works to depolarize politics in America. My novel is an extension of my deeply held beliefs. Wow! Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign is obviously a story of your heart. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.  (C) Abi Cushman, abicushman.com What did you enjoy about working with your Regal House editor? Many writers aspire for a contract with one of the Big Five publishing houses. However, I’ve found that being a bigger fish in a smaller pond is delightful. This is my third publishing house and I’m having my best experience yet. The process has been surprisingly collaborative. Not only were manuscript edits smooth, but my request for interior spot art was met with a “let’s see what we can do” attitude. I even made a few very minor book design suggestions that were embraced. Not all of my ideas were a go, but they were all truly considered. And emails are answered in a timely fashion! It’s been a bit of a revelation. Sounds like a delightful experience! So why do you enjoy writing for middle-grade audiences? Middle grade is a unique crossroads. It encapsulates a time when the innocence of youth starts to butt heads with the complicated nature of the world. It’s a period of profound growth, but largely still free of cynicism. Most alluring for me is the centering of hope. No matter how light or heavy the topic, there is always hope. If we grown-ups need hope, how much more so our young ones! With Georgia's story now alive on bookshelves, what are you working on now? I have two picture books I am submitting, one nonfiction picture book I am finishing, and the bare bones of a novel living in my head. Ah, the delight of having new projects of the heart to pen! Well, Sara, thanks so much for stopping by. It was a pleasure getting to know you. May Georgia's story soar into the hands of many young readers for many years to come! Thanks, Dionna!  Sara Shacter’s debut middle grade novel, Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign, is everything Sara loves—a heartfelt friendship tale, a scientific exploration, and a call for compassion. Sara also writes picture books, as well as magazine articles and educational nonfiction for kids. A former classroom teacher, she currently tutors kindergarteners through high schoolers. Sara is a passionate volunteer and works to turn the tide on climate change and political polarization. Visit her at sarafshacter.com.  After years of moving, Georgia’ s family is staying put. What’ s the best part of her new forever home? Fellow science fan Izzy! Georgia feels lucky to be starting sixth grade with her first true friend. But when Georgia’ s science project accidentally reveals a secret—one Izzy trusted her to keep— their friendship unravels. Even worse, Georgia’ s archenemy swoops in to steal Izzy away, leaving Georgia cut off and lonely. How can Georgia fix her mess? She's surprised to find the answer in a science fact: genetically, all human beings are more than 99 percent the same. Really? Georgia can’ t believe she and the friend-stealer are even one percent the same! But as Georgia fights to win Izzy back, she discovers that enemies can struggle with loneliness too—and Georgia is stunned to discover why. It will take a 99 percent campaign to make things right. (Synopsis from the publisher.) Illustrations used here with artist's permission.  To celebrate the January 6, 2026, paperback release of my novel for young readers, Mama's Chicken & Dumplings, I've just drawn the recipient of my classroom-set giveaway, which includes 10 paperback copies and one hardback copy of my book, all signed. I can't wait to hear if the students enjoy reading it! Thanks to all the Virginia school librarians who entered! Yikes! I was reminded of the advice WRITE ABOUT WHAT SCARES YOU when I found something I wrote for a workshop led by author Mort Castle when I was in high school. It's only the house they say When unseen footsteps climb the stairs And floors seem to sway It's only the house they say When pipes cough and windows sing It's only the house They say Not too shabby for a kid, I guess.
