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Tim the wizard magics the leaves, yellow brown orange and red Slapandio, sizzle and pop! Make these leaves colour and drop! Tim does the magic with a magic wand (secretly in the evening) Slapandio, sizzle and pop! Make these leaves colour and drop! Overnight the magic happens and in the morning...it is autumn! Little Lime is 6 years old. He enjoys Minecraft, football, and poetry. He has poems in The Dirigible Balloon poetry bank, in Parakeet Magazine, and in a previous issue of Little Thoughts Press. He also does voiceover recordings for other poets.

Carolyn Meade is five and a half years old and in kindergarten. She loves to paint, sing, and eat pancakes.

Arlo was not an ordinary human. Nor was anybody in his town, but Arlo was exceptionally different. Arlo lived in Halloween Town where everybody turned into a wolf when the moon came out at night. Their school also started at 8:00pm, so everyone was a wolf at school. Arlo though, didn’t turn into a wolf with the moon, he would turn into a hippo. For this reason, Arlo was bullied at school for being the odd one out. Everyone would play wolf games after school while Arlo would sit at home watching his favorite television show with his family. He loved his family but he wished for some friends. One day, Arlo came home from school with a sad face (as usual). He was watching TV with his family when a commercial came on. It was promoting a pair of glasses that made you look like a wolf. Arlo thought “That’s exactly what I need!” A week later, the package came on his front door. Before getting on the bus that evening he put them on. In the bus window reflection was a wolf! At school, everyone looked at him differently. He sat with the cool kids at lunch. They even invited him to play wolf football with them. For the rest of the month, Arlo followed his new “friends”. When they spray painted the school bathroom, so did he. He played tackle football instead of going home to his family. In fact, Arlo’s whole personality changed. He dressed differently, he had no manners towards his parents, and he even sneaked out at night. Although Arlo loved being one of the cool kids now, he missed watching television with them. He missed his mom’s delicious pumpkin pie. He just missed his family. One day, Arlo took the glasses off before he got on the bus. He was just his normal hippo self. He got to school and tried to sit with his friends. They told him he wasn't cool enough anymore. Everyone gave him dirty looks. Arlo realized that if you weren't “normal” no one wanted to be your friend. He wanted to put an end to this. He stomped on the table to get everyone's attention. “Hello everyone. I know I am not very “cool” anymore, but I just want you to know that you don't have to be the same as everyone else to be cool. Just be who you want to be and that's all that matters.” Arlo went home and told his family what happened. His family was very proud of him. He was proud of himself. Arlo went to bed that night with a smile on his face. When he went to school the next day, everyone was different. Some people wore their hair differently. Some people had different clothing on. Some people weren’t wolves either! But what they looked like was themselves. People thought of Arlo now as their friend. Although Arlo wasn't the “cool” kid, he was the hero who helped everyone be themselves. Keira is an 11 year old girl going into 7th grade. Keira loves writing and comes up with the most creative stories. When she is not writing, you can find Keira on the softball field pitching in one game after another. You can find more of Keira's work in Little Thoughts Press, including the following blog posts: Not My Dream Dog Can't Wait to be in California And an interview about "Christmas Countdown" from our Magical Winter issue.

