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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!

Photograph of author Sheila Schmotzer seated in a plane's jumpseat. Sheila Schmotzer's debut picture book Plane Party, independently published through Wander Wall Books, is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can also find it on the shelves of Bay Books of Coronado at the San Diego International Airport. Sheila's story, "The Snow Ballet," was published in Little Thoughts Press's Magical Winter issue in December 2021. A woman of many talents, Sheila is a former dance studio owner with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. An IMDb member, she appeared in Netflix's The Do-Over and the feature films Magic Mike XXL and Baywatch. A member of the World Animal Foundation, Sheila enjoys volunteering at her local wildlife refuge center and traveling. In addition to creating magical flights of fancy for kids, she's a flight attendant with a major US airline. Sheila resides in South Carolina and is based out of Orlando, Florida. If you'd like to learn more about her journey, visit Sheila's website, connect with her through Twitter at @SheilaSchmotzer, and join the fun on her Tik Tok account "Sky Girl Author" @SheilaSchmotzer. Welcome aboard. My name is Sheila, and I'll be your flight attendant on today's writing journey. One of my favorite times to write is when I'm flying. After I complete my preparation, duties, and service, or when traveling in general, I brainstorm, write, and revise. I love creating humorous children's stories, narrative nonfiction, and picture book biographies. Sometimes, I bounce ideas off my crew or even the passengers! Wheels up. My airline's aircraft feature animals domestic to our destinations and endangered species on the tails and wings. These amazing images and a few of my favorite pets in the cabin and service animals warm my heart and keep my creative wheels turning. I often fly through the starry nighttime skies while much of the world sleeps. For safety and security—I must remain alert. Red-eye travel is the perfect opportunity to write, revise, and read, as it provides very few distractions. As the cabin drifts off to slumber and snores, I take to my jumpseat and pull out my notebook. Jotting down my thoughts helps time pass quickly on the longest of legs. On these flights, I get some of my best story ideas. Adventure awaits. I've had the good fortune of visiting incredible places on my layovers. Once on a San Diego stay, I searched for all things related to Dr. Seuss! I discovered his iconic work in an art gallery and located the library named in his honor. I'll never forget my "search for Seuss" and getting to see his drawings and original sketches from his work process. From walking on beaches, exploring caves, observing architectural wonders, or taking in glorious sunsets…inspiration is everywhere. Destination arrived. Thanks for flying with me today. Fly high, dream big, and may you always get the window seat.

Photograph of an open notebook with a pen resting on it. Via Wix Media. C.K. Malone (they/them) is a Bigender (Intersex) educator and coach/teacher at the secondary level. When not grading essays or helping students, they're busy helping design culturally and LGBTQIA2+ responsive units for the district and working as a climate and culture coach. They adore advising their district about diverse voices through alignment with the Genders and Sexualities Alliance Network. Their debut picture book, A COSTUME FOR CHARLY, released from Beaming Books in 2022. They are published in two editions of LITTLE THOUGHTS PRESS. Their newest book, ALL SOULS’ SONG, will be released by Beaming Books in the fall of 2024. They are honored you are reading their words. I could go on and on about the whale book my mom read me every night she could when I was in first grade. Or I could cite some phenomenal book that was a bestseller back then. I could even share the most gorgeous book I have ever read. (DM me if you want to know!!!) But. The first book that truly made me want to be a writer was this book about body types and the clothes these “types” should wear. No, this isn’t another LGBTQIAP2S+ message or blog post by yours truly. In fact, it has nothing to do with my gender identity at all. (Mostly.) Bear with me, dear friends. Background I’d been teased about being fat for the past year. This was due to scarfing down mayonnaise and peanut butter sandwiches because we were poor. The calorie count made it so we wouldn’t go hungry. And you better believe when that ration of mayo and PB arrived, we ate as much as we could and as fast as possible. Add to that eating whatever I could whenever I could—birthday parties, pool parties, etc.—and I got a bit big. You do some drastic things when you think there might not be food. But then everything changed. In fifth grade, I saw this book in a ______ Book Fair pamphlet—you know the kind—where students would order books and wait for someone to deliver their order to their classrooms. It promised I could “dress for my size” and look amazing. It didn’t matter what gender you were—you would be the most gorgeous kid on the face of this Earth! I chose it for my BOOK IT! win. Once the book arrived, I devoured it faster than I ate the free Turkey dinner at the hospital my mom worked at during this time. I learned I was an “Apple Shape.” Basically, it meant I was heavy up top with skinny legs. Then the book told me to wear certain fabrics and clothes. I showed my mom. Obviously, we couldn’t afford them. I begged my cousins who sent us hand-me-downs for clothes that looked like this. They sent me overalls my mom spent nights patching so they would fit me. And yeaaaaahhhh. Not the best. Mirrors Matter We, as authors, hear about Mirrors, Windows, Doors, etc. Mirrors matter, peeps. After so many attempts to make myself into something other than an “Apple Shape” and failing, I got tired. And I was in FIFTH GRADE, my friends. I was worried about my identity, but I was more worried about my