It was the night noises of my great Aunt Minnie's old, "settling" Michigan farmhouse that inspired this little bit of prose that never went any further. Had Mr. Castle asked us to write about something that scares us? I don't recall. But I can't think of any other reason why I wrote it. But what about now? Am I brave enough to write about what scares me? Or will I run with my pen as fast as I can in the opposite direction? I haven't quite decided. Though a book about giant centipedes with legs that LIVE ON even after being chopped off might make for a best seller, I can't see myself being the one penning it--even if those creepy-crawling things on the bathroom floor in the dark of the night is what totally scares me. What about you? Has writing about what scares you fueled your writing?  Visiting Charlottesville, Virginia? May I suggest that you and yours treat yourself to a self-guided Mama's Chicken & Dumplings Walking Tour? Pack a lunch, don on your comfy shoes, and get ready to be inspired by Charlottesville's rich African American history while imagining you're Allie on a West Main Street adventure!  Stay at a hotel located on the ground that once was the Vinegar Hill neighborhood. There are three: Omni Charlottesville Hotel, Residence Inn by Marriot Charlottesville Downtown Mall and The Doyle Hotel. Walk through the Staples parking lot located on Ridge Street and imagine you're walking down streets of Vinegar Hill like Third St. NW and Williams St., just like Allie did when visiting her best friend Jewel.  Cross Fourth St. NW, and tour The Jefferson School Heritage Center. It's located inside the building that once was the "New Jefferson School," where African American kids attended grades 6-12 in Allie's day. Arrange for a guided tour if you have time. From the Jefferson School Heritage Center, walk down Commerce Street to 6th Street NW to get a feel for the historic Starr Hill neighborhood where Rebecca Fuller McGinness and Nannie Cox Jackson (namesakes for Allie's teachers) once lived. On the corner of Commerce and 6th St, NW, on the left, you will see the historic J. F. Bell Funeral Home still operated by descendants of the original funeral director, John Ferris Bell. Allie mentions Mr. Bell along with Dr. Stratton, who practiced in the Starr Hill neighborhood, as transporting Jewel's ailing grandfather to the basement ward located within the University of Virginia hospital.  Walk down 4th St. NW From the Jefferson School Heritage Center to the corner of West Main Street. The building on the left is a fine-dining restaurant that once housed George Pinkney Inge's grocery store called The Tavern & Grocery. Allie and her friend Jewel love to run down to Mr. Inge's grocery store to buy Mary Jane penny candies.  From there, walk east, cross over Preston Ave. and walk down Charlottesville's Historic Downtown Mall. Imagine Allie and her Mama back-to-school shopping at Woolworth's Five & Dime (then located at 204 East Main Street), and Tilman's Department Store (then located at 310 East Main Street). While on the pedestrian mall, be sure to check out the Third Street entrance of The Paramount Theater where Allie watched films with her family. You can arrange for a tour of the Paramount to get an inside look. It's a gorgeous place.  From the Downtown Mall, walk to Market Street and gander at the portico of the central branch of Jefferson Madison Regional Library. There you'll see that the building once contained the U.S. postal office. It's where Allie mails her letters to Jewel after Jewel moves to Chicago. (Check out the Swanson historic plaque, which tells the story of the first Black man who sued to be admitted to UVa's law school and won the case.) Pop around the corner and look inside the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. (In Allie's day, this building was the library for European Americans only. Allie's library was housed inside her school.) You can schedule an ACHS guided walking tour highlighting local African American history.  Next, take the University of Virginia's Free Trolley from downtown Charlottesville to the grounds of the university. Along the way, you'll see the historic First Baptist Church located at the corner of West Main and 7th Street NW. This is where Allie worships with her mother. As you turn onto The Corner, look to your left and spy the building that housed the university's hospital in the 30s. It was in the basement ward where Jewel's grandfather gets treatment. While on the grounds, be sure to do UVa's Black History Self-Guided Walking Tour. It's truly inspiring.  Finally, and you may want to get an Uber for this, visit the park that's now Booker T. Washington Park. Read the historic marker that explains how In Allie's day, Washington Park was considered a "colored" park established with donated funds given to the city by Paul Goodoe McIntire. Allie's mom works for a fictional Mrs. McIntire who lives on Preston Ave. Please let me know in the comments below what you and yours thought of your Mama's Chicken & Dumplings Walking Tour!  A West Main Street adventure set in 1935 Vinegar Hill, a once thriving African American neighborhood that was razed by the city of Charlottesville in the 60s.