The leaves are dropping along with the temperatures, Thanksgiving is almost here, and our Fantastical Fall issue is making its way to readers. That means it's time to start thinking about our next issue. While most Little Thoughts Press issues have included a sprinkling of nonfiction, this one will be special. It’s ALL nonfiction! We’re calling it “Fabulous Facts: A Celebration of Nonfiction for Kids.” So, what does that mean exactly? Here’s some information to get you started: Dusty, boring, dull...nope, not on our watch! We want to celebrate the wonderful world of the astonishing facts kids love to learn. Bring us your mini-biographies of outstanding inventors, scientists, and creatives. Send your best STEAM stories and narrative nonfiction poems. Have an out-of-the-box informational fiction idea or illustration? We’d love to see it. Back matter is welcome, but we ask you to keep it brief due to limited space. For fact-checking purposes, please include citations/sources/references for information that isn’t common knowledge. (References will not be published.) I hope your nonfiction wheels are already turning. But, if you’re anything like me, you probably want an example or two. I’m glad you asked. Here you go: What makes one a “yes” and the other a “no?” It comes down to the fact that in a magazine (unlike a picture book text), the illustrations are minimal and more decorative than informational or storytelling. The space for back matter is minimal. Therefore, a piece must do most (or all) the heavy lifting for itself, giving the child reader what they need for comprehension within the text. You can see this at work in the two texts above. The “yes” example doesn’t need much in the way explanation. However, the “no” piece needs illustrations and/or extensive back matter to support the text. Without a picture or sidebar, the reader won’t know that Maria’s “harnessing seawater and sunlight” describes her inventing a solar powered still which turned seawater into fresh, drinkable water. If your piece must include back matter, keep it short and simple. Here’s an example that could accompany our “yes” piece THE LIST: Monarch life stages: Egg, larvae (caterpillar), pupa (when the caterpillar turns into an ooey-gooey bit inside the chrysalis case), butterfly. Learn more about monarchs (give book title, etc. here).” Now, you may be thinking, “Wait – both the YES and NO examples are narrative! What about expository nonfiction? Kids love that, too.” We say, “Absolutely - bring it on!” Either way you go, we encourage you to find the hook and framework to get and keep a fact-loving kid reading. (Here is a great article from the master of expository kidlit herself, Melissa Stewart, with some lovely examples of both narrative and expository approaches and various ways of framing them.) We hope you’re starting to get as excited about this upcoming issue as we are. Keep in mind these general guidelines. Submissions for Fabulous Facts will be open from November 27, 2023 - January 1, 2024. All submissions will receive a response by January 15, 2024. We can’t wait to celebrate your fabulous nonfiction kidlit with you and our readers.

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Five: New Beginnings with a sneak peek of the poem "January Blues" by Jacqueline Shirtliff. A white page with black text. Jacqueline Shirtliff is a primary school teacher and a children's poet from the Isle of Man. She has had her poems published in The Caterpillar, TygerTyger, The Dirigible Balloon and Northern Gravy. She lives in a rose-covered cottage near the sea, and when she's not at school or writing poetry she enjoys gardening, crochet and playing the tuba and harp, but not all at the same time! Little Thoughts Press: I love how your poem "January Blues" captures the sadness so many of us feel at the beginning of a new year, but also offers an element of hope and uplift. When writing for young kids, it can be tempting to present a fully sunny picture of the world. What guidance would you offer to other writers on how to approach writing about difficult emotions and experiences? How do you suggest acknowledging the sadness and gloominess that is often present in our lives, while still balancing it with a sense of hope and progress for young readers? Jacqueline Shirtliff: As a primary school teacher, I'm very well aware that life is not always sunny and happy for children. A number of my poems reflect this, because I see when children are sad, and it's part of my job to come alongside and talk over why they're sad and try to find a way out of that sadness. Sometimes it's that a classmate's made fun of them, or that they've fallen out with a friend. At other times it's something that's happening at home, which I can't do anything about, but I can listen and try to understand. I would encourage other writers to tackle difficult emotions and experiences in their writing, though I've found it can be hard to find homes for sad and reflective poems. I think it's really helpful for children to read poems and stories about other children going through sad or tough times because then they know they're not alone. It's good to remind children (and ourselves as well) that there is almost always a light at the end of the tunnel, even if sometimes it's just a tiny glimmer. As a writer, it's far easier to write about these issues if you have opportunities to talk with children, to understand their concerns, and to listen to their ideas and solutions. Watch how they resolve difficulties or sadness themselves or with their friends. I learn so much every week from just being with children and I get almost all my ideas for poems from the children in my school, though they don't know it! Little Thoughts Press: Issue 5: New Beginnings is all about fresh starts and new experiences. Can you tell us how you started writing kid-lit and what drew you to creating stories for young readers? Jacqueline Shirtliff: I've always enjoyed writing. I was writing and making poetry books to sell to my mum and dad when I was five. I