Lee Wind
@leewind.bsky.social
Author, Blogger, Make the World a Better Placer. Out to empower Queer Youth and their allies. Out now: LIKE THAT ELEANOR (picture book on allyship and history) and THE GENDER BINARY IS A BIG LIE (nonfiction ages 11+)
@deborahhalverson.bsky.social knows our #kidlit industry, does the research, and presents it for us -- this is always worth the time! thanks @scbwi.bsky.social
Join veteran editor and author Deborah Halverson for an up-to-the-minute look at the children's publishing industry.
Register here:
www.scbwi.org/events/state...
Register here:
www.scbwi.org/events/state...
November 14, 2025 at 2:53 PM
@deborahhalverson.bsky.social knows our #kidlit industry, does the research, and presents it for us -- this is always worth the time! thanks @scbwi.bsky.social
loved hearing from these students! (and nice to have good news re: books being un-banned) thanks @heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Last month, eight books were removed from Georgia's statewide reading book for students. It was teenagers who brought this censorship to the spotlight–even though it's not their job to clean up grown-up messes.
Get to know 3 of those teens here.
bookriot.com/teens-who-ov...
Get to know 3 of those teens here.
bookriot.com/teens-who-ov...
Meet the High Schoolers Who Overturned a State Reading Bowl Book Ban: Book Censorship News, November 7, 2025
A Georgia statewide reading bowl banned eight books. These students led the charge to get the bans overturned and succeeded.
bookriot.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:55 PM
loved hearing from these students! (and nice to have good news re: books being un-banned) thanks @heykellyjensen.bsky.social
helpful and interesting! thanks @cherylklein.bsky.social
For querying writers: I did a critiques today for an SCBWI conf & got questions about what kind of books you can cite as comps, & I think it’s worth distinguishing between *pitching* comps and *selling* comps. A brief 🧵:
November 11, 2025 at 2:53 PM
helpful and interesting! thanks @cherylklein.bsky.social
Reposted by Lee Wind
Were you thrilled & motivated by election results on Tuesday and want in on the next one? If you're a published writer, join us! We provide resources, connect each other to collective actions, and support each other!
AABB Author Sign-Up Form
Hello! We're Authors Against Book Bans, a group of authors who’ve come together to protect and promote the freedom to read on both the national and local levels. We’re creating a network of authors to...
docs.google.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Were you thrilled & motivated by election results on Tuesday and want in on the next one? If you're a published writer, join us! We provide resources, connect each other to collective actions, and support each other!
#KidLitLaunches BANANA MENORAH celebrates creativity, a two dad family, and Hanukkah... feeling grateful I get to create #kidlit that would have changed my life if I read it as a kiddo!
November 7, 2025 at 2:49 PM
#KidLitLaunches BANANA MENORAH celebrates creativity, a two dad family, and Hanukkah... feeling grateful I get to create #kidlit that would have changed my life if I read it as a kiddo!
Banana Menorah Launch Day! (And 8 ways to use a banana as a menorah!) Tip: You don't blow out Hanukkah candles, you just let them dance and enjoy the lights. Illustrated by Karl West, published by Apples & Honey Press.
#lgbtq #kidlit #hanukkah #chanukah #launchday #bookbirthday
#lgbtq #kidlit #hanukkah #chanukah #launchday #bookbirthday
November 4, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Banana Menorah Launch Day! (And 8 ways to use a banana as a menorah!) Tip: You don't blow out Hanukkah candles, you just let them dance and enjoy the lights. Illustrated by Karl West, published by Apples & Honey Press.