In this Tuck and Tina adventure, book one of the series, Tuck and Tina do indeed become friends, and in fact they end up joining tails in order to save the historic school they both call home when it faces financial difficulties. Will Tuck and Tina be able to find the treasure hidden by the school's founder in time to save the school from the wrecking ball?  I imagine that kids who love the Dogman series will fall in love with this one featuring Tuck and Tina. Book Two will be out soon! Learn more about Tuck and Tina and the Lost Fortune HERE. More about Jess HERE. And check out Jack's Instagram account HERE.   Phil Larish, owner of Commerce Street Books, located on West Main St. in Charlottesville. In September, I read an article about a new Charlottesville indie opened by Phil Lorish named Commerce Street Books. They were having a 3-day grand opening with events involving cheese, wine, donuts, and (of course) authors and books. I was super excited to discover that this new indie opened its doors at 499 West Main Street. In other words, it's located smack dab in the middle of where my book, Mama's Chicken & Dumplings, is set (albeit a 90-year difference)! Of course, I had to check it out. Wowsa! What a place! First of all, it's located inside the Doyle Hotel--a gorgeous boutique hotel with rooftop dining. Commerce Street Books is beyond the hotel lobby, past a beautiful seating area, and down the steps on the left. It's a full-of-light bookstore with art, cubbies full of interesting items, cozy places to sit and read, and a wide selection of books. Its chic and modern decor perfectly matches the vibe of the hotel.  Doyle Hotel lobby area. Phil was manning the register when I placed a MG read for my beach trip, Misfits: A Royal Conundrum written by Lisa Yee and illustrated by Dan Santat, on the counter. I decided to mention that I was the author of a traditionally published novel for kids that is in fact a West Main Street adventure with Vinegar Hill as its setting. Might he perhaps like to add it to his shelf? Of course, Phil knew about Vinegar Hill's history, and so inquired about the title of my book. To my surprise and delight, Phil had already purchased at least one copy of Mama's Chicken & Dumplings! Of this I know because he promptly left the counter, located my book amongst others featuring Charlottesville, and faced it out! I couldn't believe it! There it was just a few books down from Rita Dove's collection of poems. How cool is that?! I had to ask Phil how he came to purchase Mama's Chicken & Dumplings. How had he heard about it? Though he couldn't recall exactly, having had purchased so many books to ready his new store for opening, he guessed he stumbled across my book while doing an internet search for books featuring Charlottesville.  Hurray for SEO and indie booksellers who handpick titles! Anyhooo, just wanted to share my I-spy-with-my-little-eye moment. And to say that if you happen to be in Charlottesville, VA, anytime soon, be sure to check out Phil's brand new West Main Street business, Commerce Street Books. It's a stone's throw away from the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, and steps away from Charlottesville Historic Downtown Mall!  (c) Sophia Green, sophiascribbles.com Welcome, Sophia! I am thrilled to have you here! Your art makes me wide-smile! Thank you, Dionna, for inviting me! First question for you. How far back does your love for art go? I do not remember a time when I did not love art with an intensity. Its like a magnetic pull I have to it. I NEED to do art. It has to flow through me or I’d go crazy! I feel the same way about writing! Wondering, did your parents or teachers nurture your love for art? When I was younger, my parents and teachers thought it was cute that I liked to draw, I don’t think they understood how much I liked art until I was in my late teens. I was no prodigy or anything, so I guess they thought I’d do it on the side, maybe. And it was a struggle for me because I wanted to make them happy, but this is my destiny. In many ways I had to affirm myself, and realize that my life path doesn’t need to make sense to anyone but me. Your joy shines through your work, for sure!  (c) Sophia Green, sophiascribbles.com How did you find your way into the kidlit industry? Kidlit found me! I didn’t know anything about it until my first book with scholastics. I had graduated with a Animation BFA degree from the Laguna College of art and design in 2019. I was working as a visual development and background artist for a few years. The cool thing about animation is that you pick up multiple skills. I can do character design, background painting, animate, design, storyboard, digitally and traditional draw and paint, art direct, etc. So when I got an email from an agent about illustrating children's books the transition wasn’t too steep. I'm sure your agent was delighted you said yes! (and guess what, I LOVE browsing the art on your agency's website whenever I need an emotional boost, and that's how I discovered your work!) Okay, next question. What types of stories do you enjoy illustrating? I love illustrating stories that can resonate with the audience. As an illustrator, it is easier for me to simply expand on the same vibe as the author in order to enhance the story with visuals. Ah, yes, inspiring picture book texts that leave room for the illustrator. Makes sense. Well, Sophia, it's been a real blast chatting with you. Come by to porch-sit and kidlit-talk anytime, okay? I may take you up on it! And thanks for having me!  