Many reasons to be thankful this November

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As Thanksgiving approaches this year, I’m counting the things I’m thankful for and looking forward to. First, I was invited to share a few brief remarks after NewportFILM’s screening of THE LIBRARIANS starring Becky Calzada (whom I’ve been honored to do panels with in the past), Amanda Jones and other librarians – it was wonderful to enjoy a documentary starring librarians (whom I’ve always viewed as stars)!

This weekend, I look forward to a conversation on ecoliteracy at a time of ecoanxiety with Aleese Lin, author and educator, at USBBY. If you attend our panel and are looking for a list of resources, please scroll down to the end of this post (where I list many links that I hope will be helpful to any adult, really, who is looking to engage with young people on the topic of climate change in an empowering manner). Our session is ECOLITERACY AS A MECHANISM FOR CHANGE; Sat 8 Nov ; Breakout Session # 2; 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. Simmons University, Center for the Study of Children’s Literature.

I will also be participating on a USBBY panel on Sunday Nov 9, 10:15 at Boston Public Library where I will be speaking with Jeanette Bradley (my co-leader at AABB), Oge Mora, Anika Denise, and Jamie Michalak about Fighting the Rising Tide of Censorship in the Ocean State, and how the lessons we learned can, we hope, be applied to those fighting to preserve Freedom of Speech in other states.

On Thursday, November 13th, at 7 pm I will be at the HERA art gallery in Wakefield, speaking about the Rising Tide of Censorship in our Ocean State and how we can fight it. Grateful to HERA for inviting me and to Wakefield Books for sponsoring the event and promising to donate 20% of the proceeds from book sales at the event to the hosts.

On Saturday, November 15th, I’ll be speaking at the IAAC Literary Festival in New York City with Ramya Ramana, who was the city’s Youth Poet Laureate, about SAFE HARBOR and creating SAFE HARBORS for books and creators. The session will be held at the International House 500 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10027-3916; from 11.00 – 11.50 AM in the Dodge Room (1FL).

Unfortunately, this year I won’t be able to attend the wonderful Newton Children’s Book Festival, which is organized by Mia Wenjen (of Pragmatic Mom blog fame). If you’re in MA, this is the place to be on Sun Nov 15!

On Saturday 22nd November, I will be at a panel discussion to celebrate the fact that Rhode Island’s Freedom to Read Bill was signed into law this year. Join us at Rhode Island College, 1:30 p.m. where the event will be hosted by Dr. Jean Brown, professor emeritus, the founder of ASTAL.

Then I’ll be off to Highlights Foundation for a few well-earned days of – well, working without interruption on my prequel to THE BRIDGE HOME (which I’m now calling BEFORE THE BRIDGE). Can’t wait to send the manuscript to my legendary editor Nancy Paulsen at the end of the year! I still get emails from teachers and readers about the book and I love the characters so much and can’t wait to spend more time with them!

Last month, I was thrilled to see that BORN BEHIND BARS was featured on Penguin’s BANNED WAGON! Every scan of the QR code below donates a banned book!

Before the year ends, 2 more events, at least: in December, on the 10th, I’ll be speaking to a young audience at an event in Providence sponsored by Inspiring Minds and on Saturday December 13th, I’ll be on a panel entitled Hands Off Our Books: Writing for Kids in an Era of Censorship with Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and Cathy G. Johnson, moderated by Christina Bevilacqua, executive director of LitArts Rhode Island. And… what fun to see this cover of a translation of BORN BEHIND BARS that I still haven’t had the opportunity to hold in my hands!!!

Before I sign off, here’s a photo of a fundraiser I hosted for Representative David Morales who is running for Mayor of Providence this year and was a steadfast support of our Freedom to Read bill. Thank you David for speaking up for this cause and for speaking out against the genocide in Gaza – there are many issues on which we agree. I’m so grateful for politicians like you and Representative Stewart and Representative Cotter and Senator McKenney who support Freedom of Expression.

And here, as promised is the list of resources on ecoliteracy that I plan to mention at our USBBY session:

Happy Poetry Month!

