SCBWI Resource: How to Create Powerful Stories for Young Readers to See Themselves

So...in proper Leo fashion I must announce that it is my birthday...WEEK! Well, really my birthday month— so I'd love all of the book recommendations and treats! And as an individual who is LEGALLY obligated to celebrate their birthday for the full month, I will be enjoying my downtime by catching up on all of the wonderful resources and materials SCBWI has to offer.

The thing I love about the virtual conference is the Replays, and Airmeet, the new platform used for the conference, supplied us with instant replays. I've already rewatched Making an Emotional Impact: Historical Fiction in a Graphic Novel with Maria Van Lieshout and the Closing Keynote with Brian Selznick. 

If you weren't able to attend and want to get a taste for what a virtual conference has in store, read some blog posts by Jaime Temairik, Jolie Stekly and yours truly on The Official SCBWI Conference Blog! 

And remember, you can watch the REPLAYS until September 13th!

Also, in case you've missed it, check out the "How to Create Powerful Stories for Young Readers to See Themselves" webinar, hosted by SCBWI and sponsored by ACA, free on YouTube, where the Nadias (Nadia Salomon, author-illustrator; Nadia Fisher, author-illustrator; Nadia Hsieh, illustrator) share tips on their craft, how to use voice and POV, choosing mentor texts and building stronger narratives! Whether you are crafting picture books or novels, this webinar is beneficial to all!

Creating while Caregiving: Picture books that Help Caregivers Feel Seen

Have these characters, or any others, given you hope during a difficult caregiving moment?

Hello, hola, and howdy!

Welcome to Creating while Caregiving, a series I am excited to be guest blogging about for the month of August. As an artist, writer, mother of four, active community member and raging empath, I care deeply about this topic. Before we jump in to the first post, a little about myself.

I inked my first book deal, a non-fiction travel guide to Paraguay, midway into my first pregnancy. Ever since, my writing journey has been inextricably linked with caregiving. There have been pregnancies on deadline, feedings made tolerable by group texts about comp titles, and countless trips to libraries and bookstores. There have been manuscripts that doubled as bedtime stories and manuscripts that doubled as therapy after the death of a parent. 

All along, the tension between the duty to care for others and the desire to create for myself has been constant.

Sometimes, I have managed the push and pull well, other times, not so much. Achieving that ephemeral balance involves sacrifices on everyone’s part. In the face of increased pressure to produce on demand, it is essential that we recognize the real cost of creativity and not treat ourselves like robots. As we are all becoming increasingly aware, even the robots need massive amounts of energy to create.

I hope to make this series useful to anyone who is trying to create while feeling the crunch of everyday responsibilities. Over the course of August, I invite you to explore the actual “how” of creating while caregiving. Please feel free to share your comments, suggestions and recommendations! 

 

Picture Books for Caregivers to feel Seen:

While many picture books focus on the magic of childhood, I gravitated towards the ones that acknowledged the drudgery of dishes and diapers. These are the books that made me feel seen on the days when there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Most focus on childcare, since they are picture books, but fellow inductees of the sandwich generation will see their eldercare struggles reflected with a little squinting (just take off your readers).

Leave Me Alone! By Vera Brosgol (Caldecott Honor Book) 

What is your version of a silent, matte black wormhole?

An overloaded grandmother goes to increasingly wacky lengths to escape the chaos of her family. The depths of the forest, the tippy top of the mountain and even the dark side of the moon turn out to have distractions of their own and eventually she ends up stepping into a wormhole in order to find peace and quiet. As we go through the next few weeks of Creating while Caregiving together, it is worth considering: what is your wormhole? 

Drawn Together by Minh Lê and Dan Santat

 The inherent intergenerational awkwardness of a grandparent as an afterschool caretaker is compounded by cultural differences manifest in everything from what to eat, watch and what language to speak. I love that this book recognizes how hard it can be for everyone in a caretaking situation to find their own form of self expression and common ground, from the child, to the grandparent, to the mother, whose joy and relief at the end of the book is palpable. 

 

Anyone who has left a play date or a senior center and thought “yes, this is going to work!” can relate to the mother´s joy.

No More Señora Mimi by Meg Medina and Brittany Cicchese

In-home childcare is a delicate balance for all involved; is there any business relationship that requires more trust? Ideally, the bond between child and nanny is a strong and loving one, the only downside of which is the heartbreak that occurs when childcare needs change. This book showcases a loving transition between caretakers. from a beloved neighbor to an equally beloved grandmother. 