shape. So when Mrs. M. asked us to create a poem book using different techniques, I knew what to do. I wrote all these different poems—complete with HORRIBLE illustrations—in different forms and formats about being “big.” I wrote poems about giraffes and elephants who didn’t fit in. I wrote poems about people finally telling me I was amazing the way I was. I wrote about super-sized heroes taking down the _____s and the _____s of the world who made fun of me every day. And when my teacher spiral-bound these “poetry” books and sent them home, I was so proud. Here was a book that showed just how I felt about that “other book.” About how that “other book” defined who I was. My mom keeps it on her shelf even now. I thought about keeping that “other book” a while back. I kept it until I was 39 years old. Every time I even attempted to hate myself for how I looked and my “Apple Shape,” I dragged it out and stared at it. Then I began to write for the person I am now. I’m now published and sharing who I am. That “other book”? It’s probably recycled into couch cushion filler where it belongs.

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Five: New Beginnings with a sneak peek of the poem "A New Bike" by Kimberly Horch. A white page with black text and a graphic of a bike. Kimberly Horch is an author, mom of 5, and a self-proclaimed "agent of joy.” She bakes, homeschools, and paints murals on the walls of her faux homestead in an Idaho suburb. She writes picture books full of joy and beautiful words. Kimberly runs the Instagram account @thedaybrighteningcommittee where she encourages intentional kindness and making the world a brighter place. Her picture book by the same name will be published in March 2024. Little Thoughts Press: I saw you mentioned in a tweet that your story "A New Bike" was inspired by the experience of your twins learning to ride bikes. How often do you draw inspiration from your children in your storytelling and how do you balance incorporating their unique experiences with a story that feels universal for young readers? Kimberly Horch: Most of my stories are sparked by my children. They are so interesting and unpredictable that I no idea how writers without children come up with stories. From that spark, I look for the threads of truth. My focus is not as much on making the story universal as it is on making the story relatable, with a universal insight. In "A New Bike," the universal insight is that when one sibling can't do something that the other can it makes them more determined, whether or not they have a bigger sister. In my upcoming picture book debut, The Day Brightening Committee, the insight that helping other people makes a person less focused on their own struggles is true and relatable even for children who have never made a club to help others. 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? Kimberly Horch: I rediscovered writing when my oldest was a toddler and I wanted to introduce him to his great-grandparents who were no longer around. I wrote about their stories of struggling through the Depression and growing up on on leased farms. I tried to capture the funny moments and the hope and the values like hard work that kept them going. After that, I just fell in love with writing stories for my kids and wrote and illustrated a dozen or so that I had printed by Shutterfly. It was when my mom showed one of those to her friend in spin class, and he wanted a copy, that led me to think about writing for a larger audience. I still think of my children first when I write, and if it’s not a story that would interest or benefit them, then it’s not one I’m going to choose to focus on. Little Thoughts Press: What do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for a young audience? Kimberly Horch: That’s a great question. Honestly, the part I find most challenging is dealing with all the adult business of what a picture book should look like. Kids are less tied up with rules about page numbers and having a good conclusion than we adults are. But what I find most rewarding is finding the insight, that relatable truth that kids can identify with. When I can find one that really rings true, that’s the reward for me. Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Kimberly Horch: Anything my mom read out loud. She was a teacher and had the best read-aloud voices. I am loving revisiting those stories now with my kids like A Little Princess, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Hobbit. In high school, I discovered the narrative essays of E.B. White. I found it amazing how he could take a small moment in time and use it to comment on something as big as society or the human condition. And of course, he validated my sparse writing style with his call to “omit needless words!" Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Kimberly Horch: Yup. I love Julie Fogliano’s beautiful and joyful style, and I have her book When Green Becomes Tomatoes framed on my wall (I turn pages with the calendar). I also love Sophie Blackall’s insight and illustrations, Carter Higgins is my favorite for a perfectly-said phrase, and I dream one day to have a book illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Kimberly Horch: You will write a lot of not-awesome things before you write something awesome. Don’t give up, each one is a stepping stone. This video illustrating a quote by Ira Glass was huge for me as I got started. Part of what he says is, "It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions.” My husband and I say “It's part of a volume of work” to each other when projects turn out less than how we hoped. It helps to keep in perspective that as long as we are willing to learn from each attempt, it isn’t a failure, it’s a step. Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share? Kimberly Horch: I’ve probably got a dozen stories underway including a middle grade novel in verse. You can watch for my picture book, The Day Brightening Committee, in the Spring of 2024, followed by other stories coming soon I hope!