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April is National Poetry Month in the United States! And no matter where you are, I hope you’ll find time to read and enjoy poetry – this month and every month. And if you’re a young poet or you know any young poets, here’s a link to this year’s call for poetry from DiverseVerse.Org. The theme: Poems For Action!

Poetry month is extra-special for me this year, because SAFE HARBOR is a novel in verse. In celebration of poetry month, this post is filled with poetry-related resources.

Jennifer LaGarde (aka Library Girl) created this awesome chatterbox for Safe Harbor

My poetry month got off to an amazing start. I was at the Texas Library Association conference – and what a wonderful Safe Harbor it was! Met Rose Brock again, and many other marvelous and kind and stellar librarians. And my brilliant friend Traci Sorell shared with me that (wow) BORN BEHIND BARS is on Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of the 21st Century (so far) list – and SAFE HARBOR is on School Library Journal’s list of exemplary verse novels!

Tomorrow, I’ll be speaking at the Maury Lootjens Memorial Library! Maybe I’ll see you there? Here’s the link to register.

Next week, I’m off to speak to students in Maine – cannot wait! Author events are the most wonderful way to make my heart fill with joy. Here below are some pictures from a marvelous recent visit to Gaudet Learning Academy in RI.

I’m still receiving fan mail from the young readers I met there – which makes my heart fill with joy. Hope your poetry month is wonderful, too!

Making RI a Safe Harbor for Authors

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Cover image of Safe Harbor, created by artist Oriol Vidal. Used for this poster with the artist's permission. Artist is credited on posters and postcards using this image.

These past few months have been incredibly hectic for me, and I’ve hardly been able to celebrate the release of SAFE HARBOR – a novel that I, as a child who loved animals and had a special ability to communicate with them, would have added to my favorites shelf, though I say so myself! One of the things I’ve been very busy with is helping with legislation that will preserve democratic freedoms, including our right to write! The Freedom to Read bill (S0238) will also protect readers’ right to read. If you follow this newsletter and are a citizen of RI who is concerned about censorship that targets minorities and marginalized and historically underrepresented authors and illustrators, please consider sending in written testimony before 3:00 p.m. on Wed 12th March, or else speaking at the statehouse at the hearing. Sincere thanks to artist Oriol Vidal who gave us permission to use his gorgeous artwork for the Safe Harbor book cover for posters and postcards for our cause. Our posters and postcards provide credit by naming him, but we can’t thank him enough for his generosity.

Among the things that has kept me busy… and buoyed up… is the release of this powerful anthology, edited by Ashley Hope Perez. It’s already secured starred reviews in four journals and I really hope it gets huge recognition – it is probably the most important anthology of our time – and it is not only a brilliant collection of creative pieces, it is also filled with vital information for all who want to speak up against hate.

Jeanette Bradley and I have been working very hard, as co-leaders of the RI chapter of authors against book bans to broaden the coalition of groups supporting the Freedom to Read bill. We were hard at work at the RI statehouse last week, speaking to legislators and others, one on one, at the book giveaway to which we both contributed financially and in kind, in addition to receiving, with thanks, generous donations of books from publishers of books by RI creators that have been subjected to censorship in some way. When I spoke to NPR recently, I felt especially grateful that my publisher, Penguin Random House, is at the forefront of the battle from the publishers’ side, to safeguard our right to freedom of speech and expression.

On a personal note, I’m looking forward to a low-key and casual author event for Safe Harbor at the Toadstool Bookshop in Keene NH this Friday, March 14th, at 6 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Thank you so much to Porter Square Books and Kennedy School for hosting me for an event – I am SO GRATEFUL! HUGE THANKS and oodles of appreciation also to my publisher, and to the North Texas Teen Book Festival, for hosting me – it was an absolutely splendid time – every second I spent there was golden.

Ending this post with super exciting news – I will be one of the featured authors at the Texas Library Association‘s conference in Dallas in April! I CANNOT WAIT to back in Texas again!

