The Texas Book Festival: Picture Books and Early Chapter Books

Check out this FABULOUS line up of featured books by Texas Book Festival Picture Book and Early Chapter Book authors! I can hardly wait to dig in (and see some of my favorite authors)!

What is the Texas Book Festival?

Only "one of the largest and most prestigious literary festivals in the country." (Texas Book Festival)

The Festival is held every year, and features 250+ authors and 100+ exhibitors spread over 20+ venues around the Texas State Capitol Building, with a wide range of panels, meet and greets, family activities, and of course, food trucks! 

This year's event is this weekend, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27 AND SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2018.

Most authors/illustrators will be available for book signings following their speaking event. Come to the Children's Book Signing Tent to get an autograph by your favorite author, and say hi to me while you are there!

Can't wait to see you!  

All Around Us
Xelena Gonzalez, Adriana M. Garcia

10/27 at 12:15 PM, Latinx Lit Tent (with Erika L. Sanchez, Celia C. Perez, Xelena Gonzalez and Adriana Garcia) AND 10/27 at 4 PM, Read Me a Story Tent

Grandpa says circles are all around us. He points to the rainbow that rises high in the sky after a thundercloud has come. "Can you see? That's only half of the circle. That rest of it is down below, in the earth." He and his granddaughter meditate on gardens and seeds, on circles seen and unseen, inside and outside us, on where our bodies come from and where they return to. They share and create family traditions in this stunning exploration of the cycles of life and nature.

The Cybils 2018: Children's and YA Bloggers' Literary Awards (with a Chicken Nugget GIVEAWAY!)

It's the most wonderful time of the year: the kids are back in school, settled and happy; you can get pumpkin spice everything (though admittedly, this goes too far); it is even rumored that in some places the air is crisp and cool.

But even more importantly (tiny drumroll in your head, please):

IT IS CYBILS NOMINATION TIME!

Back to School...Emotions!

Summer is over! Cue the marching band! Break out the champagne! Get ready for...

GIANT back-to-school emotions. Womp, womp, womp.

But wait!

Giant emotions are a good thing. They mean you're raising strong, bright, compassionate kiddos! You're doing great!

But in case you need a little help discussing those ENORMOUS feelings with those little kids, check out these winners:

From an Alabama Spitfire to A Boy, a Mouse, and a Spider...and Also an Octopus

You might have noticed that non-fiction picture books, especially picture book biographies, are making a mark in the book world lately. And for good reason. These aren't your grandparent's non-fiction books (although some of them may be about your grandparents...). They are well-researched and innovative. They're less "book report" and more book. They often focus on just a short period of a person's life, are concisely and cleverly told, and/or mix a fictional story with juicy bits of non-fiction information (a category often referred to as "fictinformational").

The best ones capture the good and the bad in relatable, child-friendly ways, and remind us that we're all human. They whet the appetite for further learning. They inspire us. And this stack of some of our non-fiction favorites is chock-full of the best of the best.