found one when I was having a sort-out in the holidays. The rhymes are truly awful! I stopped writing creatively, even in my spare time, when I went up to high school, though I did keep a diary. Then when I took some time out of teaching to look after young children I seized the chance to write whilst they were having their afternoon naps. I started with stories, but poems are quicker to get finished and shorter to edit, so I sort of fell into writing poetry for children instead. Initially, I found it hard to know what to do with my poems, but with the internet, it's now so much easier to find publishers and I was amazed and delighted when Rebecca O'Connor wanted to publish one of the poems I'd sent her in The Caterpillar and that gave me a lot of encouragement and a reason to take my writing more seriously. Little Thoughts Press: What do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for a young audience? Jacqueline Shirtliff: I find it hard getting started! Even if I have an idea, I can sit staring at a blank page for ages before putting pen to paper. The most rewarding thing is seeing my poems in print, or reading them in school. The amazement on the children's faces with new classes who don't yet know I write is priceless! Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Jacqueline Shirtliff: I loved Swallows and Amazons! I wanted a boat of my own, to sail to islands, to camp. Needless to say, I read the Arthur Ransome books to my own children, who enjoyed them as well. I really liked fantasy too, especially The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit. and Ursula le Guin's Earthsea trilogy. Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Jacqueline Shirtliff: That's a hard question as I am always discovering new books to read alongside the classics! I read Narnia to every class I get the chance to, but I love Wonder by R.J. Palacio and The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q.Rauf. Both of these books tackle difficult issues but children soak up every word. More recently I've really loved The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold, but it's a bit dark for my current class of 7 and 8-year-olds! As a poet, I obviously read a lot of poetry with my class, but I wouldn't know where to begin with shout-outs. The children's poetry group on Twitter is so supportive and kind and I wouldn't want to leave anyone out! There are so many fantastic contemporary children's poets in the UK and further afield. If anyone's new to children's poetry, a good starting point would be to check out the CLPE poetry awards for the most recent collections of poems for children. Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Jacqueline Shirtliff: What I tell all my classes: don't worry about your spelling! Just write. And read as much as you can. Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share? Jacqueline Shirtliff: Yes! Firstly, I was recently longlisted for a collection with the Emma Press. Secondly, I currently teach full time, but I'm hoping to work a little less next year, so that I can go into schools to lead poetry assemblies and writing workshops. I'm very excited!

When my son was two and a half years old, he suddenly developed night terrors. My husband and I spent the summer passing him back and forth over and over until dawn as we tried to help him sleep. Worried and desperate, we reached out to our pediatrician for guidance and she informed us that we could expect the problem to last roughly six months (she was right), and offered the following suggestion for our son’s bedtime to help ease him to sleep and (hopefully) reduce the likelihood that he would wake screaming from nightmares at three in the morning: place a chair just outside the threshold of his open bedroom door and sit in it until he fell asleep. We were not supposed to engage with him, apart from reminding him that it was bedtime, we were right there, and he was perfectly safe. Some nights, it took nearly two hours for him to stop popping up to peer over the edge of his crib to see if we were still sitting there. I found this experience maddening—having to avoid making eye contact, resisting the urge to respond when he chattered away at me, being stuck in one spot like a trapped animal. I kept myself sane by using the chair time to write. I’d stretch my legs out in front of me, press my feet against the opposite wall, and turn my lap into a table for my computer and then I would start typing, doing my best to get lost in my work and ignore the sad, tiny child whimpering for my attention from only a few feet away. I wrote eighty thousand words of a YA novel this way, stuck in a dark hallway, illuminated only by the light of my laptop screen. I have yet to finish this manuscript, but I’ve returned to it every few months or so in the years since and am always pleasantly surprised by my ability to slip back into the world I’ve created there. I add a little bit and then put it away for a while, but I fully intend to finish it someday and hope to get it published. I would love to hold in my hands a book that was born from the most difficult period of my early parenting experience. A book, written in the dark, that brought me some much-needed light. Where We Write is a blog series that aims to showcase the spaces and places that are the backdrops of your creative work. We would especially love to highlight unique or unconventional writing spaces. While we will be prioritizing posts from past contributors, we welcome any writers who wish to share a little bit about where they write to submit essays for blog publication to littlethoughtspress@gmail.com (please put Blog Submission in the subject line). If you’re comfortable, please provide a few pictures of where you write, as well as a short post that addresses any/all of the following: How did you come to choose or create this space? What is unique about it? What specific challenges/inspirations does the space provide? What is your favorite thing you have written there? Take us on a tour of where you write!