Safe Harbor Activities, Author Events, Essays and Podcasts!

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It’s launch week for Safe Harbor! If you’ve already got your copy of the novel and are a teacher or librarian, please check out this Safe Harbor Bingo activity game on the Diverse Verse website. The blogpost also has a writing prompt and a sneak peek at one of the poems in Safe Harbor. And I do hope you can attend one or more of these events which are open to the public! First, this Saturday, 4 pm, I’ll be at An Unlikely Story in MA, chatting with the one and only Lynda Mullaly Hunt about the novel.

The next day, Sunday January 26th, I’ll be at Books on the Square (471, Angell Street in Providence) RI, at 11 a.m. to celebrate Safe Harbor’s release.

On Monday, 3rd February, I’m honored to share that Brooklyn Public Library is hosting a reception in honor of Safe Harbor! Here is the Facebook page: (20+) Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman Book Launch Party | Facebook and event listing on BPL’s website: Padma Venkatraman Book Launch Party | Brooklyn Public Library (bklynlibrary.org)

I am excited and I am praying fervently that all the events go well and as planned. I’m so grateful to PRH and to all the librarians and bookstore personnel who have come together to organize these events. And speaking of gratitude, I’m happy that Safe Harbor received excellent reviews in Kirkus and Booklist since the time that I last wrote.

“A tender coming-of-age tale with special resonance for nature lovers.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Simple and relatable, Safe Harbor mixes themes of coming-of-age, immigration, and conservation into a sweet story accessible to younger elementary readers…” –Booklist

If you can’t come to any of the events above, Books of Wonder is coordinating a campaign and will send you a signed and personalized copy along with a bookmark and postcard and a pamphlet containing writing prompts, if you order via this link by the end of the month.

What’s more, I read the audiobook – and it was such fun. If you prefer audiobooks, order your copy here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647197/safe-harbor-by-padma-venkatraman/

In addition to the wonderful reviews, I’ve had many lovely invitations to share my thoughts on Safe Harbor. Publishers Weekly invited me to write an article for them on my connection with Safe Harbor as a BIPOC female oceanographer, which was such an honor. And I was so excited and happy to have another essay of mine showcased on the Nerdy Book Club’s website, as well as interviews on several wonderful podcasts and other online coverage. Here’s a list if you’re interested to read or listen…

Publicity: Online

12/01/24 to –School Library Journal–42 Not-To-Miss Titles, Including Manga and Audio | Starred Reviews, November 2024–National (USA)–Related link

12/01/24 to –School Library Journal–42 Not-To-Miss Titles, Including Manga and Audio | Starred Reviews, November 2024–National (USA)–Related link

12/05/24 to –Bookopolis–Review–National (USA)–Related link

12/24/24 to –Read Wonder–Review–National (USA)–Related link

01/01/25 to –Kids Bookshelf–Review–National (USA)–Related link

01/07/25 to –Publishers Weekly–Oceans Apart: Children’s Author Padma Venkatraman Showcases BIPOC Scientists–National (USA)–Related link

01/08/25 to –Children\’s Book Council–Hot off the Press: January 2025–National (USA)–Related link

01/10/25 to –Teen Librarian Toolbox–Take Five: January 2025 Middle Grade Novels–National (USA)–Related link

01/10/25 to –KidLit411–The Weekly 411 (1/10/25)–National (USA)–Related link

01/14/25 to –San Francsico Book Review–Review–National (USA)–Related link

01/18/25 to –HubPages–A Lesson from a Rehabilitated Seal Gives an Immigrant Girl a New Perspective in Engaging Read–National (USA)–Related link

01/20/25 to –YA Books Central–Author Chat with Padma Venkatraman (SAFE HARBOR), Plus Giveaway~ US ONLY!–National (USA)–Related link

01/21/25 to –Bookopolis–Giveaway–National (USA)–Related link

01/21/25 to –India West–Indian American Author Highlights Compassion And Science In New Novel–National (USA)–Related link

01/21/25 to –Nerdy Book Club–Creating a Safe Harbor For Books on Climate Change–National (USA)–Related link

