Welcome to our Community Celebration Station!
This is the place where we’ll share the good news and more that we hear from our community.
Our team tries our best to compile these posts. If we missed you, or if you have a new story or a piece of good news to share, please let us know here. We’d love to hear from you!
New Books
Mentee Carries on Mentor’s Legacy
Floyd Cooper began the illustrations for this book; his mentee Daria Peoples finished them. Learn more about the story here, and congratulations Daria.
Happy Book Birthday x2 with Stephanie Gibeault!
We celebrated one on Instagram Live, and one on the blog.
Congratulations Stephanie!
Happy Book Birthday Tonya Duncan Ellis!
Congratulations Tonya!
New Book Deal Announced for Hanh Bui
We can’t wait to read I STAND IN LINE in 2026.
As reported in Publisher’s Weekly: Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has acquired world rights to I Stand in Line by Hanh Bui (l.), illustrated by Rong Pham (c.) and Vinh Nguyen (r.), a picture book about the many lines a refugee child stands in for the things she needs, and later, as she stands in line in order to make a difference for others in her new country. Publication is set for summer 2026; Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary Agency represented the author, and Aurora Barlam at Astound US represented the illustrators.
Book Birthday: WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT
See the celebration from Instagram Live! Social Media Manager Cat Galeano talks with contributing editor Rob Costello and two of the many talented writers featured: Alexandra Villasante and Jonathan Lenore Kastin.
Book Birthday: GLORIANA, PRESENTE: A FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL STORY
See the celebration from Instagram Live! Social Media Manager Cat Galeano talks with author Alyssa Reynoso-Morris about her new release.
Book Deal Announced for Emily Rosenthal
We can’t wait to read LEROY HAS SOMETHING TO SAY in 2026!
As reported in Publisher’s Weekly: Alex Borbolla at Bloomsbury has bought world rights to Leroy Has Something to Say, a picture book by Emily Rosenthal (l.), illustrated by Thai My Phuong. Leroy, a gardening ghost, tries to use the language of flowers to befriend those who move into his abandoned manor, but no one understands him until he meets Tara, a non-speaking girl who shares Leroy’s passion for plants and uses a tablet to communicate. Publication is set for spring 2026; Alexandra Weiss at Azantian Literary represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Book Deal Announced for Scholarship Recipient Lisa Cloherty
From Lisa: I just wanted to share the exciting news that I just announced today on Publishers Marketplace my first Jewish Joy book, MABEL’S MITZVAH, which will be published by Free Spirit Publishers in Winter 2026.
Congratulations, Lisa! We can’t wait to read it!
In Publishers Marketplace: Lisa Cloherty’s MABEL’S MITZVAH, about a girl who sets out to help her neighbor for Mitzvah Day and ultimately learns that friendship is the greatest gift of all, to Deidra Purvis at Free Spirit, in a nice deal, for publication in winter 2026 (world).
Book Birthday: THE OFRENDA THAT WE BUILT
See the celebration from Instagram Live! Social Media Manager Cat Galeano talks with mother-daugther co-authors Jolene and Shaian Gutiérrez about their new release.
Awards and Features
Casting Announced for We Were Liars
Cast members were announced for We Were Liars, Prime Video’s series adaptation of E. Lockhart’s YA novel. Congratulations! Learn more here.
Two New Spaces on Campus
We celebreated a new Art Wall (featuring POWWOW DAY) and the dedication of the Jerome Weisman Art Studio! We hope you enjoy them.
Alum and Team Member Selected for Picture Book Mentorship
Our own scholarship winner, Summer Camp alum, and Social Media Manager Cat Galeano was one of 31 mentees selected for the 2024 Picture Book Rising Stars Mentorship Program. More than 2,000 applicants submitted applications for this 4-month program. Congratulations Cat, and we can’t wait to see what comes next!
More Good News On Our Blog
Scholarship Recipient Makes Significant Progress on a Middle Grade Draft + New Community Connections
Author-Illustrator Finds Support and Validation Through a Scholarship and Personal Retreat
Celebrating a Book Birthday with Lee Wind and Jieting Chen
Julia’s Story: 3 Books Under Contract + a New Career
Cathryn Brenner: New Tools and Confidence in the Next Steps Toward Helping Young Readers & Mathematicians
Scholarship Helps Meg Eden Kuyatt On Path to a Novel In Verse
Celebration Station: Summer 2024
#HFGather: Writing about Climate Change for Kids: Amplifying Black Voices for Social Justice, Racial Equity, and Caring for Our Planet
Celebrating a Book Birthday with Jolene and Shaian Gutiérrez
Celebrating Alyssa Reynoso-Morris’ Book Birthday!
A Visit to Remember: Valerie Bolling Uses Her Renée Watson Scholarship to Write 15,000 Words
