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30th Anniversary of MLK JR Day

By on January 20, 2025   /   Articles, Book Lists, Diversity  

January 20, 2025 marks the 30th Anniversary of the National Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Americans first celebrated this federal holiday in 1986, and Congress designated it as a national day of service in 1994 to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.

Laurie Edwards wrote a great post in January 2016 highlighting books written by King’s niece, Angela Farris Watkins, along with other middle grade biographies and books detailing MLK Jr.’s life and legacy.  As you celebrate the holiday today, here are some books written since 2016 honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Cover of Martin Rising: Requiem for a King. hand-drawn picture of Martin Luther King in the center of a book cover with a line of protestors at the bottom

 

From School Library Journal: A powerful celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., set against the last few months of his life and written in verse. Divided into three sections, (“Daylight,” “Darkness,” and “Dawn”), Andrea Davis Pinkney’s poems focus on the winter and spring of 1968, from King’s birthday on January 15 through the horror of his assassination on April 4 and end with a tribute to his legacy of hope on Easter Sunday, April 14. Grades 4-Up

 

 

 

Martin Luther King: The Peaceful Warrior by Ed Clayton, illustrated by Donald Bermudez
book cover featuring headshot of MLK Jr.
From School Library Journal: This biography of Martin Luther King Jr. was originally published in 1964, and has undergone a textual update fitting for the events that transpired in the years after its initial publication. The life of Dr. King is told through simple, easy-to-read text and full-color illustrations of pivotal moments in his life. The biography spends a good amount of time on King’s early years, with the latter half of the book focusing on key moments of the civil rights movement, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington. Grades 4-7.

 

 

 

 

 

Threads of Peace: How Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Changed the World by Uma Krishnaswami

picture of Mohandas Ghandi and MLK Jr. on a book cover
From Kirkus Reviews: The threads of the lives of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are intricately woven together and continue to hold relevance today; even though they never met, Gandhi was well aware of racial inequality in the U.S., and King was deeply influenced by Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence. The book begins with Gandhi’s life, followed by King’s, tracing each man’s story from birth to assassination. Details about their early years and very human struggles round out the portraits of their lives. Grades 4-up.

Share in the comments below what you will be reading on the 30th anniversary of the day of service honoring MLK Jr.!

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Agency: The Dilemma for the Middle Grade Sleuth

By on January 17, 2025   /   Articles, Writing  

By C. M. Surrisi on January 17, 2025

Picture of children looking at a map

The Dilemma

Many authors who love middle grade mysteries would like to write one. Hurrah! We always welcome new mysteries. However, it is not uncommon in this endeavor to dive in with a clever idea and then at about page fifty, give up. Why? Because it’s darn hard for a kid to solve a mystery.

Why is that? To solve a crime, a sleuth needs the ability to take action that affects the investigation and outcome, or in a word: agency. The youth-sleuth has some inherent handicaps in this regard. So when writing the middle grade mystery, how do you deal with these obstacles, and what can you do to make the most of them?

Fortunately, there is an established model which appeared in the earliest middle grade mysteries (e.g., Emil and the Detectives, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden) and endures in today’s kid-crime novels.

The model has three parts.

  • First, you should understand the kid-sleuth’s unique problems. For example:

    • They usually can’t drive.
    • They have curfews.
    • They have parents watching over them.
    • They have little or no money.
    • They do/don’t carry phones.
    • They lack life experience.
    • They can disagree and bicker among themselves (true of adults, also!).
    • They are told to stay out of the way.
    • They are discredited when they offer advice and evidence.
    • They are prone to misunderstand things they have no experience with and thus can misinterpret clues.

In other words, they’re kids.

  • Second, you need to create a story world where they can investigate successfully. For example:

    • A location they can navigate, e.g., a boarding school, a small town, a camp, etc.
    • A season that allows them access to the outdoors. This will vastly expand your opportunity for unique scenes.
    • A lack of constant, immediate oversight. In other words, a single parent, working parent(s), deceased parent(s), no parent(s), inattentive oversight by teachers, camp counselors, etc.
    • A knowledge of the law (however misguided) through TV, movies, parental jobs, the police station next door, etc.

  • Finally, turn their disadvantages into superpowers. For example, here are some ways to work around a few of the issues mentioned above:

There you have some pointers on creating a successful middle grade sleuth. If you can think of items you would add to these lists, please add them to the comments below. Happy writing!

(c)cmsurrisi

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L.A. Wildfire Relief Fundraiser 1/20-1/26

By on January 16, 2025   /   Oh MG News  

Kidlit for Los Angeles – Auction for Wildfire Relief
Jan 20, 2025 (9am PST) – Jan 26, 2025 (9pm PST)

Mark your calendars for an online auction to raise funds for wildfire relief in California.

Publishers Weekly reports that #kidlit authors, Charlotte Offsay and Caroline L. Perry organized this fundraiser and money earned will go to charities including the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund, L.A. Regional Food Bank, L.A. Fire Department Foundation, and Animal Wellness Foundation Fire Relief Fund.

Kidlit for Los Angeles KidLit Auction

The Kidlit for Los Angeles team writes:

“We are a group of kidlit creators who have been heartbroken by the devastating scenes in Los Angeles. Many of us are proud Angelenos, with friends and loved ones who have suffered crushing losses.

We have channeled our sadness into action, and for the past few days we’ve been hard at work setting up the Kidlit For Los Angeles fundraising initiative.

We are looking to help raise desperately-needed funds for wildfire relief efforts in the many LA communities that have been impacted through an auction taking place January 20th (9am Pacific Standard Time) through January 26th (9pm PST).

Please follow this page, share @kidlitforlosangeles (https://www.instagram.com/kidlitforlosangeles/) handle, and stay tuned for more details! Thank you for your support.” 

Until the auction opens, you can check out sneak peeks of some of the items that will be available for bidding, including critiques, art, and much more.

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