Publicity: Radio + Podcast

10/17/24 to –Dr. Bickmore’s YA Wednesday–In Conversation with Padma Venkatraman–National (USA)–Related link

01/06/25 to –Words, Images, & Worlds–Words, Images, & Worlds: Padma Venkatraman Returns!–National (USA)–Related link

01/12/25 to –Wonder World Book Cafe–101. Safe Harbor Padma Venkatraman–National (USA)–Related link

01/13/25 to –Book Flood Podcast–Author Padma Venkatraman on “Safe Harbor” (E22)–National (USA)–Related link

Smooth sailing over the holidays and Safe Harbor in 2025!

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It’s almost time to launch SAFE HARBOR – my sixth novel and my second novel-in-verse! I can’t believe how fast 2024 has flown! If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, here is the link: https://buff.ly/3XLA0eK

And… here below is the photo of the seal who inspired the novel, “lying like a sack of rice” on the sands of the beach near my home, in my Ocean State.

This seal was fine – but of course, as an author, seeing it made me wonder – what if there were another seal, and that one wasn’t fine – and I saw two brown kids saving a seal – and I had to find out who they were – and they led me to SAFE HARBOR. Here’s artist Oriol Vidal’s exquisite visual conception of Geetha and Miguel, and Santo the seal.

Yesterday I had the honor to chat with book champion Jennifer LaGarde and she noticed that Geetha is holding a flute. A simple Indian bamboo flute, like the one below. I love this instrument so much because it creates music so organically, with so little mechanics, and with just the principles of physics at play – and yet the music it can create can be so rich, so emotional, so vital. As I write these lines, I am reminded of the recent demise of the person I consider to have been the world’s greatest percussionist – Ustad Zakhir Hussain. I had the honor of hearing Zakhir-ji live more than once – and it was one of the most amazing, blessed experiences of my life.

Geetha’s flute brings a touch of realistic magic to SAFE HARBOR – reminding us that it’s not merely science that can save our planet. I’m an oceanographer, of course, so I’m not dissing science at all. It’s vital. But equally as vital are our ancient, traditional, healing and wholesome paradigms of the connectedness of creation. Music, to me, and to my protagonist, Geetha, is a universal language that connects all creatures on Earth – and through music, Geetha remains rooted in her heritage and reaches out to the seal. If you’re wondering – I play the veena, not the flute – and unlike Geetha I am NOT a gifted musician!

SAFE HARBOR, as I have discussed on other blogs, also has the first wonderful mother who lives with depression and anxiety that I’ve met in the pages of books – although I’ve met many in real life. She is independent, she’s there for her child, she breaks the stereotype of the adult failure with mental health issues (a stereotype that still unfortunately prevails in kidlit) – and I love her. I also love Miguel’s mom and Dr. Williams – powerful BIPOC women scientists who are part of the cast of SAFE HARBOR. I love the fact that in these pages, BIPOC female scientists are the norm (which they certainly weren’t when I began my journey toward my doctorate in oceanography).

So here’s to you, dear reader. Thank you for supporting my work. I hope you’ll love SAFE HARBOR and dive deep more than once to enjoy experiencing the many layers of complexity that lie beneath the surface of this story. I hope that it will leave you feeling empowered, just as Geetha does when she begins with trying to save one animal, which leads to other small steps to save our green earth and its blue seas, which in turn lead to dreams and larger actions to combat climate change and help preserve our planet and conserve all living creatures. Because no matter how large adversity may appear to loom, a heart filled with hope will never sink. Hope, as Geetha says, “is a cork that never stops bobbing on the waves of life’s ocean.”

I’m thrilled to share that I have created a brand-new fun and interactive presentation for grades 3-8 with environmental tie-ins. Do reach out to me through my Speaking Agency, The Author Village. My wonderful publisher has also helped arrange events in January to celebrate the launch – which I’ll share on my blog soon. In the meantime, you can also find a starter list of background resources to which I will be adding, if you choose to use SAFE HARBOR as a read aloud!

