FREE PERIOD big news and a giveaway
Welcome to a novel-length newsletter to end the year! We’ve got my favorite book news, signed pre-order options, free virtual visit sign-ups, a chance to read the beginning of FREE PERIOD right now, my fall tour wrap up, period equity expansions, 2024 debut reading recs, and a giveaway. Let’s dive in!
FREE PERIOD is getting an audiobook! Ahhhhh!
Audio is extremely important to me for accessibility and how I read most books. I asked my editor Talia Seidenfeld about whether my middle grade debut--where a couple of besties fight for maxi-pads in all school bathrooms for all students who menstruate--would be part of this incredible art form like once a month since I sold the book waaaaay back in Summer 2021. Not surprising then that I completely lost it when I saw FREE PERIOD on Libro.fm for pre-order! The great thing about this platform is that book credits are $15 so you don’t need to pay full retail price and you get to designate an indie bookstore to receive a portion of the proceeds!
A dream team of actresses are narrating this tale of friendship and period equity. When I heard Josephine Huang perform Kara H.L. Chen’s laugh-out-loud and heartfelt young adult novel LOVE & RESISTANCE , I thought she would be the perfect Helen and immediately got in touch with Talia. And friends…she is performing the Helen POV chapters! Josephine has amazing comedic timing and nails the vulnerability behind Helen’s hard shell. I’m also a huge fan of Cassandra Morris and squealed when I saw her name on the audio sample list. Then listening to the recording? OMG she sounded exactly the way Gracie sounds in my head. EXACTLY! Cassandra brings all the energy, cadence, jeuje, and heart of my favorite chaos monster to life beautifully. I can’t wait for this audiobook to be out in the world.
Thank you to Melanie Gagne and the entire team at Scholastic Audio for making it happen.
Signed and personalized copies of FREE PERIOD at The Curious Reader!
I’m thrilled to share that The Curious Reader in Glen Rock, NJ has signed and personalized copies of FREE PERIOD up for pre-order! Click “signed copy” on the book’s page and then add your personalization request in “customer comments” at checkout if you’d like one.
All pre-orders will get bookish goodies. There are lots of super fun bookmarks, stickers that make me cackle even though I made them, and character art by illustrator Bev Johnson, and a few random orders will get more of the crafty shenanigans you see on my author website and Instagram🧶🧐❤️
The Curious Reader just celebrated its 10th birthday!!! and is a wonderful champion for children’s literature--they always have the perfect reading recs, host a world-class fall book festival, bring authors and illustrators in to meet with young readers throughout the year, and support local teachers and small businesses. If not this store, I hope you’ll pre-order through your local indie :)
Free virtual visits for February 7 in honor of World Read Aloud Day – sign-up now!
Newsletter subscribers get an early chance to sign up for a WRAD slot. We’ll spend 20 minutes together with an introduction, a Chapter 1 reading, and an 8-10 minute Q&A. Use this Signup Genius link. If you let me know how many students or club members will be attending, I’ll send you a swag pack in advance so they have bookmarks and friendship bead bracelets for the event.
Read the first chapter on Scholastic.com right now!
Did you hear period equity, Tampretzels, and crochet uteruses and think, no way am I waiting until March! Then head over to the Scholastic website to read the first chapter and tell me if you’re over gym as much as Helen and Gracie are ;)
Fall Tour Wrap-up
This September through November, I traveled to six cities to share FREE PERIOD and its message of using humor to break down period stigma with booksellers, librarians, and teachers. I truly believe that each time we talk about periods we chip away at the shame society has created around this very normal biological process. Every conversation I’ve had—whether it is a one-to-one chat or a speech in front of hundreds of people—has been an immense and meaningful gift, and I am so grateful for everyone who engaged with me on this topic. Here is where I went and the incredible organizations that were so supportive and period-forward:
Portland, OR – Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
South San Fransisco, CA – California Independent Booksellers Alliance (CALIBA)
Providence, RI – New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA)
Denver, CO – Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association (MPIBA)
Tampa, FL – American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
Columbus, OH – National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE (ALAN)
Now, for every author standing on a stage talking about maxi-pad cupcakes while people are trying to eat their dinner, there is a huge team making it happen. Thank you so much to Chris Satterlund, Roz Hilden, Nikki Mutch, Dan Moser, Elizabeth Whiting, Lia Ferrone, Victoria Velez, Searle Ballenger, Emily Heddleson, Lizette Serrano, Maisha Johnson, Katie Dutton, Daisy Glasgow, Jennifer Rivera, Sabrina Montenigro, Meredith Wardell, Talia Seidenfeld, Aimee Friedman, David Levithan, and the entire team at Scholastic for this wonderful experience.
Check out my Instagram grid or website events page for full recaps and lots of photos!
