@beckylevine
Kidlit writer, knitter, beginning drummer. Come for the writing and books, stay for the cat, yarn, and travel pix. Opinions are my own. Unless you love them, in which case I'm happy to share. She/Her www.beckylevine.com
Two picture books. BRAVO, BUCKET HEAD (written by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger ) & WALTER FINDS HIS VOICE: THE STORY OF A SHY CROCODILE (written & illustrated by Ann Kim Ha).
Latest mentor text purchases. #picturebooks #kidlit 📚👍🏻
An orange "sticker" with an astronaut reading a book with info about the PB Rising Stars mentorship on the cover. Under the book, text says, "BECAUSE WHY NOT ME? At the top of the sticker, text says, "I APPLIED" and at the bottom, text says, "TO BE A 2026 MENTEE".
Whew! And now I'll spend the rest of the afternoon with an earworm of "Let it Go!" #pbrisingstars
Book with red background and a dragon statue-the dragon is holding a teacup in its front claws and an open book in its tail. A teapot sits beside it. Black text at the top of the book has the title and author: Tea with the Black Dragon By R.A. MacAvoy.
Every few years I do a reread. ❤️
If I were 10 or 11 or 12 and reading this book, I'd want to be Ursula--strong, smart, dedicated, firm, and taking no sh*t. I'd want to read & defend banned books. Nancy doesn't preach to kids. She empowers them by inviting them "be like Ursula." And she makes it clear she believes they can. Kudos. 💖
I just finished BOOKS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU by @nancyhudgins.com. If you have a child in your life, buy this book. Yes, it shares wonderful stories about Ursula and "her" writers and illustrators. But more than that, it shows how hard she fought for every one of them & for their books. #kidlit 📚👍🏻 1/2
A row of brightly colored buildings sitting on the beach, with the ocean and a deck railing on the foreground and other, less bright buildings in the background. A bright blue sky over everything.
Spring hasn't quite yet come to NorCal, but sitting outside on a sunny morning in Capitola could sure fool you into thinking it's here.
The cover of BOOKS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU: THE STORIED LIFE OF URSULA NORDSTROM, EDITOR OF EXTRAORDINARY CHILDREN'S BOOKS. A blue backgrous5, with a woman, table, typewriter, and dog sitting on top of a pile of books, with letters fluttering to the ground.
I'm so happy to have this book in my hands. I was lucky enough to watch @nancyhudgins.com take this from an idea to a goal to a plan to a manuscript and, finally, to a dream come true. For Nancy, but also for every child who loves books and wants to find out how the magic happens. 💖 #kidlit 📚👍🏻
I am so excited about going to @nancyhudgins.com book launch at Napa Bookmine. If you can't be there, you can still pre-order BOOKS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU: THE STORIED LIFE OF URSULA NORDSTROM, from the store and get your own signed copy! (Link in Nancy's post below.)
Just got a message from @hicklebees.bsky.social that my pre-order of Mel Rosenberg's EMILY SAW A DOOR has arrived. 💖 Have you ordered your copy yet? #kidlit 📚👍🏻
bookshop.org/p/books/emil...
Badge for the 2026 PB Rising Stars. It has the picture of an astronaut reading a book that says "PB Rising Stars" and "APPS OPEN FEB 27-MAR 13!" Under the picture is text saying, "BECAUSE WHY NOT ME?" Around the badge is the text: "I'M APPLYING TO BE A 2026 MENTEE."
Watching the replay of the #pbrisingstars Application Prep Party--almost ready to start writing my applications!
Tuxedo cat on a wood floor. surrounded by cat toys, with one crinkle ball in her mouth.
When you realize your poor cat hasn't had any of her beloved crinkle balls to play with for a few days and you take a peek under the bed.
💖
Thanks, Dawn!
I just got one of those rare assists from the muse. Last night, I went to bed hating the #pictirebook revision I'd spent all day on. I lay awake for a while, emailing random notes to myself, then woke up this morning with a clear view of where to restart & how to move forward. 🤸🏼♀️ #kidlit #amwriting
I won an AMA with Danielle at another auction, and it was a great conversation--very helpful. Definitely consider bidding on this item!