 

It is rare to see any piece of pop culture acknowledge the existence of paid caregivers at all (think of all the nannies cropped out of celebrity family photos). In addition to showing one of society’s hidden caregivers with respect, I also appreciate how this book reaffirms that a mutual dependence within our “village” is a good thing and an important part of the fabric of a society. 

 

The Worst Teddy Ever by Marcelo Verdad

 

Noa wishes his beloved stuffed teddy bear had energy to play like his friends’ stuffies! Readers soon discover the reason Teddy is always tired: unbeknownst to his human friend, this stuffy works the night shift, shooing away would-be visitors, in order to ensure Noa gets a good night’s sleep. 

 

One day you're young and the next, you're tired like Teddy. 

We have all been Teddy at some point. 

The Wild Washer Women by John Yeoman and Quentin Blake

A group of overworked and underpaid washerwomen hit their breaking point and rage against the machine/their boss. My own aunts and mother hand-washed clothing in the creek well into their teenage years, so this book also served as an exercise in perspective during hard moments. At the very least, my pile of laundry can be washed by a machine! 

 

Towards the end of their rampage, the washer women meet up with a group of woodsmen and the somewhat predictable ending is offset by gendered role reversals that model equitable sharing of labor. 

Are there books that make you feel seen as a caregiver? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!Until next week,  

bye, adios, chau-chowdy!

Próximamente este artículo estará disponible en español en La Cometa. 

Romy Natalia Goldberg is a Paraguayan-American author with a love for stories about culture and communication. Her debut picture book, THE GOODNIGHT SHIFT, is an ode to the people, especially caregivers, who help keep our communities running at night. Illustrated by Isabel Roxas, it will be published by Scholastic/Orchard Press in April, 2027 with a forthcoming Spanish translation. To learn more and shout out night shift heroes in your life, visit www.romynatalia.com/the-good-night-shift

SCBWI Winners of the 2026 Crystal Kite Awards

SCBWI Winners of the 2026 Crystal Kite Awards

On July 29th, SCBWI announced the winners and honorees of the 2026 Crystal Kite Awards!The Crystal Kite Award recognizes outstanding books by our amazing SCBWI members from all over the world! An award that celebrates books with "exceptional storytelling, imaginative illustrations, and creative excellence," this award is truly special as it is given by their peers, the other creators in our community. 

Atlantic

Winner: Sparkles for Sunny: A Lunar New Year Story 

Written by Sylvia Chen, illustrated by Thai My Phuong 

(Flamingo Books)

Honor: Lighthouse Ladies: Shining a Spotlight on Hardy Heroines
Written by Kris Coronado, illustrated by Islenia Mil 

(Clarion Books)

California & Hawaii

Winner: I AM NOT HAPPY! 

Written by Caroline Perry, illustrated by Sydney Hanson 

(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

Honor: Firefly Song: Lynn Frierson Faust and The Great Smoky Mountain Discovery
Written by Colleen Paeff, illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim 

(Margaret K. McElderry Books)






Midsouth

Winner: You Can Sit With Me 

Written by Rachel Tawil Kenyon, illustrated by Tatiana Kasmshilina
(Feiwel & Friends)

Honor: Henry's Picture-Perfect Day
Written by Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Mika Song
(Chronicle Books)









Midwest

Winner: STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits 

Written by Joyce P. Uglow, illustrated by Valerya Milovanova
(Bushel & Peck Books)

Honor: Maybe Just Ask Me!
Written and illustrated by Katie Mazeika
(Beach Lane Books)









New England

Winner: Cat Nap 

Written and illustrated by Brian Lies
(Greenwillow Books)

Honor: Woody’s Word’s: Woodrow Wilson Rawls and Where the Red Fern Grows
Written by Lisa Rogers, illustrated by Susan Reagan
(Calkins Creek)









New York

Winner: The Trouble with Heroes 

Written by Kate Messner
(Bloomsbury Children's Books)

Honor: Dinos That Drive
Written by Suzy Levinson, illustrated by Dustin Harbin
(Tundra Books)









Southeast

Winner: The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest 

Written by Lynn Street, illustrated by Anne Hunter
(Margaret Quinlin Books)

Honor: A Flea For Justice: Marian Wright Edelman Stands Up for Change
Written by Valerie Bolling, illustrated by TeMika Grooms
(Charlesbridge)

