Hello, friends!

Left to right: Seeing Beauty and the Beast the Musical, Air Force Academy reunion, and a quick hello to my bookish bestie, Marcie Colleen.

Happy September!

A lot has been going on! I've got my college sophomore all settled in at UC San Diego (where I got to see Marcie Colleen, above). My husband and I spent a few days at his reunion at the Air Force Academy where we caught up with lots of long-time friends. And I've seen a few musicals including Beauty and the Beast (with Cynthia, above) and a local production of Dear Evan Hansen. Other than that, I have committed to be more social this fall, so I'm playing pickleball once a week and taking walks with friends aside from my regular weightlifting and interval training.

On the children's book front...

This Is How You Know by me, illustrated by Cornelia Li was name to the Children's Literature Council of Southern California 2026 long list for Picture Books along with so many creators I admire (see the image below). The awards are Nov. 14, and I'll be attending to support all these fabulous SoCal creators.

Things I'm loving right now

The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon. A historical fiction about Grace O'Malley, an Irish noblewoman turned pirate who leads rebellions against the Elizabethan incursion into Ireland? Yes please! This was one of my most-anticipated reads of the fall. What's fascinating is Lawhon tells the story in three different phases of O'Malley's life: maiden, mother, and matriarch, but she braids them instead of moving chronologically, so the reader is constantly moving among three timelines with the same characters.
The Gentlemen--Season 2 (Netflix): Don't ask me why I enjoy dark comedies that involve people inheriting unexpected drug empires and trying to deal with the consequences. (Deli Boys on Hulu is another). I just love Theo James (Sanditon) as gentleman Eddie Horniman who inherits a weed empire and Kaya Scodelario as Susie Glass, daughter of a drug kingpin, in this Guy Ritchie series.
Substack. There's a lot I don't love about Substack, including how pushy they are to get you to sign up for other newsletters when you subscribe to one. And how desperately they want you to offer a paid tier. However, I find the social media aspect of their platform (called Notes) great fun. And, when I shared that I was reading The Pirate Queen (on my adult pen name's Substack), another Substacker reached out, and now we have a small group chat going for five of us who are reading the book. Notes is the only text-based social media I'm using right now, having given up on Bluesky and Threads (too toxic). If you are looking for a place to make connections and house your newsletter for free, Substack might be something to consider.

Read on for Nonfiction/STEM Book Review updates and more.

Kirsten

Join me for the Engaging Stories Conference (October 8-10)

Have you always dreamed of telling true stories for kids, but aren't sure where to start? Join me at SCBWI Wisconsin's Engaging Stories conference Oct. 8-10 in Green Lake, WI.

Whether you're drawn to biographies, STEM books, or even magazine articles, this 3-hour intensive masterclass will give you the essential tools to craft compelling nonfiction that kids can't put down. Based on my comprehensive guide, Telling It True, you'll learn how to transform facts into page-turning stories, conduct efficient research, and structure your work so young readers stay hooked from beginning to end.

Materials Needed: Bring a current work-in-progress or story idea you're excited to develop, plus your laptop or notebook for hands-on exercises.

Hope to see you there in person!