Cynthia Mackey is the author of Katie Shaeffer Pancake Maker and The Lullaby Monsters, and her poetry appears in The Dirigible Balloon and Little Thoughts Press. Her debut picture book, If a Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe, will be published by Yeehoo Press in 2024. Her blog, Kid Lit Village features interviews with authors and illustrators of newly released children’s books. Cynthia lives with her husband in Victoria, Canada. For more info, see booksbycindy.com. Hi, I’d like to thank Claire for the opportunity to write for the Little Thoughts Press blog. When I started out, my writing was done in the spaces between other things, so I needed to be flexible. Like other moms who write, it happened while waiting for my children at their soccer, basketball, or curling (a popular Canadian sport) and piano and guitar lessons. My office could be the coffee shop, the car, or the waiting room at the orthodontist's office. In the early mornings, my office was the living room couch. I’ve even written on ferries, trains, and airplanes. In fact, I prepared materials to send to an agent earlier this year while traveling on Via Rail from Ottawa to Toronto. It is a long enough trip to fit in a good block of time and there aren’t many distractions, plus they have coffee. Sadly, the agent passed on my materials, but her request for more work came while I was traveling, and I didn’t want to make her wait. I recently created a home office, and here are my favorite things: IKEA office stool: I love that it moves with me when I need to wiggle. I’m like a kid that way! David’s Tea container: I’ve repurposed it as a pen and pencil holder. Sketch Book: I am not an illustrator, but I like to do sketches to envision what the spreads might look like. Sofa: For when I need to read or be more comfortable to write. Tivoli radio: I use this with my iPhone to play music when I need a little more oomph to get through the writing. It has a fabulous sound! Most of the time, though, I prefer quiet. IKEA face-out picture book shelves: I love that I can change what’s face out and put out the picture books I’m using as mentor texts or for inspiration. My dream to fill these shelves up with my own traditionally published books is coming closer to reality. My debut picture book will be released in 2024 with Yeehoo Press, and I’m looking forward to the day when I can add If a Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe to sit alongside books by my critique partners. That will be a day to remember!

Lauri C. Meyers writes for children and people who used to be children from a book nook in her New Jersey home. You can find Lauri's work in Little Thoughts, Clubhouse Jr., Spaceports & Spidersilk, Stinkwaves, and Guardian Angel Kids magazines, as well as the upcoming publication of a poem in Highlights High Five and a YA short story in Ember. She is a member of SCBWI and 12×12. Find her tweeting about squirrels and other nonsense at @laurimeyers or blogging at www.laurimeyers.com. A few years ago, I became very annoyed with a storage cabinet thingy in my bedroom. Perhaps because I read The Littles when I was younger, I knew this little space under the eaves could be turned into a lovely space. I didn't want the space to feel like Harry Potter's room under the stairs, so I opened it up. I created a tornado amount of noise and dust. I remember young me always wanted a window seat, so I added a window! A little book nook appeared, perfect for reading, writing, or taking a "what does this character really want?" nap. This project turned out to be the start of a new workspace (my old space was stolen lovingly passed to my husband during the pandemic). My desk is simple, which is the way I like it. I admit this picture is quite faked…I removed a banana peel, yesterday's tea, a busy notepad, and 13 Post-it notes prior to capture. My nook holds lots of ideas … books I love, trinkets from loved ones, memories of the past. Most importantly, you can fit 18 STACKS OF PAPERS! Oh, how I love piling projects, especially because I often work on picture books, poems, and short stories simultaneously. So it usually looks like this: I keep adding (vintage, reclaimed) storage pieces to deal with my piling problem. My file cabinet has a lid that opens up, which I really dig because I can visually see all my manuscripts. My drawer stand stores journals, pens, and Post-its. I recently added a paper sorter to help me keep up with what was on submission or needing revision. But the piling persists. (Let's be honest—if I were an animal, I'd probably be a beaver piling up papers until I had a good dam!) Though I do spend a lot of hours at my desk, I write lots of places. In the car waiting for a pick-up, in the kitchen waiting for the water to boil, in a lawn chair waiting for the dog to do his business…stealing those otherwise lost minutes can turn into a lot of writing. Did you know J.K. Rowling wrote a lot in a pub? Hmm…I wonder if they allow piles?

