FREE PERIOD bookmark giveaway, pads in bathrooms, Maui fire relief, book recs, and more!
For fall we’ve got original period equity art and a bookmark giveaway, the latest state to require pads in some school bathrooms, Maui fire relief fundraising news, autumn middle grade reading recs, and a writing challenge recommendation. Let’s dive in!
FREE PERIOD Art Reveal and Bookmark Giveaway
I am thrilled to share with you original period equity art from the world of FREE PERIOD created by illustrator and character designer Bev Johnson. Follow her on Instagram to learn more about her work. Here, Bev perfectly captures the joy, tenacity, and necessity of the menstrual justice movement with these pads on parade. We have a human right to period care everywhere we have periods and shouldn’t feel any shame around this normal bodily function. I hope that this bookmark will bring a smile to readers’ faces and help break the ice around a topic that can be difficult to discuss.
GIVEAWAY TIME! I’ll have the bookmarks at in-person events starting in September, but you can request sets now for your class, library, troop, book club, or other group interested in period equity or just all-around adorableness! Please use the Contact form on my website to let me know how many you’d like, your role / organization, and where to send them. This offer stands while supplies last and for US mailing only! Must be 18 or older to request. Not affiliated with Substack or anyone else - just me giving away these bookmarks while I have them.
I’ll be doing a big mailing in September / October for back-to-school season and another in January / February for anyone who wants them closer to the book’s launch on March 5, 2024.
Oh and of course FREE PERIOD is available for pre-order now if you’re interested ;)
New Jersey Requires Pads in Some School Bathrooms!
Congratulations and thank you to all the students and their allies who fought for years for New Jersey to join the growing list of states requiring period products in some public school bathrooms. Check out this excellent article from NJ Spotlight with all the details, including where the pads are required (it isn’t all bathrooms or even in all schools where students of menstruating age attend, but it is an amazing start!), how they’ll be funded through the state, and the importance of providing students pads in the bathrooms where they can care for themselves to avoid infection, decrease absenteeism, and break down stigma and shame. The funding here is especially key and something everyone will need to continue to fight for in the coming years. “Taking the fight against ‘period poverty’ to the schools” written by Lilo Stanton in NJ Spotlight (August 24, 2023).
Books for Maui Auction Raises $170K To Aid Fire Relief
My heart goes out to the families impacted by the devastating fires in Lāhainā as they mourn lost loved ones and start the long road to healing and rebuilding. I am so grateful to have had a chance to donate items from FREE PERIOD to the Books for Maui auction which raised $170,000 to support relief efforts. Winning bidders donated to one of the following organizations (who are all still accepting donations):
Hawaii Community Foundation - Maui Strong
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement - Kāko’o Maui
This was all made possible by an amazing group of Hawaiian writers and community members who worked tirelessly to organize nearly 1000 auction donations and run the entire operation. Check out their Instagram profiles to connect and learn more about their wonderful books and other work: Malia Maunakea @maliamaunakea, Keala Kendall @kkealakai, Joanna Ho @joannahowrites, Kealani Netane @littlepasifikareaders, Erika Cravalho-Meyers @aunty.erika, Shar Tuʻiasoa @punkyaloha, Terisa Siagatonu @terisasiagatonu. I am also grateful to the organizers for partnering with Scholastic on a $25,000 donation to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and a pledge to provide book donations as rebuilding begins.
Finally, a huge shout out to Lucy Eden who organized the Romance for Maui auction which raised over $135,000 for fire relief. It has been heartening to see the book community come together to help during this tragic time.
Autumn Middle Grade Recommendations for Your TBR
Get ready to laugh, cry, and have all the feelings in between. I was lucky enough to read early copies of these dazzling debut novels. All are available for pre-order now (titles link to their bookshop.org listings) and are highly recommended by me!
I AM KAVI by Thushanthi Ponweera (9/19/23) : A riveting and gorgeously written novel-in-verse about a middle grade girl's journey from her small village to a big city school amidst deadly conflicts in Sri Lanka. Kavi is the smartest girl in her village, but moving to Colombo challenges her in ways she never expected as she navigates new friendships with wealthy girls. She must decide what she is willing to do to fit in and how to stay true to herself. These classic middle grade themes come across in a completely fresh way in Thushanthi Ponweera's beautiful verse. The voice stays close to Kavi's experiences as she loses her father to death, her mother to a new relationship, and her home to pursue new opportunities. It is also a heart rendering tale of mothers and daughters—I literally bawled a few times while reading—and what it means to be loved and feel like you have a place where you belong. The entire book is wonderful, but the poems "Statues," "Don't Go," and "Better This Way" in particular will live in my heart for a long time. The author's note provides important context for the war in Sri Lanka and how she came to tell this story.