Giveaway time! Reply to this email if you want to make a Crochet Cuterus Uterus too
Lots of questions at events about whether I make the crochet uteruses I hand out. The answer: Yes! Long before they played a crucial role in the plot of FREE PERIOD, I was crocheting uteruses for my friends. Part of my message with this book is that we can use what we already love to do in life to create change and I think this is a great example. I created patterns intended for beginner crafters to make–you can find them for free on my author website. I hope young readers can grab some yarn and break down stigma while having fun. And here is a related giveaway! The first five subscribers to reply to this email before 1:00pm EST on Thursday, November 30, 2024 will get materials to crochet a uterus: yarn, a crochet hook, stitch markers, a yarn needle, and some fill. I’ll also throw in some bookmarks, bracelets, and stickers just for fun. U.S. mailing addresses only while supplies last. Beware of scammers—this opportunity is no-cost. I will never ask you for any payment information, just the address where I should mail your crafting homework ;)
Period Equity Expansions!
The student-led period equity movement in schools continues to expand and ensure more students have access to menstrual care. Starting with the 2024-25 school year, California will expand its requirements to include some bathrooms that serve students in grades 3-5. https://goauntflow.com/blog/california-requires-free-menstrual-products-in-schools/ And New York is expanding access to private schools. https://www.weny.com/story/50104403/new-law-to-put-free-period-products-in-private-schools Of course that means whether students have access depends on where they live with many schools—in some cases even where they are required to—not providing any period products. Even with all this wonderful progress, we need a national menstrual equity plan so that all students with periods have the same access to education as students without periods. You can check out Rep. Grace Meng’s work on this issue for more information and contact your own representatives to support the movement. https://meng.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/meng-introduces-whole-government-approach-combat-period-poverty-and
2024 Debut Reading Recs
And finally some reading recs for the new year!
COURTESY OF CUPID by Nashae Jones (Jan 2): An absolutely hilarious middle grade romcom where an ambitious girl who declares love is a parasite turns out to be a cupid. Oh my heart, this was adorable, emotional, and laugh-out-loud fun! MG readers are going to love it more than Erin loves setting life goals, which is like the most ever. Because Erin is an 8th grader with BIG PLANS that start with beating her arch-nemesis to win chair of the school’s Multicultural Leadership Club and ending with becoming the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine when she’s ancient…35-years-old to be exact. Mundane inanities like love cannot get in the way, which is a problem when Erin turns 13 and her cupid powers activate. Expect belly laughs, snorts, and cackles after handing this book to your MG reader. Erin’s voice is wry with razor-edge observations and crackling wit. But there are many emotional moments too as it is clear that Erin and others are hurting. And sometimes the first step toward love isn’t using the power of a god but being comfortable enough to stop pretending and start being your true selves.
THE CURSE OF THE EELGRASS BOG by Mary Averling (Jan. 2): Loved this delightfully spooky supernatural mystery that will have your MG reader guessing at every turn! Kess is a 12yo bone hunter in the mysterious Eelgrass Bog where nothing is as it seems and her best friend is a pickled head in a jar. That’s less surprising than you might think when you learn she lives in the Unnatural History Museum, a relic with no smart phones, no internet, and dates scratched out of the exhibits. It has been left in the care of Kess and her brother while their scientist parents jet off to Antarctica to authenticate an odd skeleton discovery. Kess can't remember the last time they've had a visitor when Lilou stops by--a girl her own age with a bog mystery to solve and a curse to break. Let the adventure begin!
DAUGHTERS OF THE LAMP by Nedda Lewers (Feb. 20): A magical start to a new middle grade fantasy series where lives separated by 1000 years are joined in the protection of family and home. Sahara, a logic-loving girl from Queens, has just finished 6th grade and thinks her wish is finally going to come true: a trip to an amusement park! Only her dad surprises her with something a little different--her first trip to Egypt where her parents' families live. This story is told in parallel with Morgana's tale--a feminist reclamation of the classic Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. In a quest that takes her from medieval Baghdad to Cairo, Morgana must protect a set of magical objects from the forces of evil. The girls' stories connect through a unique hamsa necklace that is unlike any other created in history. In fact, there are talismans throughout the story, some imbibed with true magic and others with the love and memories of family and friends. When their tales meet, Sahara's destiny will be changed forever. I loved how this story examined the concept of home. Is it a place? A feeling? Something you're bound to? Something you create? Or maybe all of the above. And questions that are so important to many children: How can I feel out of place where I have always lived? Can I feel at home--welcomed, understood, and safe--in a place I've never been before because of the people who are there?
NOT THE WORST FRIEND IN THE WORLD by Anne Rellihan (Feb. 6): Lou started 6th grade with a best friend breakup and things have been going downhill since then. She’s become an outcast at her Catholic school, watching her former bestie Francie move on. No one really pays her any attention until a new girl Cece asks Lou to help with an investigation—into her own abduction. Cece is convinced that her father has kidnapped her from her mother and wants Lou’s help to prove it. Told in dual timelines between the present and flashbacks to Lou and Francie’s friendship building from kindergarten, this is a story of hard friendship lessons, of understanding the difference between lashing out at a friend with hurtful comments and saying something to help them even if it may be an uncomfortable truth, and of dealing with really challenging family situations. I loved that the characters in this book act like real, messy kids who make mistakes and have to deal with the consequences in their relationships. In the end, I didn’t know if they were all going to be friends forever, but it was clear each of the girls had learned something about themselves and was trying to do better as all of their relationships evolved. Note that cruel words are said on-page about learning differences, but they are addressed directly and purposefully within the story when deciding if this is the right time for your MG reader to pick up this book.