May you enjoy the end of this year – and sail smoothly into the next. May 2025 be filled with many a SAFE HARBOR for you.

Order Safe Harbor (176p. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen. Jan. 2025. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780593112502): https://buff.ly/3XLA0eK

Author’s Speaking Agency: https://theauthorvillage.com/presenters/padma-venkatraman/

See you at NCTE 2024?

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Looking forward with gratitude to connecting with #teachers #educators #librarians and the #kidlit community at #NCTE2024 in Boston. My excitingly hectic schedule begins on Thursday 11:30 Rm 204 A with a panel on Ecoliteracy, moderated by Nora Shalaway Carpenter and featuring Margarita Engle and Jewel Parker Rhodes, along with Karina Iceberg, Russ Mayo and Gabriel Valdez.

On Friday, I moderate a panel about Diversifying Verse, with speakers Lisa Stringfellow, Valerie Bolling and Suma Subramaniam, starting 11/22 3:30 p.m. in Room 162 B.

Saturday 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. I will be sharing a signing table with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, who will sign copies of NIGHT WAR, while I sign galleys of SAFE HARBOR which Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Random House will be giving away at PRH booth #1000 in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center Exhibit Hall A (free to all who line up)!

Almost right after that signing, I’ll have another signing kindly hosted by Highlights Foundation, for which my publisher Penguin Random House has generously donated copies of BORN BEHIND BARS for a free giveaway! Join me 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Highlights Booth #131 on Saturday.

Sunday morning is packed! Educator Melissa Thom moderates a panel in Room 157 B at 9:00 a.m. My fellow panelists are Amina Luqman-Dawson, Erin Sonderberg Downing, Jennifer A Nielsen, Christina Soontornvat and Donna Barber Higuera.

Rushing off after that panel onto my grand finale, a panel moderated by Alison Green Myers and Alexandra Villasante, of the wonderful Highlights Foundation, Sunday morning 10:30 a.m. Room 103, with fellow panelists Christopher Paul Curtis and Daniel Nayeri!

Met me (or missed me) and would like to schedule a keynote, writing workshop or invite me to your school for an author event? I’m delighted to offer new workshops and talks focusing on conservation, ecology, mental health awareness, environmental racism or deepening our appreciation of nature. To arrange a visit, in-person or virtual, please reach out to my marvelous speaking agency, The Author Village: https://theauthorvillage.com/presenters/padma-venkatraman/

Starred Review from *SLJ and NCTE ARC giveaway!

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Wanted to share the depth of my gratitude for the wonderful starred review SAFE HARBOR received in School Library Journal. Here’s a link to the review in its entirety: https://www.slj.com/review/safe-harbor

The sincere appreciation this review expressed made me feel deeply, deeply seen, as did the marvelous blurbs the book has received from Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor winning author of The Surrender Tree & YPP Poet Laureate Emeritus and Kathryn Erskine, National Book Award winning author of Mockingbird.

I’m also immensely grateful to Dr. Steve Bickmore, who interviewed me recently. Check out my delightful conversation with Steve here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4KTLMgdWQc .

I look forward to participating on 3 panels at NCTE, and to moderating another, as well as to signing copies of Born Behind Bars and, of course, SAFE HARBOR. If you’re at NCTE, I hope you’ll stop by!