Image of Michael Scott from The Office with text that reads "An office is a place where dreams come true." Brandy Bellittera has been a Kindergarten teacher for 15 years. She finds daily inspiration in her students, as well as her own three children. Brandy is an unwavering Gryffindor who possesses a huge nerd heart. If you quote lines from The Office while wearing a StarWars or MARVEL t-shirt, you are instantly best friends. She has studied her craft of writing at the Institute of Children’s Literature and is a member of SCBWI. She is also an active member of the Writing Community on Twitter and Instagram. She has been published in Little Thoughts Press magazine twice, (August 2022 and October 2022) and has a piece forthcoming in Cricket’s Spider magazine in September 2023. You can find her at @inkedauthor31. “Writing stories is a kind of magic, too.” ― Cornelia Funke, Inkheart Setting up a writing space was one of my favorite tasks when I decided it was finally time to pick up the pen and never put it down again. Luckily for me, I had just the space. We have a fourth bedroom that has been utilized in many different ways over the seven years we have lived in our house. It’s been a “junk” room, guest bedroom, LulaRoe closet (when I was a consultant many moons ago!), “Junk Room 2.0”, a playroom, and then a den. Just as I was looking around Pinterest for ideas on how to create a home office that suited the space (and getting super excited about the possibilities), I was given the best gift God could give me. After not feeling well for a few weeks, I discovered that I was expecting my youngest kiddo, Maverick. Needless to say, I was quite surprised by this development. Even though I was overjoyed to add to my family, it meant I had to halt my office plans. Designing his nursery became a priority and I stored most of the furniture I had been collecting in the garage. The nursery is still a very special project for me as its creation is the last project I was able to do with my momma before she passed. It still looks exactly as it did before he was born. Even though he will be turning four this year, Maverick doesn’t seem to mind. I am grateful for that. After Maverick was born, I gave myself some time to acclimate to being a mom of three kiddos. But those long nights provided plenty of time to scroll Pinterest and think about what I could do now that my office space needed a new home. After talking to my husband, he agreed that I could take a corner of our primary bedroom and convert it into a small writing space. This allowed me to not have to get rid of all of my furniture and still have enough storage to keep all of the things I would need for my journey without losing my style. It takes up a good portion of the room, which was a challenge at first, but with some careful rearranging, we are making it work! I still have a few furniture pieces tucked away in the attic for now (before I know it, my kids will be grown) and I will find myself in that spare bedroom again. For now, I love my cozy little author nook. It has everything I need when I have time to work from home. My favorite piece is my navy/teal hutch to house works-in-progress and mentor texts, along with some fun trinkets that make me smile. So… TADA Here it is in all of its cozy glory. And lucky for you, my Editor in Chief was feeling photogenic today. With the zoo I have, there is ALWAYS a fur baby lurking nearby. Hedwig just happens to be the boss. Photograph of the author's writing space.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 1st Annual “From Trash to Treasure” Kidlit Poetry Contest! We were absolutely blown away by the quality of your entries. You all made it so hard to choose! We are thrilled to announce our WINNER... SARA KRUGER If I could fit inside a keyhole, one thing I would do: We’d never have to search for keys—I’d somersault right through! But soon as I was on the floor, I’d notice something sad: Being small helped me get in, but didn’t help my dad! Congratulations, Sara! Your poem packed so much fun and imagination into a small package and left us somersaulting with joy! Here are more of our thoughts on