#lgbtq #kidlit #hanukkah #chanukah #launchday #bookbirthday
#lgbtq #kidlit #hanukkah #chanukah #launchday #bookbirthday
Banana Menorah Countdown: 1 day to go! Today I share about my picture book coming out TOMORROW… illustrated by Karl West and published by Apples & Honey Press BANANA MENORAH has four wonderful trade reviews, with Kirkus calling it “A Hanukkah tale sure to ignite kids’ creativity.” #lgbtq #kidlit
November 3, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Banana Menorah Countdown: 2 days to go! Today, my third picture book, illustrated by Kelly Mangan and published by Cardinal Rule Press: LIKE THAT ELEANOR. Kirkus gave it a Starred Review and it was blurbed by Eleanor Roosevelt’s great-granddaughter! #lgbtq #kidlit #allies
November 2, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Banana Menorah Countdown: 3 days to go! My second picture book: illustrated by @jietingchenart and published by @reycraft LOVE OF THE HALF-EATEN PEACH. It was an Lambda Literary Award Finalist and was called “stunning” by School Library Journal. #lgbtq #kidlit #lgbthistory
November 1, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Banana Menorah Countdown: 3 days to go! My second picture book: illustrated by @jietingchenart and published by @reycraft LOVE OF THE HALF-EATEN PEACH. It was an Lambda Literary Award Finalist and was called “stunning” by School Library Journal. #lgbtq #kidlit #lgbthistory
Banana Menorah Countdown: 4 days to go! Today, another nonfiction book for readers 11 and up, THE GENDER BINARY IS A BIG LIE, published by @lernerbooks.bsky.social. A SCBWI Golden Kite Award Finalist + Starred Kirkus Review. #lgbtq #kidlit #nonfiction #lgbthistory
October 31, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Banana Menorah Countdown: 4 days to go! Today, another nonfiction book for readers 11 and up, THE GENDER BINARY IS A BIG LIE, published by @lernerbooks.bsky.social. A SCBWI Golden Kite Award Finalist + Starred Kirkus Review. #lgbtq #kidlit #nonfiction #lgbthistory
Banana Menorah Countdown: 5 days to go! Today, my second YA novel (and start of a series), A DIFFERENT KIND OF BRAVE, published by Interlude Press/Duet/Chicago Review Press. It’s a gay teen action adventure romance, that Kirkus Reviews called “Thrilling. Positively thrilling.” #lgbtq #kidlit #ya
October 31, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Banana Menorah Countdown: 6 days to go! Today, my first picture book, RED AND GREEN AND BLUE AND WHITE, illustrated by @paulozelinsky.com published by @levinequerido.bsky.social The NYT called it “Beautiful… It’s a message the world can use, throughout the year.” #kidlit #socialjustice
October 29, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Banana Menorah Countdown: 6 days to go! Today, my first picture book, RED AND GREEN AND BLUE AND WHITE, illustrated by @paulozelinsky.com published by @levinequerido.bsky.social The NYT called it “Beautiful… It’s a message the world can use, throughout the year.” #kidlit #socialjustice
Reposted by Lee Wind
Our friends @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social are gathering information about "soft censorship" happening in the US According to School Library Journal, soft censorship is a "quiet banishing that often comes without explanation." If you've seen it in your community, please respond to their survey
Soft Censorship of Diverse Books
WNDB is collecting information on the soft censorship of diverse books across the US. Have you witnessed soft censorship in your community? Please share your experiences below. Your response can be…
docs.google.com
October 27, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Our friends @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social are gathering information about "soft censorship" happening in the US According to School Library Journal, soft censorship is a "quiet banishing that often comes without explanation." If you've seen it in your community, please respond to their survey
Love seeing a librarian I know with a new YA nonfiction book! This one sounds fascinating (and it's great to hear about Angelica's primary source research!)
Arm in Arm: An Interview with Author Angelica Shirley Carpenter
As historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich said, "Well-behaved women seldom make history," and the Grimké sisters were anything but well-behaved. Born into a family of enslavers in the South, Sarah Grimké and Angelina Grimké Weld were some…
As historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich said, "Well-behaved women seldom make history," and the Grimké sisters were anything but well-behaved. Born into a family of enslavers in the South, Sarah Grimké and Angelina Grimké Weld were some…
Arm in Arm: An Interview with Author Angelica Shirley Carpenter
As historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich said, "Well-behaved women seldom make history," and the Grimké sisters were anything but well-behaved. Born into a family of enslavers in the South, Sarah Grimké and Angelina Grimké Weld were some of the first women to speak out about abolition and women’s rights. Arm in Arm: The Grimké Sisters' Fight for Abolition and Women's Rights…
lernerbooks.blog
October 28, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Love seeing a librarian I know with a new YA nonfiction book! This one sounds fascinating (and it's great to hear about Angelica's primary source research!)
Banana Menorah Countdown: 7 days to go!
