SCBWI

Society of
Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators

Michigan

Michigan

  • SCBWI stands firmly against bias, oppression, or unfair treatment of people based on their identity elements. As we feel the pain of what is happening today in America and in the treatment of our Black citizens, we renew our commitment to equity, inclusion, and equal justice for all. To read more about our stand, here is our position statement on equity and inclusion: At SCBWI, we recognize that publicly committing to equity and inclusion is crucial to our membership and the readers we serve. Words, stories, and images are powerful: They define who we are for ourselves and for others. Historically, content creation that reaches a wide audience of children and teens has been intertwined with a legacy of privilege, oppression, bias, and racism. We acknowledge that, as part of the children’s publishing industry, we share in that legacy.   We accept the challenge and responsibility of becoming agents of change by affirming the need for increased representation in every facet of the children’s and YA book industry, including but not limited to race/ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship, and religion. To fulfill our mission of supporting the creation and availability of quality books for every young reader in all regions of the world, we commit to championing equity and inclusion throughout our organization by striving to:   –identify and dismantle inequities within our policies and practices –expand inclusivity in our leadership, membership, and volunteer corps –increase the social consciousness of our members through substantive learning opportunities –continually examine and renew that commitment in our events, programming, online initiatives, publications, awards and grants, community outreach, and education efforts   As creators of books for children and teens, we have both a unique responsibility and a powerful opportunity to help young people create an equitable, inclusive world. We look forward to listening, learning, and leading.
  •   In 2020, we held two nonfiction mentorships. The winner of the nonfiction middle-grade/young-adult mentorship with Stephanie Bearce is Sarah Lynne John with her proposal for Becoming an Inventor: Train Your Brain to Invent & Explore Your Creativity. Runners-up are Susan Santone with her proposal for A Taste for Change and Tammy Layman with her proposal for Pantry Raid. The winner of the nonfiction picture book mentorship with Patricia Newman is Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw with her manuscript The Expedition of CubeSat RAX. Runners-up are Carol Doeringer who wrote The Living Tree House and Melissa Bailey who wrote A Bright Thread: the story of Marguerite Angeli.   Congratulations, Sarah and Suzanne! We're very proud of YOU!
  • In hopes of lifting your spirits, please consider the encouraging quotes offered by your fellow SCBWI-MI members. Find strength and support in the uplifting words expressed by friends who love you. Click on the image and feel the love.    
  • Plans are underway for the Spring Conference, 2021! Mark your calendars for April 23 to 25, 2021. The conference will be held in Grand Rapids, MI.   Much more information to follow.
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  • Dear parents, teachers, and kids, As you make the switch to homeschooling or distance learning, the authors and illustrators of SCBWI-Michigan would like to make life a little easier with a one-stop-shop of educational resources. We are pleased to offer you a variety of fun learning activities that you can download, watch, or print for free! Visit often as the list below will grow!   http://lisawheelerbooks.com/activities.html (K-5th grade) Extension activities — Wendy BooydeGraaff (preK-2nd grade) JodiMcKayBooks.com-Printables (K- 3rd grade) http://shutta.com/shuttaco/OMFwordsearch.pdf http://shutta.com/shuttaco/MOUNTAINreaderstheater.pdf http://www.shutta.com/shuttaco/scriptTB.pdf https://lisarosewrites.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Ezra-Activity-Sheet.pdf https://mariadismondy.com/project/fruit-salad-friend/ http://debpilutti.com/activities.html (K-4th grade) https://kidscampingbooks.com/free-activities (K-1st grade) https://loritaylorart.com/schools/ (2nd-6th grade) https://www.helakoskibooks.com/stars-activity-guide (preK-5th grade) http://www.kennethkraegel.com/coloring-pages.html (preK-4th grade) Bridge Activities (2nd-6th grade) http://shirleyneitzel.com/activities.htm (K-2nd grade) https://wordpress.com/page/sandycarlson.com/1750 (4th-7th grade) https://jeanaliciaelster.com/images/pdf/LanguageArts-SocialStudiesActivitiesreWJHbyJFFRev2014.pdf (6th-8th grade) https://vickylorencen.com/especially-for-young-writers/ https://monicaharrisbooks.com/writing-sparks  (2nd-+ grades) http://acornneighbors.com/coloring-pages/ http://www.callingmrtoad.com/These-Hands.html https://deborahdiesen.com/voting/  (PreK-highschool) https://loritaylorart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HW-FREEBOOK-print-with-lo-res-llf-1-17.pdf https://www.patriciamnewman.com/litlinks-how-observations-can-inspire-poetry/ (K-2nd grade) https://jackcheng.com   (resources and video coming soon!) YouTube- Make an art collage with Supriya Kelkar Read aloud and activity- American As Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar http://www.kellydipucchio.com/GRACE_GOES_TO_WASHINGTON.html(K-2nd) http://www.kellydipucchio.com/html  (K-2nd grade) http://www.kellydipucchio.com/html (K-2nd grade) https://www.kimberlywyman.com/grow-love-activities   (K-4th grade) https://myemail.com/How-you-can-fill-buckets-at-home.html?soid=1102918733303&aid=aWmxNjG43b8 https://www.amynielander.com/activities(preK-5th