this winning piece: Claire: The image of a kid shrunk down to keyhole size is so fun and clever! I love somersault as a word choice in this piece because it provides such vivid, active imagery, as opposed to walking or even jumping through the keyhole. Smart, specific choices like that are so important in a short poem where you want every line to have a strong impact. Carrie: "If I could fit inside a keyhole..." - The opening immediately captured my imagination and set my portal fantasy wheels spinning. What would happen if a kid could fit through a keyhole? Putting the imaginative and humorous premise together with a fun "read-aloud" rhythm turned this piece into a top entry for me. There were so many wonderful entries to choose from that we couldn't settle on just two Honorable Mentions, so please join us in congratulating our three HONORABLE MENTIONS... JENNIFER THOMAS Claire: This poem is fun and has tons of kid appeal, while at the same time, as the parent of a picky eater, it had me laughing as well. The vegetable struggle is real! I really enjoyed the combination of universally-loved sweets and snacks in pie and pretzels with the very kid-specific food item of playdough. That cracked me up! It can be hard to create a tight, complete piece in just a few lines, but this poem was a well-rounded, truly satisfying bite! Carrie: I loved this piece's playfulness and appeal to kids and adults alike. Because, really, who doesn't love pie? The little zig-zag into absurdity with "playdough for lunch," as well as the contrast of the formality of the title with the silliness of the verse, added to the fun. It's a nice reminder that kidlit doesn't always need a lesson or a more profound message snuck in like those much-maligned veggies on a kid's plate. NATASHA ZIMMERS Claire: I love how much tension is built in just five short lines! The shadowy nature of the seal is nicely reinforced by describing the water as murky and churned by storms and the use of shiver for the whiskers pushes the reader into a heightened awareness. This poem is packed with information and the structure mimicking a seal diving downward is a really nice touch. Carrie: With its active verbs and well-chosen use of alliteration, all tightly packaged into five lines that form the shape of a seal diving – this little poem was a delight. I can easily see it as a part of a nonfiction or information picture book told in verse. JENNY MATTERN Claire: Not only is it cleverly shaped like a kite, but the language has a soft, drifting quality that also reminds me of kites in the sky. The imagery is strong throughout and I can picture this poem so clearly—the kites and the sunshine coming into view against the backdrop of a snowy day. This is such a tranquil poem. Reading it made me feel calm and at peace. Carrie: I always appreciate and admire the creativity that limitations can bring to a writer's work. Creating a kite-shaped haiku was a double challenge, and Jenny made the most of it! I enjoyed the vivid imagery and the layers of seasons, memories, and nostalgia that she packed into twenty-two words. And as a treat, my six-year-old represented young readers by selecting his favorite. The winner of our KID CHOICE is... ANDY SPEARMAN Ben, on why he chose Foodle for Poodles: "I just think it’s super funny! I really like the first line. It’s so good." Congratulations to Andy, and shoutout to our two runners-up for Kid Choice: Julie Hauswirth "I especially like the glitter bomb at the end. I think that’s funny.” & Sharon Korzelius "I like that there are animals. Plus I think it’s funny that animals are going on a field trip to see live humans when it’s supposed to be the opposite.” Congratulations to all our winners! Please message @LTPmag on Twitter or email me at littlethoughtspress at gmail to claim your copy of a past issue and coordinate shipping. Thank you again to everyone who participated. We loved seeing the treasures you created and we hope you'll join in when we do this again next year! In the meantime, we are open for submissions until September 15th for our Fantastical Fall issue. We'd love to read more of your magical treasures!