  • Thursday 11/21/2024 11:30 – 12:45 Ecoliteracy Can Change The World: How Reading and Writing about our Environments can Inspire Hopeful Activism. Room 204 A. Co-panelists and Moderators: Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Margarita Engle, Russell Mayo, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Karina Iceberg, Gabriel Valdez
  • Friday 11/22/2024 3:30 – 4:45 3:30 – 4:45 Diversifying Verse: Expanding the Poetic Canon by Including BIPOC Poets in Classroom and Collections. Panelists: Valerie Bolling, Lisa Stringfellow, Suma Subramaniam.
  • Saturday 11/23/2024 1:00 – 1:45 Penguin Random House Booth, Exhibit Hall, SAFE HARBOR ARC signing and giveaway
  • Saturday 11/23/2024 3:00 – 4:00 Highlights Booth # 131, signing and giveaway of BORN BEHIND BARS
  • Sunday 11/24/2024 9:00 -10:15 Getting to the Heart of Survival Stories: Bringing Hope and Humanity to Every Reader. Room 157 B. Co-panelists and Moderators: Erin Downing, Melissa Thom, Erin Soderberg Downing, Donna Barber Higuera, Christina Soontornvat, Amina Luqman-Dawson, Jennifer Nielsen
  • Sunday 11/24/2024 10:30 – 11:45 Tears and Triumphs: Reading and Writing with Humor and Heart. Room 103. Co-panelists and Moderators: Alison Green Myers, Christopher Paul Curtis, Daniel Nayeri, Alexandra Villasante.

Banned Book Week – Early This Year

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My brilliant speaking agent, author Phil Bildner, often says there’s nothing to celebrate about Banned Books Week. I agree.

Last year, in October, during banned book week, just as I was about to fly to an event, I was asked, by a school in Texas, to stay home. They decided my talk was inappropriate, because I mentioned the fact that, just as there are injustices in the justice system in India (as brought to life in BORN BEHIND BARS), systemic racism in our nation results in the incarceration of inordinately higher numbers of people who are Black, compared to whites.

But this year, although there is nothing happy about book bans, I decided to focus on a few positive things that have resulted in my life, in part because of the unprecedented censorship. First and foremost, I met a young person whom I hold in the highest regard: Christopher Lau, founder of UNBAN COOLIES. When Christopher wrote to me, I’ll admit I thought he was sending me hate mail. For those who’re unaware, coolie is a derogatory term that was used by British colonizers for Indians like me. Growing up in British occupied India, my mom was called a coolie. The incident inspired a scene in my debut novel, CLIMBING THE STAIRS.

Luckily, I didn’t delete Christopher’s email, and what resulted was one of the most wonderful interviews of my life. Every communication Christopher sent me demonstrated how thoughtful and mature he is, and the interview was magnificent. It was absolutely heartening to see this young person with such a deep commitment to preserving and speaking out for freedom of speech. He is an inspiration to me – and if anyone out there comes across this post and is considering recruiting Christopher, I would like to register my heartiest support. I predict he’ll do amazing things in the future, no matter where he goes or what he does – and if he ever runs for office, he can count on my vote. Please visit his YouTube channel, UNBAN COOLIES, and follow him. Here’s a link to his meticulously researched interview of me: https://youtu.be/pu8VzJJxUL0?si=xmOFyWWQBo48OPD9 And if you’d like to read more about Christopher, I was thrilled to discover he is featured in this anthology (out next year) edited by Ashley Hope Perez (and to which I contributed a short story, entitled WORD WARRIORS).

The second positive personal thing to result from this book-banning nonsense was my contact with Cathy Fisher and Alexa Muse who created the EVERYDAY ADVOCACY project. I was honored to contribute a video for them. You can see it on their YouTube channel here. 

The third positive thing is my deepening friendship with Jeanette Bradley. I met her when she invited me to speak at the festival for diverse books that she was organizing in RI. When AABB asked if I’d hold the reins of the RI chapter, I agreed; but I reached out to her to see if she’d share the leadership with me, because I think it’s always nicer to share lead roles. And what a force of nature she is. Her energy and commitment to the cause of freedom have blown me away, and I am incredibly glad to be working with her and an amazing team of RI authors and allies to combat censorship. If you’re a RI resident and you haven’t signed up for AABB-RI yet – please do so here. If you’re a RI resident who isn’t an author and would like to be an ally, please contact me. And, if you have the time, I hope you’ll meet us both at this wonderful event that is being organized by ACLU -RI at the Rochambeau Library on Sept 26 at 6 pm:

August Anthologies

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If you’re reading this, hope you’re having a wonderful summer. I am having a hectic one! In this short post this August, I wanted to share a list of august upcoming anthologies that I’m honored to be part of. But first, I am super excited to share that my next novel, SAFE HARBOR, is already available for pre-order! I was so moved to receive this wonderful blurb :