My first nonfiction book was NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? published by Zest Books @lernerbooks.bsky.social - it would have changed my life had I read it as an 11 year old. And yes, it changed my life writing it, too. #lgbtq #kidlit #nonfiction #lgbthistory
My first nonfiction book was NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? published by Zest Books @lernerbooks.bsky.social - it would have changed my life had I read it as an 11 year old. And yes, it changed my life writing it, too. #lgbtq #kidlit #nonfiction #lgbthistory
October 28, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Banana Menorah Countdown: 7 days to go!
My first nonfiction book was NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? published by Zest Books @lernerbooks.bsky.social - it would have changed my life had I read it as an 11 year old. And yes, it changed my life writing it, too. #lgbtq #kidlit #nonfiction #lgbthistory
My first nonfiction book was NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? published by Zest Books @lernerbooks.bsky.social - it would have changed my life had I read it as an 11 year old. And yes, it changed my life writing it, too. #lgbtq #kidlit #nonfiction #lgbthistory
Banana Menorah Countdown: 8 days to go!
Today, my first YA novel, QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL. Crowdfunded via @kickstarter.com and we donated over 900 copies (with help from @bravetrails.bsky.social) to empower Queer and allied teens! #lgbtq #kidlit #ya
Today, my first YA novel, QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL. Crowdfunded via @kickstarter.com and we donated over 900 copies (with help from @bravetrails.bsky.social) to empower Queer and allied teens! #lgbtq #kidlit #ya
October 27, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Banana Menorah Countdown: 8 days to go!
Today, my first YA novel, QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL. Crowdfunded via @kickstarter.com and we donated over 900 copies (with help from @bravetrails.bsky.social) to empower Queer and allied teens! #lgbtq #kidlit #ya
Today, my first YA novel, QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL. Crowdfunded via @kickstarter.com and we donated over 900 copies (with help from @bravetrails.bsky.social) to empower Queer and allied teens! #lgbtq #kidlit #ya
such a great example of how a backlist title can suddenly have a boost of interest and relevance!
💎🔍Catching a thief that stole jewels from the Louvre? Julieta's been there, done that.💅
To find out how she did it, read Julieta and the Diamond Enigma — a smart middle-grade mystery about a diamond gone missing from the Louvre & the spunky girl who cracks the case. www.leeandlow.com/books/juli...
To find out how she did it, read Julieta and the Diamond Enigma — a smart middle-grade mystery about a diamond gone missing from the Louvre & the spunky girl who cracks the case. www.leeandlow.com/books/juli...
October 24, 2025 at 2:13 PM
such a great example of how a backlist title can suddenly have a boost of interest and relevance!
Reposted by Lee Wind
On the blog today I have a question for you--
Beyond Banned Books Displays: How Did Your Library Celebrate Intellectual Freedom Earlier This Month?
raforall.blogspot.com/2025/10/beyo...
Beyond Banned Books Displays: How Did Your Library Celebrate Intellectual Freedom Earlier This Month?
raforall.blogspot.com/2025/10/beyo...
Beyond Banned Books Displays: How Did Your Library Celebrate Intellectual Freedom Earlier This Month?
I am on the Illinois Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee and I just created a survey for IL Libraries asking them to share ...
raforall.blogspot.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:37 PM
On the blog today I have a question for you--
Beyond Banned Books Displays: How Did Your Library Celebrate Intellectual Freedom Earlier This Month?
raforall.blogspot.com/2025/10/beyo...
Beyond Banned Books Displays: How Did Your Library Celebrate Intellectual Freedom Earlier This Month?
raforall.blogspot.com/2025/10/beyo...
a win for the freedom to read! (and yes, don't be silent in the face of book banning!)
They restored all the titles & I want to point out that the reasoning was (stars are mine lol):
"... and in light of the *****overwhelming feedback from our community****** the Georgia HRRB State Steering Committee has voted to reinstate all 20..."
so, BE LOUD AS HELL & PROTECT THE RIGHT TO READ
"... and in light of the *****overwhelming feedback from our community****** the Georgia HRRB State Steering Committee has voted to reinstate all 20..."
so, BE LOUD AS HELL & PROTECT THE RIGHT TO READ
October 15, 2025 at 10:23 PM
a win for the freedom to read! (and yes, don't be silent in the face of book banning!)
