Newsflash! The New York Times reviewed MORE THAN ENOUGH--A Passover Story, next to a book for children by the Pope ~

I am so lucky: I'm a farmer turned folk musician turned author of award-winning picture books and a novel (MORE THAN ENOUGH--A Passover Story, NEW YEAR AT THE PIER--A Rosh Hashanah Story, IT'S NOT MY TURN TO LOOK FOR GRANDMA!, THE NIGHT HORSE, TO RABBITTOWN, GIRL COMING IN FOR A LANDING--a novel in poems).

My poems are in more than 30 anthologies, (including all of the Poetry Friday Anthologies) and my works have won the Sydney Taylor Award for Best Jewish Picture Book of the Year, Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award, Penn State's Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor Award for Children's Poetry, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Magazine Merit Award for Poetry; the recording of my stories and poetry won the National Parenting Publications Gold Award for Storytelling.

I've taught writing and poetry throughout the US and in Germany, England, Italy, France, and Poland.

With my best friend author Bruce Balan (who sails around the world with his wife on a trimaran), I co-founded the political organization, Authors and Illustrators for Children. I am also a founding member of the Children's Authors Network. I was named the ​UCLA Extension Writers' Program Best Creative Writing Instructor of the Year. I can't believe I've been an instructor with UCLA Extension for over 16 years. Wow. I must be old. Nah.

I'm sorry. I don't always sound this braggy. It may be the caffeine.

MORE THAN ENOUGH--A Passover Story follows a family as they prepare for Passover dinner, stopping to appreciate moments in their day. This is what my favorite Passover song, "Dayenu," is about. Dayenu means "it would have been sufficient." If all I have are these two shoes on my feet, they are enough. The song and this story help me see that if all I have is this moment to write this Amazon bio, this is enough.

NEW YEAR AT THE PIER--A Rosh Hashanah Story is about the tradition of Tashlich--that of tossing bread into water to clear the slate for the New Year.

I live with my family near the beach in Southern California where I toss bread off the pier each New Year. My family includes my very smart husband, our little boy (who is studying to be a doctor in Australia), our licky, lanky dog named Eli, a cat named Snot (my husband named him), three turtles (including one called Tic Tac Zoppi), a tortoise named Sheldon and a gazillion goldfish. I hope you visit my website soon. My tagline is: ½ poet, ½ author, ½ not good at fractions.

Renée M. LaTulippe is a young people's poet and author who lives by the sea in Italy. Her middle grade collection of poetry, LIMELIGHT: CURTAIN UP ON POETRY COMICS!, gives voice to the stage, the props, the dressing room mirror, the curtain, the seats, and other parts of the theater as they prepare a musical for opening night. Her poem picture book, THE CRAB BALLET, invites readers to a spectacular seaside show where crabs, urchins, seahorses, and all their aquatic friends dance and leap and pirouette in the waves.

Renée has poems published in many anthologies including A UNIVERSE OF RAINBOWS, IF I COULD CHOOSE A BEST DAY, SCHOOL PEOPLE, NIGHT WISHES, THANKU, ONE MINUTE TILL BEDTIME, and NAT GEO'S BOOK OF NATURE POETRY and THE POETRY OF US.

Renée also teaches her online course The Lyrical Language Lab, provides writing lessons on her YouTube channel, and creates homeschool curricula with her company, Storylark Road.

Sylvia Vardell is Professor Emerita in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman’s University where she taught courses in literature for children and young adults. She has authored or co-authored more than 100 published articles, more than 25 book chapters and given more than 150 presentations at national and international conferences. She authored the seminal textbook in library science, CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN ACTION: A LIBRARIAN'S GUIDE, as well as POETRY ALOUD HERE!, A WORLD FULL OF POEMS, and co-edited The Poetry Friday Anthology series and Poetry Friday Power Book series (with Janet Wong) and maintains the PoetryForChildren blog.

She served as co-editor of the international journal, BOOKBIRD and on several national award committees including the ALA Caldecott Award, Legacy Award, the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for nonfiction, and the NCTE Award for Poetry. She has received grants from the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, NCTE, the ALAN Foundation, the Texas Library Association, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She has also taught at the University of Zimbabwe in Africa as a Fulbright scholar. She is the 2014 recipient of the Scholastic Library Publishing Award. In her spare time, she loves to travel, shop, all things Star Wars, and sees 100+ movies a year.

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is author of several poetry books for children including Forest Has a Song, With My Hands, Read! Read! Read!, With My Hands, Write! Write! Write!, and If This Bird Had Pockets: A Poem in Your Pocket Day Celebration. In addition, she is author of picture books Every Day Birds, Dreaming of You, That Missing Feeling, poems in many anthologies, and popular classroom blogs The Poem Farm and Sharing Our Notebooks. Her newest book is The Sound of Kindness (August 2023).

Having studied and worked at the Teachers College Writing Project at Columbia University, Amy has been an elementary school teacher (years ago and again during COVID) and is author of the Heinemann professional book Poems Are Teachers: How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres and co-author, with Lucy Calkins and Stephanie Parsons, of Poetry: Big Thoughts in Small Packages. For 23 years, she has led writing workshops and has taught lessons celebrating the power and joy of words.