Photograph of a framed illustration of Ysabelle the Starwife, by Robin Jarvis. Emmy Clarke is a children’s writer and poet living in Shropshire, UK. Her work has been featured in Stories of Care’s “Tales of the Bold, the Brave, and the Beautiful”, Little Thoughts Press, and Storytime Magazine. She is also the Founder of Changeling Annual, a publication for children featuring poetry, art, and fiction solely by neurodivergent creatives. Changeling has just celebrated the publication of its first issue. Emmy can be found at emmy-writes.com. Hello there! I’m Emmy Clarke, neurodivergent children’s writer, poet, and Founding Editor of Changeling Annual. You may have read “The Autumn Vixen,” my story in Issue 4 of Little Thoughts Press. Today, I’d like to talk to you about a story that inspired me to start writing: The Deptford Mice trilogy by Robin Jarvis. This series of books follows Audrey Brown, a short-tempered, determined young mouse, and her friends in their fight against Jupiter, the living god of the rats that live in the sewers below Deptford, London. The trilogy came to me second-hand when I was around nine years old. I was hooked at once, instantly connecting with Audrey. We came of age together, in a way. I dressed as her for World Book Day two years in a row, and when I finished the series, I cried for the loss. It was the first time I cared so much about a fictional world. The Deptford Mice is quite gruesome and scary for a children’s series. Characters die, even fan favourites, and not all the imagery is as beautiful and wholesome as you’d expect from a story about talking mice! But that is what I loved about it — it felt like Jarvis wasn’t talking down to me just because I was a kid. His world was full of magic and danger, bloodthirsty cults, and lost loves. The characters were complex, and they didn’t always act as you wished they would. I appreciated that he handled tough topics with ease, emotion, and often the sort of bluntness the narrative required. As a kid, I would often daydream about the characters and doodle them in school, copying carefully from his illustrations. These stories gave me an early taste of writing fanfiction. Even today, Jarvis’s approach to storytelling has inspired me in my approach to writing for children. My work today is not as fearsome as Jarvis’s, but the rush of magical excitement and wonder I felt when I read the Deptford trilogy for the first time is something I want to pass on to the next generation. Jarvis also didn’t shy from including spirituality and magic in his work, even creating his fictional deities, much like I did in “The Autumn Vixen.” A few years ago, an old friend visited Robin Jarvis at a publishing event and took some of my well-loved copies to be signed. As Jarvis was aware that we had been championing his books online and interacted with us a few times, he’d prepared sketches of our favourite characters for us. Ysabelle the Starwife sits pride of place on my desk, reminding me of the stories and characters that inspired me to begin writing in the first place. She reminds me of how far I’ve come, but also how connected I am to my younger self. This connection to the inner child is important when writing for younger audiences, and I’m ever thankful to walk hand in hand with ‘little Emmy’ as we brave the many wonders of being a grown-up author.

Little Thoughts Press and the Revision Raccoon are excited to announce the 1st Annual “From Trash to Treasure” Kidlit Poetry Contest! Rather than throw out our darlings, what if we remade them? Take a discarded darling and make something new! Send us a lyrical haiku, funny limerick, inspiring quintains, creative free verse, or whatever your imagination dreams up. What: Take a discarded-but-loved line from one of your kidlit pieces and use it as a starting point for a poem. Be it fiction or nonfiction, funny or a little dark, quirky or inspirational – whatever direction you go, the work should be appropriate for kids 12 and younger. LGTBQT+ and diverse themes are welcome. The first line of your new poem must be a line that you previously cut from a different piece. We're working on the honor system here! Please do not submit a poem that doesn't include a previously discarded line. Who: Agented, pre-agented, published, pre-published, kids of all ages— any and all kidlit creatives are welcome to enter! When: The contest submission period is from August 1st - 4th. A winner and two honorable mentions will be announced here, on the Little Thoughts Press blog, and on Twitter @ltpmag on Friday, August 11th! Selected poems will be featured on the blog and winners will receive a free copy of their choice of one of our past issues. Winning entries will be selected by Little Thoughts Press editors, Claire and Carrie. How to enter: Post your entry as a comment on this post anytime between midnight (EDT) on August 1st and 11:59 pm (EDT) on August 4th. Entries posted outside of this window will not be considered. Details: There is no word limit, BUT there is a maximum length of five lines per piece. 1 entry per kidlit creator. Feel free to include a sentence or two about the reason this is a “darling” and the inspiration behind the reimagining of it. Grab your copy of our Revision Raccoon participant badge and help spread the word by sharing #trashtotreasure on your socials! We can't wait to see how you turn your trash into shiny new treasures!