A thought and Question for #letfreedomread day and #nationalcomingoutday - There's no such thing as a silent ally. So how are you helping make our world a safer place for #lgbtq+ & #bipoc & everyone to be their authentic selves? My answer is writing #kidlit
October 11, 2025 at 4:43 PM
A thought and Question for #letfreedomread day and #nationalcomingoutday - There's no such thing as a silent ally. So how are you helping make our world a safer place for #lgbtq+ & #bipoc & everyone to be their authentic selves? My answer is writing #kidlit
Reposted by Lee Wind
Tomorrow is Let Freedom Read Day, a day of action for communities to unite against book bans!
Here’s a list of small actions you can take to defend the right to read: uniteagainstbookbans.org/let-freedom-...
#FreedomToRead #BannedBooksWeek
Here’s a list of small actions you can take to defend the right to read: uniteagainstbookbans.org/let-freedom-...
#FreedomToRead #BannedBooksWeek
Let Freedom Read Day
On October 11, take one action to defend books from censorship and take a stand for library staff, educators, writers, publishers and booksellers!
uniteagainstbookbans.org
October 10, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Tomorrow is Let Freedom Read Day, a day of action for communities to unite against book bans!
Here’s a list of small actions you can take to defend the right to read: uniteagainstbookbans.org/let-freedom-...
#FreedomToRead #BannedBooksWeek
Here’s a list of small actions you can take to defend the right to read: uniteagainstbookbans.org/let-freedom-...
#FreedomToRead #BannedBooksWeek
#kidlit peeps - this cool thing is about to happen (at 10am Pacific, so in 22 min): I'm going to be live on the Self Publishing Insiders podcast talking about Banned Books Week and the "Freedom to Publish, Freedom to Read" - www.facebook.com/events/11297... hope you can join!
Freedom to Publish. Freedom to Read.
Other event by Draft2Digital on Thursday, October 9 2025
www.facebook.com
October 9, 2025 at 4:38 PM
#kidlit peeps - this cool thing is about to happen (at 10am Pacific, so in 22 min): I'm going to be live on the Self Publishing Insiders podcast talking about Banned Books Week and the "Freedom to Publish, Freedom to Read" - www.facebook.com/events/11297... hope you can join!
#kidlit peeps - how about we avoid saying "celebrate" #bannedbooksweek and instead say "observe" -- censorship is really not something to celebrate. I am open to changing the name to #freedomtoread week, though -- and then I'm all about the celebration! www.wearestrongerthancensorship.org
October 8, 2025 at 2:43 PM
#kidlit peeps - how about we avoid saying "celebrate" #bannedbooksweek and instead say "observe" -- censorship is really not something to celebrate. I am open to changing the name to #freedomtoread week, though -- and then I'm all about the celebration! www.wearestrongerthancensorship.org
Reposted by Lee Wind
If your hashtag searching is not working for #DVpit we created a feed for the hashtag. Please always try to search the hashtag first, but this feed includes all posts under the hashtag as well. We will update during the day as we learn more from bsky bsky.app/profile/did:...
#DVpit 2025 has officially begun!
Today, Oct 8, 2025 from 8AM-8PM ET marginalized creators seeking out representation can pitch their completed manuscripts & portfolios to participating Agents & Editors!
Don't forget to use #DVpit in your posts!
Pls read rules before participating: dvpit.carrd.co
Today, Oct 8, 2025 from 8AM-8PM ET marginalized creators seeking out representation can pitch their completed manuscripts & portfolios to participating Agents & Editors!
Don't forget to use #DVpit in your posts!
Pls read rules before participating: dvpit.carrd.co
October 8, 2025 at 1:04 PM
If your hashtag searching is not working for #DVpit we created a feed for the hashtag. Please always try to search the hashtag first, but this feed includes all posts under the hashtag as well. We will update during the day as we learn more from bsky bsky.app/profile/did:...
#kidlit peeps - want to help go on the offense against book banning this #bannedbooksweek ? Check out this interview I did with @wordsandmoney.bsky.social www.wordsandmoney.com/in-conversat...
In Conversation: Author and Freedom to Read Advocate Lee Wind
Ahead of Banned Books Week 2025, we caught up with the award-winning author and co-founder of We Are Stronger Than Censorship to talk about why advocates must continue to find innovative ways to fight...
www.wordsandmoney.com
October 6, 2025 at 4:58 PM
#kidlit peeps - want to help go on the offense against book banning this #bannedbooksweek ? Check out this interview I did with @wordsandmoney.bsky.social www.wordsandmoney.com/in-conversat...