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Five: New Beginnings with a sneak peek of the poem "A Bike is Just a Bike" by Brenna Jeanneret. A purple page with white text. Brenna Jeanneret is a neurodiverse kidlit creator. A kid at heart, she spends as much time as possible road-tripping and rock climbing with her husband and son in their VW van. Her debut picture book, The Law of Birthdays, comes out with Cardinal Rule Press, Spring 2024. She is agented by Dan Cramer at Page Turner Lit and co-hosts the kidlit podcast You May Contribute A Verse. Find her on Twitter @Brennajeanneret Little Thoughts Press: It is so cool that you have your own podcast! Please tell us all about You May Contribute A Verse. In what ways has the work you've done on your podcast influenced or changed your own writing? Brenna Jeanneret: Thank you so much! You May Contribute a Verse is actually the result of two failed podcasts! ReWilding Motherhood, run by me, focused on outdoor adventuring as a mom, and What It Takes To Make run by Josh, my co-host focused on diverse creative pursuits and how things are made. Josh and I both found that running a podcast alone left little room for writing so we joined forces to create a kidlit-focused podcast. Having Josh as a partner has been incredible. And splitting the work in half has made it possible to write and podcast. I have to take a moment here to shout out our Podcast Wizard, Jon Seymour. He approached us with his mad editing skills and has streamlined, organized, and basically made the whole process more efficient! We are so lucky to have him! This is a fantastic question and one I don’t often get to address! Writing can be a lonely endeavor but doing the podcast has made me realize no one is in this alone. I love hearing about things like Ame Dyckman’s passion, Justin Colon’s re-directions, Elisa Boxer’s vulnerability, Madeleine Gunhart’s mixture of Tarot and writing, and Betsy Bird’s humor!! All of it reminds me why I write and inspires me to put myself out there. And I will say this, my favorite thing about the podcast is the joy it captures. We all hear no a lot but the podcast has been this respite where (almost) everyone says yes! I love being able to send this positivity out into the kidlit universe along with our weekly book reviews and Community Shoutouts to help spread the joy. Lastly, if you’re a listener, I just want to say thank you so much. Your support means everything to us. 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? Brenna Jeanneret: I have always been a writer. I still have a journal from when I was eight! I loved creative writing in grade school. In college, I journaled, a lot, because well, college is full of angsty drama that needs to be written about! Then I wrote about rock climbing, hiking, and adventuring for the Outdoor Women’s Alliance. I was a sponsored climber for a bit and wrote product reviews. I wrote funny articles for Elephant Journal and parenting articles for Hike It Baby and Raise Vegan. And then, when my son was four months old, as most of us do, I wrote my first children’s book. It. Was. Awful. But I loved the idea of writing books to make kids feel seen and to make them laugh, so I kept writing. Little Thoughts Press: What do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for a young audience? Brenna Jeanneret: The most challenging thing is trying to distill big ideas into a tiny space! The most rewarding thing is when I can actually do it. Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Brenna Jeanneret: My dad used to read a chapter a night to my sister and me. My favorite was Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I loved the bizarre imagination and nutty characters. Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Brenna Jeanneret: Well, I love anything by Angel Tate, Mari Rodriquez, Emily Holewczynski, Sharon Korzelius, and Josh Monken! And I also love the work of Helen Yoon, Beth Ferry, Lucy Ruth Cummins, Maddie Frost, Charlene Chua, CK Malone, and Tameka Fryer Brown. Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Brenna Jeanneret: Anything is possible. If you want to be a writer, write until you get to where you want to go, and then write until you get to the next place. No one can stop you, but you. Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share? Brenna Jeanneret: Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me! We have a lot of great stuff on the horizon for the podcast including plans for merch so be on the lookout!! I’d also like to share that my debut picture book, The Law of Birthdays, a book about the importance of choice and body autonomy, comes out with Cardinal Rule Press in Spring 2024!

