elm // em dickson
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mlereads.bsky.social
elm // em dickson
@mlereads.bsky.social
430 followers 600 following 81 posts
elm like the tree. nonbinarian school librarian.
magister of kidlit MAMFA via simmons.
sailor. seabird. selkie. scrivener. scholar.

rep: @careybk

ATHLETE IS AGENDER ‘25 – Christy Ottaviano Books/Little, Brown BYR
BEYOND THEY / THEM ‘25 – Andrews McMeel
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mlereads.bsky.social
IT’S MY BOOK BIRTHDAY!!!! 🥳🌈✨

it’s hard to express what it means for this book to be out in the world today. amidst all the attacks on genderdiverse people not just in the states but around the world, this book is a reminder that “nonbinary people have always been here & can be found everywhere.”
May 7, 2025 at 1:48 AM
mlereads.bsky.social
hey pals did you know that i have not one but TWO books coming out (hehe) in may?! 🌈✨ CHECK THEM OUT!!!!
A selfie of me, a white nonbinary person with sandy hair and glasses, at a low flat beach holding up my upcoming books: ATHLETE IS AGENDER, light blue with rainbows branching out from the top left and bottom right corners, and BEYOND THEY/THEM, pale sunburst in color with illustrated nonbinary figures encircled by a long nonbinary pride flag (yellow, white, purple, black). I’m wearing a light grey sweatshirt and the photo cuts off about halfway up my face - I’m smizing and wearing sunglasses
March 21, 2025 at 5:54 PM
mlereads.bsky.social
more cool people! author Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and editor Liesa Abrams! @batgirleditor.bsky.social
A photo of me, a white person with short sandy hair and pale green glasses, wearing a pale green face mask and a matching button-down shirt worn open over a white graphic tee, standing with acclaimed author Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich. Bemi is the author of the upcoming eighth book in The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class series A selfie of me, a white person with short sandy hair and pale green glasses, wearing a pale green face mask and a matching button-down shirt worn open over a white We Need LGBTQ+ Books dragon tee, standing with acclaimed editor Liesa Abrams of Labyrinth Road
December 8, 2024 at 6:19 PM
mlereads.bsky.social
my third graders are obSESSED with the new series THE KIDS IN MRS. Z’S CLASS - and they can’t believe i got all these books signed to them! thank you so much again @willalex.bsky.social @katemessner.bsky.social @rajanilarocca.bsky.social @keklamagoon.bsky.social @eliotschrefer.bsky.social
A photo of me, a white person with short sandy hair and pale green glasses, wearing a black face mask and a teal shirt that reads “librarian” in rainbow letters, standing with acclaimed author William Alexander as he holds up his most recent book, The Legend of Memo Castillo, the fourth book in The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class chapter book series A photo of me, a white person with short sandy hair and pale green glasses, wearing a pale green face mask and a matching button-down shirt worn open over a white We Need LGBTQ+ Books dragon tee, standing with acclaimed author Kate Messner as she holds up her book Emma McKenna Full Out, the first book in The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class chapter book series A photo of me, a white person with short sandy hair and pale green glasses, wearing a pale green face mask and a matching button-down shirt worn open over a white We Need LGBTQ+ Books dragon tee, standing with acclaimed authors Rajani LaRocca and Kekla Magoon. They both hold up their books from The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class chapter book series: Rajani’s book, Rohan Murthy Has a Plan, is the second book in the series, and Kekla’s book, Ayana Ndoum Takes the Stage, is the sixth book and comes out in March 2025 A photo of me, a white person with short sandy hair and pale green glasses, wearing a pale green face mask and a matching button-down shirt worn open over a white We Need LGBTQ+ Books dragon tee, standing with acclaimed author Eliot Schrefer, who holds up an advanced copy of his book Wyatt Hill’s Best Friend is a Lizard, the fifth book in The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class chapter book series which comes out in March 2025
December 8, 2024 at 6:19 PM
mlereads.bsky.social