Two black and white cats, curled up next to each other on a brightly colored floral blanket, and looking right at the camera.
That feeling when you click into your Zoom meeting, but interrupt the one before yours that is running late. (And yet you, who are on time, feel guilty!)
I'm hiring for an editorial assistant here at L,B!
If you're someone who is interested in literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoirs, and nonfiction that deals with big ideas, please apply here: jobs.jobvite.com/careers/hach...
Thanks!
TBH, I mostly sort by fiction or nonfiction. I buy a lot of book that are funny, but these are the ones that have me laughing out loud on pretty much every page!
A brown fence and gate, with lots of trees behind it. Inside the fence is an almond tree in full bloom, and its white petals are covering the ground.
No, that's not snow. It's just our almond tree deciding it's Spring!
A shelf of funny picture books (CREEPY CARROTS, MONTY AND THE MUSHROOMS, WE ARE DEFINITELY HUMAN, UNICORNS ARE THE WORST!, BOB NOT BOB, DON'T TRUST FISH, ZOMBIE IN LOVE, NORMAN DIDN'T DO IT, DANDY, ACORN WAS A LITTLE WILD, NOBODY HUGS A CACTUS, DON'T HUG DOUG, I DON'T LIKE KOALA, WE WILL ROCK OUR CLASSMATES, WE DON'T EAT OUR CLASSMATES, SWEETY) and a colorful plush giraffe.)
New rule: When you've written n+1 #picturebooks in a specific genre, you may gather all your mentor texts for that genre in one particular spot on your shelves.
Important: Make sure you pick a spot that has room for additional purchases.
Humor, anyone? #kidlit 📚👍🏻
I can't wait to get my copy of this book! #kidlit 📚👍
Yay! That gives me an excuse to do a full reread ahead of time!
This is the cover of BOOKS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU: THE STORIED LIFE OF URSULA NORDSTROM, EDITOR OF EXTRAORDINARY CHILDREN'S BOOKS. The entire cover is in light green-blue. At the top is the Title--in bold Purple. Subtitle is in kelly green. The bottom two thirds is a drawing of Ursula, with her dog in her lap, at her typewriter, sitting upon a huge pile of books. There are "Easter Eggs," that is, visual cues to some of the books she edited, including a spider in a web in the upper right hand corner from CHARLOTTE'S WEB. Among the books, there is a purple crayon from HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, a crown from WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, a bowl of mush from GOODNIGHT MOON, a planted carrot from THE CARROT SEED and bunny ears from THE RUNAWAY BUNNY.
🎈Celebrating World Read Aloud Day!🎈 So fun today to zoom in to read a chapter from BOOKS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU to two six grade classes at Polly Ryon Middle School in Richmond, Texas. Great questions from the kids! #WRAD #kidlitnonfiction
I told the kids they got an exclusive! Pub date is March 24.
Hounds are one of my favorite groups at the dog show. I've never been a huge fan of Afghan hounds, but Zaida is a truly beautiful dog. And she sure looks like she's having fun!
youtube.com/watch?v=LRgS...
youtube.com/watch?v=LRgS...
O.M.G. I loved NIMONA, so I knew SCARLET MORNING would be good, but...WOW! The story is complicated and layered and yet seamlessly plotted. And the way Stevenson creates such different personalities for Wilmer and Viola AND still makes their bond believably unbreakable is brilliant #kidlit 📚👍🏻
Just followed the #nffest blog. Really looking forward to this month of posts!
Last day of this amazing auction. You can still bid on a copy of THE WRITING & CRITIQUE SURVIVAL GUIDE, along with a #pb critique from me. Or you can bid on over 500 other fantastic donations! #publishingforMN
Image for the Publishing for Minnesota auction. The text says, "Bid on my auction item at www. 32auctions.com/publishingforMN. Auction opens Thursday January 29th."
Today and tomorrow only, you can bid on a HUGE range of items at the Publishing for Minnesota auction. I'm donating a signed copy of my book THE WRITING & CRITIQUE GROUP SURVIVAL GUIDE and a critique of one non-rhyming picture book. www.32auctions.com/organization...