Southwest

Winner: The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang 

Written and illustrated by Stan Yan
(Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

Honor: It Started With a P
Written by Brittany Pomales, illustrated by Andrew Joyner
(Flamingo Books)








Texas & Oklahoma

Winner: Racing the Clouds 

Written by Sydney Dunlap
(Jolly Fish Press)

Honor: So Many Years: A Juneteenth Story
Written by Anne Wynter, illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey
(Clarion Books)








West

Winner: I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive 

Written by Leslie Barnard Booth, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey
(Chronicle Books)

Honor: The Arguers
Written and illustrated by Corinna Luyken
(Rocky Pond Books)







Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania

Winner: Grandmother from the East, Grandmother from the West 

Written by Jacinta Liu, illustrated by Freda Chiu
(Lothian Children's Books)

Honor:
 Emmie Builds Something New
Written and illustrated by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall
(Red Comet Press)







Canada & North America

Winner: The Dog Who Saved the Bees 

Written Stephanie Gibeault, illustrated by David Hohn
(Sleeping Bear Press)

Honor: Will and Krill
Written and illustrated by Stacey Byer
(Beaming Books)

Europe & Central, South and Latin America & Africa

Winner: Seven, A Most Remarkable Pigeon 

Written Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Aimee Sicuro
(Candlewick Press)

Honor: How to Reach the Moon
Written by Nicolás Schuff, illustrated by Ana Sender, translated by Lawrence Schimel
(Amazon Crossing Kids)







Middle East & Asia

Winner: Under Pressure: Freddie Mercury's Countdown to Fame written by Shyamala Shanmugasundaram, illustrated by Pankaj Saikia
(Niyogi Books)

Honor: Little Sheku and the Animal Orchestra
Written by Sheku Kanneh-Mason, illustrated by Rekha Salin
(Puffin Books)

Honor: The Beat of the Dragon Boat

Written by Christina Matula, illustrated by Nicole Wong
(Sleeping Bear Press)






United Kingdom and Ireland

Winner: Street Puppy, Masjid Cat 

Written by Moniza Hossain, illustrated by Wastana Haikal
(little bee books)

Honor: Atlas of Mythical Journeys
Written by Emily Hawkins, illustrated by Iryna Dobrovetska
(Wide Eyed Editions)

Prep for the 2026 Summer Conference

It's here! The SCBWI Summer Virtual Conference 2026!

As we gear up for the fantastic weekend, let's have a rundown on how to prepare!

This year the conference will be hosted by Airmeet, so keep a lookout in your inboxes for your "Access Event" link, that activates TODAY, July 30th. 

To kick off this year's 2026 Virtual Summer Conference, there will be a panel discussion on the current state of book bans with Phil Bildner, Cheryl L. Davis, George M. Johnson and Namrata Tripathi. Moderated by Alvina Ling. This panel, sponsored by the Authors Coalition of America, is FREE and open to the public.

Online on July 30th from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (PDT) / 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (EST)

Before the big day begins tomorrow, make sure that you have updated your Profile and Portfolio Gallery. Go to MEMBER HOME, click MY PROFILE and then on EDIT MY PROFILE.

To update your portfolio, click SHARE YOUR WORK, where you can ADD ILLUSTRATION or ADD A
BOOK. Don't be shy! Show us your work! Get feedback, connect and check out what others are creating!

 

ON MY TO-DO LIST

1. Snacks! - The conference is jam-packed with so many wonderful offerings, workshops, panels, etc and I always have my snacks at the ready as I'm taking it all in! On the list are Twizzlers, Sour Patch Watermelons, Popcorn and maybe, some cookies this time around. 
2. Notebook at the Ready! - Make sure you have a notebook or something to write on at the ready. There will be gems falling from the sky this weekend, and you never know what piece of advice or insight might spark your creativity.
3. Art Supplies (if it applies to you) - If you are an illustrator, bring your sketchbook. I love see the illustrated notes that people create and it inspires me to try it myself. Don't forget to tag us so we can share! IG, Threads, FB, tag us @scbwi and on Bluesky, @scbwi.bsky.social. Use hashtag #scbwiSummer26
4. Water/ Favorite Beverage - I have my water, my juice, my coffee and my electrolytes! Stay hydrated to stay motivated! 

Also, if you are looking for some light reading, check out free webinars, editor interviews, conference scholarship and more in your July INSIGHT!