i met so many lovely people at #ncte2024 two weeks ago that i couldn’t possibly tag them all, but i did want to share some photos i took with some of my students’ favorite authors (aka making me a Really Cool librarian) @soontornvat.bsky.social
A selfie of me, a white person with short sandy hair and pale green glasses, wearing a black face mask and a teal shirt that reads “librarian” in rainbow letters, and acclaimed author Christina Soontornvat as she holds up the most recent book in her middle grade Legends of Lotus Island series - Book 4, Temple of Secrets A photo of me, a white person with short sandy hair and pale green glasses, wearing a pale green face mask and matching button-down shirt worn open over a white We Need LGBTQ+ Books dragon tee, standing with acclaimed author Jasmine Warga, whose most recent middle grade book is entitled A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hal An extremely blurry selfie of me, a white person with short sandy hair and pale green glasses, wearing a black face mask and a white fleecy button down, with acclaimed author Kwame Alexander. I am holding up an advanced copy of his upcoming middle grade book J vs. K, cocreated with Jerry Craft, and he is holding his Emmy Award for executive producing an adaptation of his verse novel The Crossover on Disney+
December 8, 2024 at 6:19 PM
mlereads.bsky.social
i’d love to moderate if you need someone :) i also have two nonfiction books coming out in may!
The pale blue cover of the upcoming middle grade anthology ATHLETE IS AGENDER: TRUE STORIES OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE IN SPORTS, edited by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby. There are icons representing different sports in the bottom left and upper right corners: a sailboat, track shoes, football, skis, racket, skateboard, saddle, swim goggles, basketball, ice skates, hockey stick, soccer ball. The upper left and bottom right have curved rainbow stripes, with red towards the center and moving outward towards the corners. Each stripe has the name of a different contributor. The cover for the upcoming collective biography BEYOND THEY/THEM: 20 INFLUENTIAL NONBINARY AND GENDER-DIVERSE PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW, written by me (Em Dickson) and illustrated by Cameron Mukwa. The background is a pale ombré of gold to light orange and the cover features illustrated versions of nine of the people represented, holding a long banner of the nonbinary flag that loops around the whole cover, twining around the figures, with the two ends meeting down at the bottom
December 1, 2024 at 10:42 PM
mlereads.bsky.social
does anyone else’s dog carry a stick like it’s a cigar
A photo of a fluffy black dog that looks like a muppet, sitting on cracked faded pavement, with one front paw slightly in front like she’s posing, her head angled to the side to show off the stick poking out of the corner of her mouth. Her brown eyes are looking deep into your soul as if to ask why you’re staring at her A photo of a fluffy black dog that looks like a muppet, sitting on cracked faded pavement, with one front paw slightly in front like she’s posing, her head now facing camera straighter on and a stick poking out of the left corner of her mouth. Her brown eyes are looking deep into your soul as if to ask why you’re staring at her
November 29, 2024 at 9:12 PM
mlereads.bsky.social
pals i forgot to tell you the news but LOOOOOK!!!!!!
A square graphic with a deep green background and a pattern of faint white sports equipment. Centered in all-caps near the top are the words JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD in a deep gold. Underneath, still centered but in smaller white letters, reads Athlete is Agender: True Stories of LGBTQ+ People in Sports. Below the text is a large round gold stamp that reads JLG Gold Standard and the cover of ATHLETE IS AGENDER, which is light blue with rainbow stripes and sports icons.
November 17, 2024 at 12:07 AM
mlereads.bsky.social
hey i just met you
your shadow’s nimble
you’re kind of cute
so have a thimble
November 3, 2023 at 12:39 AM
mlereads.bsky.social
ahhh!!!! i am so beyond honored to be included in this nonfic anthology with so many amazing ~sports gays~ 🔥 can’t wait to write about my baby genderqueer self setting sail 💙 (literally - i’m writing about competitive sailing!!! WOOO!!!!)

tysm to nicole melleby & @katherinelocke.bsky.social 💙🌈✨
November 3, 2023 at 12:03 AM