Amy lives on an old farm in Holland, NY with her husband, sometimes a child or two, and a handful of sweet pets. You can find her knitting, baking, or picking blackberries. Find her online at https://linktr.ee/amylvpoemfarm.

Janet S. Wong (www.janetwong.com) is an award-winning author and anthologist of three dozen books for young readers, teachers, and parents. One of the most distinctive things about Janet Wong's body of work is its variety. There's at least one book for anyone—and EVERYONE!

PICTURE BOOKS

ALEX AND THE WEDNESDAY CHESS CLUB

How about giving chess a try? There's a whole community of kids who love playing chess and have fun doing it online and in person. Chess is great exercise for the mind—and fun, too!

APPLE PIE 4th of JULY

This book landed Janet a gig at the White House—and reminds us of the importance of diversity and inclusion.

HOMEGROWN HOUSE

Gorgeous illustrations by E.B. Lewis enhance this story about making a house feel like a home.

POETRY COLLECTIONS

A SUITCASE OF SEAWEED & MORE

In this reissue of the classic book A SUITCASE OF SEAWEED, each of the original poems is accompanied by a prose piece about the poem and by writing prompts. An NCTE Poetry Notable.

KNOCK ON WOOD: Poems about Superstitions

Kids love learning about superstitions—especially lucky things that they can do! Use this book as a starting point and have kids interview family members about their own superstitions.

TWIST: Yoga Poems

This book will get yoga fans of all ages stretching their minds and bodies in their favorite poses.

GOOD LUCK GOLD

This first book by Janet Wong is a classic collection of poems about the Asian American experience. Claremont Graduate School Recognition of Merit Award.

BEHIND THE WHEEL: Poems about Driving

Forty poems for teens about driving also use driving as a metaphor for a wide variety of life issues. YALSA Quick Pick for YA Readers.

THE RAINBOW HAND: Poems about Mothers and Children

This book makes a perfect gift for new mothers with poems reflecting on the motherhood experience such as "The Gift of Breathing Slow."

ONCE UPON A TIGER: New Beginnings for Endangered Animals

"Pourquoi tale" poems about endangered animals, with embedded facts and nonfiction notes.

DECLARATION OF INTERDEPENDENCE: Poems for an Election Year

Although these mostly-lighthearted and nonpartisan poems were written a few election cycles ago, the messages of participation and liberty still apply.

CHAPTER BOOKS

ME AND ROLLY MALOO

This hybrid graphic novel sparks discussions about cheating (why we do it and how to say no). A Horace Mann Upstanders Award Honor Book.

MINN AND JAKE

This "easy reader for 5th graders" focuses on the unlikely friendship between a lizard-loving girl and a tech geek. A Washington Sasquatch finalist and BCCB Blue Ribbon Award winner.

MINN AND JAKE'S ALMOST TERRIBLE SUMMER

In this sequel to the popular MINN AND JAKE, Jake visits his old home in Los Angeles and learns "you can't go back home again."

BOOKS ABOUT WRITING

YOU HAVE TO WRITE

A picture book about the writing and revision process—used widely in school districts nationwide.

BEFORE IT WRIGGLES AWAY

A "Meet the Author" book that gives insight into the writing process with a "just do it" message to put ideas down on paper "before they wriggle away."

POETRY ANTHOLOGIES CREATED WITH SYLVIA VARDELL

HOP TO IT: POEMS TO GET YOU MOVING: Need a break? Hop to it! This book of 100 poems by 90 poets features movement poems, pandemic poems, and social justice poems.

GREAT MORNING! POEMS FOR SCHOOL LEADERS TO READ ALOUD: "Morning announcement" poems on respect, mindfulness, inclusion, safety, and other important topics.

THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS: 150+ poems on holidays. Each poem is in English and Spanish, with teaching tips in the Teacher/Librarian Edition and illustrations in the Student Edition.

THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR SCIENCE: 200+ poems on science with mini-lessons tied to the NGSS in the Teacher/Librarian Edition and illustrations in the Student Edition (called THE POETRY OF SCIENCE).

THE POETRY FRIDAY POWER BOOK SERIES: These are interactive writing journals featuring stories in poems; readers are encouraged to write in these books.

PET CRAZY: For pet lovers in Grades K-4.

HERE WE GO: For kids in Grades 3-8 who want to make a difference in the world.

YOU JUST WAIT: For tweens and teens who are interested in soccer, basketball, food, and movies.

ABOUT JANET WONG:

When Janet Wong is not writing, speaking at teacher conferences, or sharing writing tips with children in schools via Zoom and in person, she spends most of her time at her home in Princeton, NJ with her husband and their very opinionated dog. See more at janetwong.com and pomelobooks.com.

Irene Latham lives on a lake in rural Alabama. Winner of the 2016 ILA Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award, she is the author, co-author, or co-anthologist of nearly thirty current and forthcoming poetry, fiction, and nonfiction books from publishers including Penguin Random House, Macmillan, Lerner, Charlesbridge, Astra Publishing, Candlewick, Historium, and others. Her books have been recognized on numerous state lists and have been honored by NEA, ALA, NCTE, SIBA, Bank Street College, and other organizations.