grade) https://www.amynielander.com/blog(all ages!) Guides by Deb - A resource of over 250 educator guides for children of all ages https://www.nationalparkmysteries.com/books http://www.arthurbrood.com/kids-activity-page.html https://www.neallevin.com/poems/ https://zacharyfromeburtonbooks.com/welcome/zachary-burton-books-and-articles/childrens-books/ https://elephantrockbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Art-of-Holding-on-Study-Guide.pdf (6th-12th grade) http://www.paulstawski.com/on-my-mind.html Process of design and set construction for a book project How to draw a Wild Zugthing Character generator- front: Jantzer Studios Character generator- back: Jantzer Studios Printable color and search page- Rebecca Sinclair Discussion Guide for Carrie Pearson's Stretch to the Sun nonfiction picture book (K-3+) Video of author Carrie Pearson talking about how animals stay warm in the winter and a book sample reading (preK-3) https://heathershumaker.com/book/the-griffins-of-castle-cary/  (3rd-7th grade) Fiction Friday video with Heather Shumaker (3rd-7th grade) Fiction Friday #3 with Heather Shumaker Healing Star Craft- A.KiddWrites Family story time video- A.KiddWrites The Healing Star read aloud (3rd-6th grade) https://www.monstermyths.com/fun-stuff (PreK-6th grade) Find Your Future In Science (3rd-6th grade) Are Your Stars Like My Stars Activity Guide http://buffysilverman.com/its-spring/   On A Snow-Melting Day Heather Shumaker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zr96gBH2Ls              
  • Members For Members Scholarship Fund New Extended Deadline for the Members for Members Scholarship Fund Applications This M4M scholarship will be awarded to writers and/or illustrators who are Michigan residents and who wish to become members of SCBWI or to current SCBWI-Michigan members who fit the scholarship guidelines. Scholarship winners will receive a year’s membership to SCBWI or in the case of current members, as an add-on to the current membership, OR funds may go towards an SCBWI-MI conference.   Awardees will have an interest in and are actively working toward creating children's books that resonate with diverse readers. We recognize all diverse experiences and seek applicants who promote inclusion and support underrepresented groups in children’s publishing including, but not limited to, those marginalized due to race/ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship, and religion. The scholarship will offset the cost of an annual membership in SCBWI (which includes membership in SCBWI-Michigan and is currently $80.00 for full membership and $65.00 for student membership) or may be applied towards an SCBWI-MI conference.  This grant is sponsored by donations from current SCBWI-Michigan members. The number of awards will be determined by donations to this scholarship fund.  Extended Deadline:  Submissions are open through June 1, 2020. The winner(s) of the scholarships will be announced on or about June 15.   Guidelines: This award is open to persons who live in Michigan.  Please collect the following information in the body of an email:  1.)  Full name and contact information: mailing address, email address, social media handles, and phone number. Indicate if you are a current SCBWI member. 2.)  Provide a brief description about works-in-progress or those in the planning stages and how your WIP meets the criteria established above.  3.)  Include a statement about why you want to become a member of SCBWI. What in kidlit captures your motivation and commitment? Indicate your school or college and program if applying as a student member. 4.) Include a brief statement of financial need. Please do not provide any personal income information.   Address the email to our SCBWI-MI Regional Advisors: Carrie Pearson (michigan-ra2@scbwi.org and Jodi McKay (michigan-ra@scbwi.org). Fill in the subject line with: Members for Members Scholarship Application. Provide the requested information in the body of the email letter and send. Questions? ohaginib@gmail.com  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee Chair Interested in making a donation to support our Members For Members Scholarship Fund? You can send your donation via PayPay or by check. By PayPal: donations made through our SCBWI MI PayPal account should read, “M4M Scholarship” email address is michigan-ra@scbwi.org By check: make your check payable to SCBWI-MI with a note to read,
  • Remember how nerve-wracking Show & Tell days were in school? Kind of how we can feel when it comes to social media these days. We want to step up and out there, but where and about what? Your SCBWI-Michigan wants to help by hosting a Show & Tell Day for you on the first day of every month! We are inviting each and every one of you to join in the conversation. Show us what you're up to. It could be your latest book cover, illustration, what you're writing - or Tell us what you want to write, draw, or about your giveaway, building a platform, or online promotion. Even feel free to reach out expressing what the hardest part of the biz is for you,  or where you would like some input from your colleagues. It doesn't matter whether you have several books published or have finally managed to sit down and write. You can share a pic of your office chair! Show & Tell and get involved as you begin to boost your biz with SCBWI-MI! Use our social media channels to Show & Tell. Twitter: @SCBWIMichigan Facebook: SCBWI-Michigan https://www.facebook.com/ScbwiMi/ Instagram general: https://www.instagram.com/scbwi_michigan/ Instagram illustrators: https://www.instagram.com/scbwimichiganillustrators/  For more information, contact our social media guru Karen Bell-Brege at karen [at] teambcreative [dot] com. Let's see what you've got, SCBWI Michigan!