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Five: New Beginnings with a sneak peek of the poem "Buñuelos" by Steena Hernandez. A yellow page with black text. Steena Hernandez studied musical theatre and dance, and holds a BFA from Texas Tech University. She has taught Theatre Arts in high school and middle school, and is currently writing picture books and middle grade stories. She is an active member of SCBWI, 12x12 Picture Book Challenge, and was chosen as a 2022 Las Musas mentee. Her debut picture book, LUPITA’S BROWN BALLET SLIPPERS, will be published with Beaming Books in the fall of 2024. She lives in San Antonio, TX with her supportive husband, two amazing children, and a betta fish named Mr. Bubbles. Little Thoughts Press: Your poem, "Buñuelos," celebrates one of your family's New Year's traditions. Can you talk about the ways in which you've incorporated tradition, memory and culture into your writing? What is your favorite example of something you've written that is informed by your own experience and heritage? Steena Hernandez: When writing my poem, Buñuelos, I thought about my own childhood traditions and how the memories made me feel. I remember feeling pure joy as my family gathered in the kitchen to help my abuela make the delicious treats. I hoped to capture those moments, and how we celebrated a new year in our home. Food and family are strong connections to my Mexican-American culture. I incorporate my heritage into much of my writing, including my many poems, and most recently, a middle-grade novel in verse that I’m revising. 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? Steena Hernandez: I’m a mother of two, and I read many picture books to my children. Having a background in musical theatre and dance naturally had me animating and acting out the characters. I enjoyed seeing my kids being fully engaged and interacting during story time. My excitement for storytelling drew me further into exploring characters and stories of my own. I jotted down ideas, and before I knew it, I had several stories. Little Thoughts Press: What do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for a young audience? Steena Hernandez: The most challenging thing is making sure my stories are kid relatable. I continue to strengthen this, often getting involved in playtime and activities with my kids and their friends. I hope to get a glimpse into their worlds, and tap into my inner child. We recently made bird feeders with ice cream cones, peanut butter, and bird seed. It was messy and fun! The most rewarding part about writing for a young audience is the possibility of readers seeing themselves in my stories. I share all my stories with my kids, and the ultimate reward comes from seeing their excitement and hearing their comments. Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Steena Hernandez: I loved Judy Blume books. I also enjoyed The Boxcar Children and Ramona Quimby books. It wasn’t until later that I read The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros that I felt a deeper connection to the characters in a story. Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Steena Hernandez: There are so many amazing authors who I love and admire in the kidlit community! Shout out to Jennifer Torres, who was my wonderful Las Musas mentor. Also, much love to ALL of my critique partners, Group Pono, and WOFs (Write On, Friends), for being my rock and my people. Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Steena Hernandez: I’ve experienced the ups and downs of this industry. It’s not easy to query a story that you’ve poured your heart into, only to receive a rejection from an agent or editor. However, I would say anything is possible if you just don’t give up. Keep writing. Keep learning. Keep GOING! Join a critique group, SCBWI, and get active in the writing community on social media. And most importantly, READ. Knowing what books are being published in the current market is invaluable. Last year, I wrote down titles of all the books I read in a notebook. By the end of 2022, I had read 427 picture books! It was rewarding to see my progress on paper. This year I’m active in the Goodreads Reading Challenge to keep track. Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share? Steena Hernandez: In the summer of 2021, I entered the Sun Write Fun contest hosted by the wonderful author Karen Greenwald. Although I didn’t win, I’ll never forget Karen’s encouraging words suggesting I turn my piece into a full picture book. I took her advice, and kept going with it. I recently announced that story as my debut picture book, LUPITA’S BROWN BALLET SLIPPERS, set to publish in the fall of 2024 with Beaming Books. I’m grateful for my agent, Lynnette Novak, and editor, Elizabeth Schleisman, for believing in the story. I’m looking forward to this part of my journey. Thank you so much for having me on your blog. It’s been such an honor to be a part of your wonderful publication.

