Oh MG News

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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New Year’s Resolution: Keep Making Reading Fun!

By on January 1, 2025   /   Oh MG News  

There’s been quite a bit of media attention recently on the decrease of students reading full-length books at both the middle and high school level. That, in turn, is impacting how students then interact with books and learning at the college level.

Kids are also reading less for fun, they self-report. For example, on the upper end of middle grade readers, only 14% of 13-year-olds read for fun almost every day, which is 3% lower than 2020, 13% lower than 2012, and 21% lower than 1984.

Meanwhile, for younger MG readers, 39% say they read for fun just about every day, which is 3% lower than 2020, and 14% lower than 1984.

Photo of a child sitting under a tree reading a book.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

That doesn’t mean all hope is lost, and there are ways to encourage more reading. If you are a caregiver, parent, grandparent, or other trusted adult in a child’s life, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a helpful list of ways to nurture a kid’s love of reading. The AAP’s suggestions include:

  • Read yourself. Model reading — they’ll be more likely to read themselves if they see you doing the same.
  • Read together. You can read a book out loud to them (or take turns!) or just sit together side by side and read as a way to spend time together doing something you both enjoy.z
  • Visit the library. If you are able to, get them their own library card so they can check out books themselves. Many libraries also offer cool, free events for kids.
  • Celebrate all reading.  Whether a child is into fiction, nonfiction, manga, graphic novels, comic books, or a mix, be enthusiastic! After all, they’re reading instead of choosing to do something else with their free time.
    Child lays in bed, reading and surrounded by more books

    Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

  • Give books as gifts.  If a relative isn’t sure what to get your child for a birthday or holiday, you can suggest they choose a book, or send your child a gift card to your local bookstore so they can choose a book that appeals to them.

If you’re a librarian, teacher, parent or caregiver and have additional suggestions, we’d love to hear them.  Add your ideas to the comments below.

Happy New Year!

 

 

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Bluesky Brightens the Social Media Landscape

By on December 16, 2024   /   Oh MG News  
Blue butterfly on white background

Have you jumped on the Bluesky bandwagon? Many authors, agents, librarians, and teachers are finding this platform to be a welcome alternative to X, formerly known as Twitter.

In many ways, the two platforms are similar. Posts are kept brief with a limit of 300 characters. You can like, reply, follow, block, and repost. You can even send direct messages to other users. There’s enough familiarity to make Bluesky comfortable for converts. 

 

Bluesky Bonuses

Bluesky definitely has some attractive advantages. For example, Bluesky users have more control over their online presence. There is no baseline algorithm on Bluesky. Do you want to browse posts in chronological order? You can do that! Want to curate your own feed? You can do that, too!

Bluesky isn’t controlled by a single person or entity. According to Vox, “Bluesky’s open source, decentralized framework gives you a lot more control over how your feed works than X or even Threads.” The issue of control has brought a lot of users to Bluesky.

 

Bluesky Tips

A recent issue of School Library Journal is filled with great Bluesky user tips. Debbie Ridpath Ohi offers lots of information, which I encourage you to check out. But if you’re looking for a quick run-down of the highlights, here they are:

  • Create your profile and make a post to get started. You probably want to choose the same username across profiles so you’re easy to find.
  • Decide what kinds of posts you want to see (and what kind you’d prefer NOT to see), and adjust your Settings and Moderation options accordingly.
  • Hashtags are helpful in curating your content. You might find that #BlueSkyTips is a good resource!
  • If you find the account of an agent, editor, publisher, or author you want to follow, see if they have a Starter Pack. (Hint: Debbie Ridpath Ohi has one.) This Starter Pack gives you a quick list of related accounts you might want to follow.
  • Find your people and make the first move. Go ahead and engage with posts that vibe with your interests.

 

Bluesky Resources

To learn more, check out any of the following resources:

You may be a Bluesky expert at this point, you might be mulling over the move, or you may be somewhere in between. So far, I’ve set up my profile, I’ve followed some accounts, and I’ve liked some posts. Now it’s time for a deep breath and a deep dive (or maybe a skydive?). On today’s agenda, I plan to make my first post. See you on Bluesky!

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