  •     SCBWI-MI DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE      MISSION We welcome and celebrate writers and illustrators who represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds and who seek to create quality literature that reflects the lives of all young children.   VISION To better serve our SCBWI-MI community, we aim to bring about change. To that end we commit to the following principles: INCLUDE, ENGAGE, EMBRACE.   INCLUDE: We strive for the inclusion of marginalized and underrepresented communities in children’s literature within our membership.   ENGAGE: We aim to fully engage members, communities, and allies by identifying resources and support available and other professional-growth activities.   EMBRACE: We provide a ‘welcoming place’ to nurture and better support communication and networking within the diverse voices of our members, the community and potential members. Everyone has a seat at the table.   PURPOSE We understand the power of children seeing themselves represented in books. Such diverse reading experiences can lead to empathy, understanding and respect. It is vital that we do all we can to implement initiatives that will address issues of diversity, inclusivity and accessibility for our kidlit community that will in turn help us write books for all children. The DEI Creates Community Welcome to our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Webpage! Through this initiative we want to play a role in meeting the needs our of membership through service and opportunities for dialogue. Our committee is energized to create a stronger SCBWI-MI community that will inspire a deeper understanding of these key issues through the inclusion of diverse voices. Thank you for dropping by!   Our first monthly DEI blog will be featured in The Mitten starting in November. We welcome all dialogue!   DEI Volunteer Form & Blog Post Ideas   MEET OUR TEAM! Head, Isabel O’Hagin - ohaginib@gmail.com Everyone has a voice in children’s literature! This summer I eagerly responded to the call to lead this SCBWI-MI committee focused on the tenets of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Growing up and situated in the rich tri-cultural background of Tucson, Arizona, I welcomed this new opportunity to enhance the visibility of underrepresented and marginalized voices in our chapter. Through the actions of this committee and the support of our entire SCBWI network we can provide a welcoming place among authors and illustrators so that together we can: “Imagine a world in which all children can see themselves in the pages of a book” (We Need Diverse Books). I welcome and celebrate our members and invite you and your communities to engage with us as we embark on this adventure together!   Committee Members: Amy O’Hanlon- amyohanlonart@gmail.com A diversity committee is a bit like a lighthouse. It can be a beacon for those who feel lost, and a way to highlight those hard to see places. Getting the chance to work on this lighthouse is something very exciting because I think it will help me, a recent transplant from California, see Michigan and the SCBWI community here in a wonderful, fascinating, interesting way. I'm so stoked to learn and grow, and to be a part of other people's learning and growing. Let's, all of us, shine brightly!     Lisa Rose - lisarosewrites@gmail.com Anyone can tweet #weneeddiversebooks. But what are we as authors, illustrators, parents, and teachers going to do to make that change? Many times people don’t buy diverse books, because they lack the awareness. I am Jewish, and I teach in Detroit. I observe how both communities can lack an understanding of each other.  Not because of hate, but because of just living divided. I believe the way to end ignorance is with knowledge.  Therefore, it is important to me that SCBWI welcomes all voices to be heard and read by all members.   Debbie Taylor - dpoet@umich.edu I jumped at the chance to serve on the Diversity Committee because I want to make sure every potential member feels welcome to join us on the creative journey of authors and illustrators. The tangible resources of SCBWI Michigan are valuable, but the intangible ones, including inspiration, friendship and support are priceless. I am delighted to enhance and enlarge a community that welcomed a Buckeye from Columbus, Ohio into an ever-widening circle of Michigan friends.     Angie Verges - Awritersdream41@yahoo.com We all have unique differences. I am excited to serve on this committee to encourage others to celebrate diversity as I too become more informed. Our chapter is comprised of a wealth of creative differences, just as our story characters we will grow and transform through this journey. Engage with us as we promote literacy through inclusion, equity, and friendships.
  •  Whether you are an established author/illustrator or you're releasing your debut book, marketing is essential to your books’ success. This reference was designed for SCBWI members only to provide you with information on how and where you can market your work.   Click here to access our members-only book promotion page. Click here to access a list of indie bookstores in Michigan. Please frequent these great venues often.   Good luck and know that we are very proud of YOU! Slider art credit: M. Cody Wiley
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Welcome!

The strength of SCBWI lies in its individual members. Whether you are a creator, publisher, reviewer, librarian, bookseller, educator, or simply someone with a love of literature and a desire to see the best in the hands of children, we invite you to get to know us better.

 

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