A photograph of Little Thoughts Press Issue Five: New Beginnings with a sneak peek of the poem "Moving Day" by Carole Bromley. A white page with orange text and a drawing of moving boxes. Carole Bromley lives in York. She writes for both adults and children. Her poems have been published in The Caterpillar, Tyger,Tyger, The Toy, Paper Lanterns, Dirigible Balloon, anthologies from MacMillan and Emma Press, and in a Smith/Doorstop collection, Blast Off. She was the winner of the 2022 Caterpillar Prize. Little Thoughts Press: You write for both adults and children. Apart from content, obviously, what distinctions do you draw between your writing for kids and your writing for adults? How do your style and approach to writing for these two audiences differ? In what ways is it the same? Carole Bromley: Interestingly, my approach is very similar whether writing for adults or children. There has to be a spark in the first place and you have to become caught up in the creative process. Having said that, I suppose I do have a specific audience in mind when writing for children and, obviously, depending on the age of the target audience, the tone and language used have to be appropriate. Sometimes there can be a crossover. For example, I have included several children’s poems in my adults’ collections and, conversely, often find that children respond to poems which were written for adults. I don’t agree with people who think children’s poems are purely for entertainment either. Poetry can help with difficult situations and, sadly, children face those too - death of grandparents, divorce of parents, bullying and other problems at school or with friends and so on. I certainly use humour more in children’s poems and I know they love that. They also really love rhyme and rhythm so traditional form is an advantage too. Also, if you write a sonnet or a sestina or a simpler form like triolets or cinquains that can be useful in the classroom. Both the poems which you included in Issue 5 are about situations which can be a challenge for children: moving house and wearing glasses for the first time. I hope I put a positive spin on both. 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? Carole Bromley: I started writing seriously for children about ten years ago after a wonderful course with Carol Ann Duffy. I found being given permission to just have fun so liberating and came away with lots of ideas for approaches to writing poems. I read and read and would wake up early and scribble like mad. The poems just poured out of me. In 2014 I sent some off to the Manchester Writing for Children prize and was shortlisted. We had experimented with rewriting fairytales and one poem written on the course, ‘Goldilocks’, was performed later that year at the CLiPPA Awards. It was the most exciting thing to look round at hundreds of children’s faces and see their enthusiasm for poetry. I decided then and there to write more for children. Little Thoughts Press: What do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for a young audience? Carole Bromley: The most rewarding thing about writing for children is their love for poetry and the warm and excited reception you get when performing for them. The one challenging thing is publication! There are so few children’s publishers and even fewer outlets for books. Kids love poetry. They need poetry but you wouldn’t think so from the lack of poetry books on shelves in bookshops. I have had poems in most of the wonderful poetry magazines in the UK and US, I have a collection and am in many anthologies so I am lucky but it is an uphill struggle to establish yourself in such a small world. I have to say, though, that the warmth and friendship among children’s poets is just the loveliest thing. Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up? Carole Bromley: I gobbled up the classics as far as fiction goes. I was a real bookworm and haunted libraries. My grandmother loved poetry and I read my way through her adult poetry books as a child but only remember having Walter de la Mare read to me at home. And Lewis Carroll and Robert Louis Stevenson. At school I discovered a wider range and remember being blown away by The Highwayman and The Brook. Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out? Carole Bromley: So many! Where do I start? Matt Goodfellow, Laura Mucha, Lorraine Marriner, Rachel Piercey, Kate Wakeling are among my favourites. For brilliant shape poems, try Liz Brownlee and Sue Hardy-Dawson. Exciting new voices include Sarah Ziman and Attie Lime. Watch out for them! They are something else. If you want to discover a range of wonderful poets try dipping into the online resource, The Dirigible Balloon. My real favourite is Naomi Shehab Nye but I would say that as she awarded me the Caterpillar Prize last year! Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers? Carole Bromley: Read, read, read. Keep a notebook and jot down ideas and interesting words and phrases and snippets of conversation. Write whenever you feel like it. I am an early bird, others like to burn the midnight oil. When you feel brave, share your poems with a teacher or a group of others who like writing too. Join a poetry workshop group if there is one in your school. If there isn’t, start your own! Listen to poets on YouTube or, better still, go to hear someone read live. Don’t get discouraged, just keep going. Find somewhere to display or perform your work. Enter a children’s competition. You are a poet! Believe in yourself. Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share? Carole Bromley: I always have some project on the go! I did NaPoWriMo with a lovely group of children’s poets and we shared our poems in a WhatsApp group. I now have thirty brand new children’s poems to send out! I am also working on a sequence of poems for children about my home town of York, UK. People come here from all over the world to discover its rich history and explore its beautiful buildings and the surrounding countryside. I thought a little book of poems for young visitors might be educational and fun. It might even turn out to be an anthology including some of my favourite children’s poets who are, believe me, some of the nicest people in the world!