ADIA KELBARA AND THE CIRCLE OF SHAMANS by Isi Hendrix (9/19/23): An all-time fantasy favorite for every middle grade reader to enjoy! This novel is a fun and action-packed Afrofantasy adventure that raises questions about big issues in a really accessible way for young readers. Adia has always been made to feel like she is different and unwanted in her aunt and uncle's home. She finally gets the chance to escape for a year-long apprenticeship in the kitchens of the Academy of Shamans. And so begins a quest where Adia not only has to save the world, but also learns to see that she was never a demon or anything else bad; she has always been enough. The writing is superb! Adia's voice is so wry and self-aware—pitch perfect for middle grade. I laughed out loud so many times. And the mythology of this story is told in such an immersive way that I felt like I could meet a star-being walking in the street. I love how we get to discover Adia's powers along with her. This is no chosen one character put up on a pedestal. She makes mistakes and creates community throughout the story—even when she doesn't want to—to survive and save others. It all read so genuine to the characters. The book explores major themes like childhood illness and medical neglect, racism, colonialism and religion, and classism in a way that I think will lead to really interesting discussions at home and in classrooms.
TETHERED TO OTHER STARS by Elisa Stone Leahy (10/3/23): This is the story of Wendy Celestina Toledo, a middle school student with a love for astronomy who moves to a new town with her family under circumstances she's just beginning to understand. It crafts an entirely fresh take on classic issues like middle school bullying and academics in the context of a riveting tale of immigration, discrimination, and what it means to be an American. Elisa Stone Leahy's writing is extraordinary. I felt the terror and dread right along with Wendy as she discovers who her friends really are and what fears her family must face. And I felt hope in the end, not that everything would be perfect, but that Wendy's family and friends wouldn't give up the fight for a better future. There were parts that had me literally in tears. I don't want to say more and risk any spoilers, but I will add that this is a book for all middle grader readers, whether they think their lives are impacted by immigration or not. Check content notes for issues like violence, injury, hate speech, and law enforcement interactions.
TAGGING FREEDOM by Rhonda Roumani (11/7/23): What a fascinating middle grade debut! At the dawn of the Syrian revolution, we follow the parallel stories of two cousins with Sam, a middle schooler in Massachusetts, trying to navigate joining Spirit Club in a den of frenemies while Kareem engages in protest art in Syria. When a graffiti incident goes wrong the cousins’ worlds collide as Kareem is sent to live with Sam's family. There are cultural classes and differences in how they deal with racism and bigotry. I felt Sam’s exhaustion of being the only Muslim and Arab student in her classes and having to deal with when to speak up against bigotry and when to protect her personal peace. I also felt Kareem’s frustration at not being home during the revolution and his fear for the loved ones left behind. This is all wrapped up in family issues, friendship drama, potential crushes, protest art, and the line between activism and vandalism. Also I bawled when the parents told Sam of their dreams and the sorry of her name. It is really a beautifully written book. The author's note is helpful in putting the story in the larger context of the humanitarian crisis in Syria that continues today.
Mini-1000 Writing Challenge with Jami Attenberg in October
This last one is for all my fellow writers out there! I highly recommend Jami Attenberg’s CRAFT TALK newsletter. She is a novelist who deeply engages in the how and why of storytelling and is so generous in sharing her own experiences and encouraging others. Jami also runs writing challenges and the next one is this October 7-12. For six days you write 1000 words. It is you showing up for yourself and your craft because it matters. YOU MATTER! Subscribe to her substack to make sure you get her daily inspirational letter during the challenge. Jami also has a book coming out that collects the letters shared by her and her author friends from these challenges titled 1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round. Yes! Put it in my brain! I pre-ordered my copy from Books are Magic in Brooklyn who always does a great job with signings and swag.
Phew! That was a lot! Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful autumn!!!
Ali