Sophia Green was born and raised in Southern California. She’s always had a love for art drawing inspiration anywhere from comics to books to magazines to movies. Being a soft-spoken individual, art has helped her throughout her life to express herself. Many of her art pieces and characters are an extension of who she is and allows her to be herself. She chose this art form, to breathe life into something that has none, to find herself and lose herself, to exist in a world of silence, to evoke a feeling in others to know themselves. Moved by early Disney films, she decided to take the path to become a traditional 2d animator at the Laguna College of Art and Design. Partly through her studies, she found that she also had a passion for visual development and illustration. Since graduating in 2019, she has had the pleasure of working in both illustration and animation, with companies such as Scholastics, Shadow Machine, HULU, and Mattel. Sophia is represented by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black of Andrea Brown Literary, Inc. Find Sophia and her work at sophiascribbles.com.  Happy to share that MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS has gotten some kidlit love lately! The Children's Book Council selected it as a 2025 Librarian's Favorite Award. (Complete list HERE.) The Black Caucus of the American Library Association listed it as a 2024 Best of the Best Books for Kids! (Complete list HERE.) The Children's Book Committee of the Bank Street College of Education named it a 2025 Best Children's Book of the Year. (Download the pdf HERE.) And for the icing on the chocolate cake, the Virginia Library Association has placed it on their 2025 Cardinal Cup Overfloweth list! (Complete list HERE.)  After reading several books from this year's Virginia Readers' Choice selections from the primary school category, I chose as my favorite THE GREEN PIANO: HOW LITTLE ME FOUND MUSIC, a picture-book autobiography co-written by Roberta Flack (who recently passed away) and Tonya Bolden, illustrated by Hayden Goodman, and published by Anne Schwartz Books, an imprint of Random House. Here's what I love about THE GREEN PIANO: HOW LITTLE ME FOUND MUSIC:
 From the Publisher: Growing up in a Blue Ridge mountain town, little Roberta didn’t have fancy clothes or expensive toys…but she did have music. And she dreamed of having her own piano. When her daddy spies an old, beat-up upright piano in a junkyard, he knows he can make his daughter’s dream come true. He brings it home, cleans and tunes it, and paints it a grassy green. And soon the little girl has an instrument to practice on, and a new dream to reach for–one that will make her become a legend in the music industry.  Do share your readers' choice and why you chose it in the comments below.  (c) Caroline McPherson, carolinemcphersonillustration.com Welcome, Michael F. Stewart, Kidlit AuthorHow did your love for being a kidlit creator begin? My first chance to write for kids was when I responded to a call for authors from an educational publisher. I wrote four graphic novels for them: a sports, a thriller, a fantasy, and a mystery. Talk about lucky! I’ve always loved reading and never really grew out of kids books and YA, and then I had four kids of my own and haven't felt the need ever to progress past young adult, at least in mindset. You've written so many types of books for kids, from chapter books to novels in verse, from the silly to the intense. Despite their dissimilarities, how would you say they share the same essence, theme, thread, or universal truth? In truth, they don’t all share the same themes. Every book changes me a bit and the world changes too. If I could point to two key themes I return to, it would be 'the meaning of life' and 'technology' and the intersection of these. How does technology shape us? Where do the dangers and opportunities lie? Beyond that, I'd have to say I write a lot about mental health as way of coming to understand the challenges of our sometimes wonky and fascinating minds. From one wonky mind to another, I'd say those are very important things to address!  (c) Caroline McPherson, carolinemcphersonillustration.com How did you and Kelly find each other? I went to a 'How to get an agent' seminar in which Kelly was a panelist and submitted after. A few months later, the seminar worked! I think it helped that we had both attended the Vermont College of Fine Art's MFA, Writing for Children and Young Adults (which is fabulous!). True proof that well-written queries work! Why do you enjoy working with Kelly? So many reasons! Kelly has an incredible gut instinct that I have come to trust. She’s full of great ideas on how to improve my projects, while always being supportive and diligent with her notes. She brings the crew together and cares for us and our progress. Most importantly, she communicates. We have these magical spreadsheets, which she updates with new submissions, passes, and the reasons for the pass, with thoughts on what we can do better or change to ensure our best chances of a yes. She is a team builder with her clients, to be sure! Okay...last question. Why do you have a cat on your head? Is said kitty alive and well? Cat? What cat? Please do not make fun of my custom toupee. :) Okay, jk, so that is a very rare cat. You've heard of a thinking cap? This is a thinking cat. When I'm really struggling, it's useful to put the thinking cat on my head and consider what I'm doing with my life. I've tried a thinking dog but results were mixed. It's nice to know how supportive your cat is of your creative endeavors! Hopefully she purrs when she senses your ideas are good! Well, Mike, thanks for coming by, and for sharing a little about your kidlit journey. Wishing you, your feline friend, and your works of the pen my very bestest! Thank you, Dionna, for inviting me to chat with you.  Michael F. Stewart has authored over two dozen books for kids and young adults. With works ranging from interactive digital epics and graphic novels to humorous middle grade and surreal young adult novels, several of which have won their fair share of accolades. Michael enjoys stretching the limits on his storytelling and working with other authors young and old to tell their stories. He has an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in Ottawa with his partner, four daughters, a cat, and a dog. To learn more about Michael and his next projects visit his website michaelfstewart.com. You can connect with him on Bluesky @openmike.bsky.social, and on Instagram @mfstewart.   (c) Collen Muske, colleenmuske.com Welcoming Heather Mullaly, Kidlit Author!Salutations, Heather! Thank you for allowing me to interview you about your kidlit journey! Thank you for the invite! My pleasure! So when did you realize you wanted to write for young readers? For a long time, writing was a hobby. I wrote whatever brought me joy. It was only when I had a story that I wanted to share with the world that I started paying attention to categories. That story was YA, so I set out to learn about writing for young readers. Right about that time, I was at the YMCA when a total stranger got on the elliptical machine beside mine and started talking to me. This was not normal behavior for this gym. But she couldn’t contain her excitement because her first picture book was being released in four days. We struck up a conversation about writing and kidlit and I begrudgingly admitted that I was working on a YA novel. She told me about the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the regional conference that was taking place locally in a few weeks. I don’t believe in coincidence. So, I went to my first SCBWI conference. How serendipitous is that! Did you enjoy the conference? I loved spending three days talking about kids’ books, about the process of writing them, about the joy of reading them, and about the impact they can have on a young reader’s life. And I loved the community. When I came home, I announced to my family, “I have found my people.” And I never looked back. SCBWI folks really know how to lift others up and cheer each other on, to be sure. Though your first book was for young adults, you now write for middle-grade readers, too. Do you approach each project differently in order to keep the target audience in mind? For me, stories always begin with the main character. I play with ideas, but if I don’t connect with the main character, they never make it to the drafting phase. My middle grade main characters tend to come to me with clear personalities and straight forward goals. My young adult main characters take more coaxing and are often unclear about what they truly want. Their lives are more complicated, and their stories reflect that. The main character determines the target audience and the feel of the book. Are your YA stories vastly different from your MG novels? All of my stories have what people tell me is a dry sense of humor. That said, my middle-grade, The Legend of Hobart, which is a fairy tale, has a very different feel from Life and Other Complications, which is a contemporary YA novel about a teen living with HIV.  (c) Collen Muske, colleenmuske.com Interesting process! It certainly proves the point that a good story no matter the category always begins with character. So how did you snag your literary agent, Kelly Dyksterhouse, who is my amazing kidlit literary agent, too? Kelly is amazing! We found each other through my long-time writing mentor, Sarah Aronson, who recommended Kelly to me. She knew Kelly from conferences and by reputation (Sarah is friends with Kellye Crocker who is another Kelly Dyksterhouse client.) Sarah felt that Kelly would be a good fit for me and my funny middle grade novel. So I queried Kelly Dyksterhouse. She loved the project, and the rest has been history. I love funny reads, and can't wait to read yours when it comes out! What are you working on now? My current work-in-progress is a younger YA about a girl who wants to join the Malacks, an order of elite warriors who swear their allegiance to the people of the Koros Sea rather than a particular kingdom or ruler. I took the project to the Highlights Foundation Whole Novel Workshop and am now in the midst of my first major rewrite. It’s been a lot of fun. Sounds like it would be! Well, Heather, thanks so much for stopping by. It's been delightful hearing a little bit about your story. Do keep in touch and let us know when your newest releases are hot off the press. Will do! And thanks again for the invite!  Heather Mullaly is an award winning author of books for children and teens. A passionate believer in the power of story, when she isn’t writing them, reading them, or listening to them, she can usually be found baking something that involves chocolate, thinking up new story ideas before she’s finished the one she’s currently writing, or hanging out with her family, who happen to be even more fantastic than the characters in her head. So far her books include: Life and Other Complications, a 2021 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medalist; The Legend of Hobart, a Kirkus Best Book of 2021; and Hobart’s Second Quest, which will be releasing next month! Preorder HERE for your chance to win some cool stuff! You can find Heather, who is represented by Kelly Dyksterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency, at heathermullaly.com.   (c)Colleen Muske, colleenmuske.com Kelly Dyksterhouse, Kidlit Literary AgentSalutations! Kelly, thanks for coming by! You're welcome! I would especially love to know how you found your way to becoming a kidlit agent. Really, the way I found myself into being an agent, first at Raven Quill Literary Agency founded by Jacqui Lipton, goes back to what we’ve always tried to teach our kids: whatever you do, do to the best of your ability with a constant willingness to learn, and doors will be opened to you. That is how I’ve tried to live, and while my road to becoming a literary agent was unexpected, each step led organically to the next, landing me where I am today. So what were those steps? I knew I loved kidlit, both reading and writing it, so in 2014, I got my MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. My goal was to both hone my writing craft and to earn a degree that would give me a skill so that I could work once my kids were out of the house. At the time, I was thinking I’d write and teach writing and children’s literature at the college level. While at VCFA, I interned at The Bent Agency, reading slush, full manuscripts and refining my editorial skills. I later followed Susan Hawk to Upstart Crow, where I worked as an assistant and editorial reader and really learned all things agent-y. I was very content working for Susan—I was doing everything I loved: editing, teaching, reading, working with people. I got to work with writers, help them develop their manuscripts from idea to polished draft, and eventually saw their books on the shelves. The job was (is) a perfect blend of left brain/right brain, which suits me great! But I still hadn’t considered agenting myself until Jacqui approached me and asked me to join her at Raven Quill. At this point, I’d had several years working in literary agencies, and Susan was incredibly encouraging that it was time I made the leap to taking on my own clients. I took a couple of months to think and interview agents whose practices I really admired, and was thrilled to join forces with Jacqui at Raven Quill in 2020. Then, when Jacqui's agency moved in with The Tobias Literary Agency in 2022, I moved in too, and that's where we both are today. Are you enjoying being an agent? I’m having the time of my life! So there you have it: proof that good things can happen despite the crazy times in which we live.  (c) Colleen Muske, colleenmuske.com What type of books/clients do you represent? I think the books I am most drawn to walk the line between commercial and literary. In other words, they have a big hook and ask big questions. I love books that have that holy trinity of amazing character/engaging plot/compelling voice. All of that can happen in any genre for any age group. I have clients that achieve it in PB, CB, MG and YA, both fiction and non-fiction in all genres. In terms of new clients, my ideal client is someone who is never done learning and who is willing to take a risk and try new things--whether that be in yet another draft of the same book or in taking the leap into another kind of writing. I think that a true writer is someone who is always growing their craft. As