“Safe Harbor is an exquisite verse novel by one of my favorite poets. I fell in love with each heartfelt page. The perfect blend of personal and STEM themes is truly amazing.” – Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor winning author of The Surrender Tree, and Young People’s Poet Laureate Emeritus

Unlike my previous novels, SAFE HARBOR is set in Rhode island, and it’s the first of my books that draws on my time as an oceanographer. Within the vast field of marine science, I focused on pollution prevention, and this book is about a girl who rescues a baby seal that is stranded on a beach and that has almost lost its life because it is entangled in plastic. There weren’t a lot of BIPOC women in this field when I received my doctorate; so there are a lot of BIPOC female scientists in this book, and I hope it will be loved by readers, as much as I absolutely loved weaving together my love for science and my love for literature as I wrote this story. You can pre-order a copy and learn more about the book here.

With Banned Book Week coming up next month, I’d like to start my august anthologies list with BANNED TOGETHER, a YA anthology coming in 2025 from Holiday House, edited by Ashley Hope Pérez, activist, teacher, and author of OUT OF DARKNESS. It’s a collection of diverse types of writing ( fiction, memoir, poetry, graphic narratives, essays, and other genres) that explore the unprecedented censorship that book creators are facing right now, which addresses what we lose as a society when young readers are prevented from accessing books in which they can see themselves represented respectfully. And there’s more – it also has a marvelous list of resources that Ashley has put together (e.g. tips from the Vandegrift Banned Book Club and other teen activists, as well as extensive recommended book lists, a How to Start Your Own Little Free Library flier, etc.) to empower those who wish to actively fight extremist book challenges. In the words of the one and only Laurie Halse Anderson, Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Winner, and author of the Speak, which was one of the first YA books I read and a book that has been subjected to book banning, “This stunning book is the antidote we need against the hate-based book banners bent on destroying our freedoms. Read it, share it, and lift your voice to support everyone’s right to read.”

JUST YA is the brainchild of Prof. Sarah J Donovan. As part of my my charitable contributions for 2024, I sent her a short story, which can be accessed free of charge, along with other writers’ work, via her online resource at Open OkState which will be live September 2nd. This open-access collection encourages readers, teachers, parents, teachers and other educators to engage with literature written by diverse voices.

Poetry was my first love – and I still love writing poetry. So it’s always a joy to be invited to participate in any #poetryanthology put together by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell. I was thrilled to write a poem called JOB JUGGLER, inspired by my “jobs” as an oceanographer and as a writer, for inclusion in  CLARA’S KOOKY COMPENDIUM OF THIMBLETHOUGHTS AND WONDERFUZZ, which will be released this fall. Proceeds from the sale of this book go to charity, which shows you that Janet and Sylvia aren’t just amazing poets – they are also amazing people.

Last but not least on my list is ALL THE LOVE UNDER THE VAST SKY, a YA anthology celebrating love in all its forms, edited by Kip Wilson, author of WHITE ROSE and THE MOST DAZZLING GIRL IN BERLIN. This “enchanting, genre-crossing anthology delivers something for every reader with unique characters, global settings, and a dazzling mixture of myth, historical, speculative, and contemporary fiction” and is scheduled for release in January 2025.

Poetry Month 2024

Padma Venkatraman2 Comments

April is almost gone already! But if you are a young writer or an educator, parent or guardian of a young writer, there are 5 days left for you to answer Diverse Verse’s call for poetry. Details can be found on the diverse verse website.

It is hard, sometimes, to feel hopeful, especially when I think of children who are forced to face unthinkable violence and adversity in the face of armed conflicts in Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, and so many other parts of the world. And yet, if we give up hope, what do we have left? I have to keep hoping, and writing. And despite the many hardships humans are facing around the world, I hope very much that if you are reading this, you will have a peaceful rest of the month, with time to read and write a poem or two, perhaps, that may give your soul solace and help you preserve your equanimity.