a children's book writer, what type of books do you enjoy penning? How do you juggle the role of writer and agent? Oh, this is a great question! One I am still trying to find the answer to. I have several of my own projects in the works at various stages. I write mostly MG, I think because that’s the age I was when books really made a big impression on me. I will get into a great writing groove--I’m most productive first thing in the morning--and then a client project will come in, or be ready to go out on sub, and I will lose my own momentum. I have a very hard time focusing on myself if someone I’ve committed to needs my attention. But I am learning to give a bit of grace to myself and find productivity in that ebb and flow. I think your clients would understand! Does one skill set (writer/agent) inform the other? Yes, I do think that writing informs my skill as an editor. Absolutely. It’s the difference between understanding something at a purely academic level and the deeper understanding that comes from truly experiencing it. Also, I think it helps me relate to my clients better. I understand what it means to be stuck, how hard it is to cut a character you love, how messy that middle can be. And mostly, how excruciating the waiting game is and demoralizing rejection can be. I think this deeper understanding makes me a better advocate and cheerleader. That you do amazingly well! Thanks for stopping by, Kelly. I really enjoyed your visit. I enjoyed being here!  Kelly Dyksterhouse, literary agent with The Tobias Literary Agency, grew up with a book always in her hands and a story always in her head. The important role that books played in her early years developed into a passion for children’s literature in her adult life. Kelly holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults for Vermont College of Fine Arts and has interned as an editorial reader at leading literary agencies and worked as an independent developmental editor and writing mentor. She considers the opportunity to help bring books into existence to be a great honor, and it is a particular joy for her to work alongside authors as they develop their project from idea to polished manuscript. The best feeling of all is when those manuscripts end up as books in the hands of children. Find Kelly online at kellydyksterhouse.com.  This post was updated from one that appeared here in September of 2020  James Madison Regional Library--my library system--is the absolute best! And not just because they hosted my book launch, and have six copies of my debut novel for young readers, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, in their collection. (Four copies of my book are checked out right now, BTW, which totally rocks my kidlit socks!)
My love for my library system preceeded me becoming a traditionally published author. I've loved it since my branch was a tiny thing that had its card catalog stuffed neatly inside cabinet drawers, and due date cards were stamped and placed inside envelopes on the inside of book covers. (I even remember when my local branch got its first computer that went onto the internet via a telephone line! BURRRRWEEEEEWOOO...) My first library card is probably considered an antique. (And yes, I cried when I thought I lost it.) Back in the 90s, the highlight of my week was pushing my two daughters in their double stroller down to my branch to check out new books. (Though sometimes, we checked out the same old book over and over again.) How I loved our summers when we could enjoy being entertained by some of the best storytellers ever--for free. My kids never minded the cramped and hot conditions of the kids section where the storytellers performed. Throughout the decades, my librarians and I have known one another by name. We've talked about my writing long before I was published. They've helped me locate rare books through interlibrary loans when I was doing research. They've listened to me when I hit a writing journey roadblock. They've been a huge part of my kidlit community. Even now they're cheering me on! Seeing that JMRL red sticker on the spine of my project of the heart, smack dab next to books written by Patricia MacLachlan and Kekla Magoon--well, that's the butter cream icing on top of my debut-year-cake. YUM! Do you have a library system that you love? Share your story in the comments below. My Debut Group The seven traditionally published middle-grade books authored by my debut group The 24/7s received stellar industry reviews, were on end-of-the-year best book lists, and were selected as JLG Gold Selections! |
About MeI am a children's book author who loves learning about lesser known individuals shining in the margins of African American history. My debut novel for young readers, Mama's Chicken & Dumplings (Margaret Ferguson Books, 2024), is a 2026-2027 Virginia Readers' Choice Book! I am Copying, reposting, or otherwise republishing anything on this blog without permission is strictly prohibited.
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