Conference Updates & KidLit Events Aug. 31 |

Today was the first day back at critique after my group’s summer break. It was brilliant! I’s so lucky to have such great critique partners! You’d think between my SCBWI Houston group, my critique group (all SCBWI members) and the SCBWI Discussion Board, where I hang out every day, that I’d get enough SCBWI. Nope. Tomorrow I plan to join the Brazos Valley’s SCBWI chapter for their monthly meeting. I look forward to seeing everyone there!

This week, Brazos Bookstore featured local author Varsha Bajaj! Hop over to read the article by their Children’s Book specialist Joy Preble, Picture Books, Origin Stories, and Cake: Chatting with Varsha Bajaj.

Another local writer, Maria Ashworth, author of STEP ONE, STEP TWO, STEP THREE AND FOUR and MY BIG TREE has a lot of exciting things going on soon! Follow Maria on twitter to stay on top of her announcements!

Don’t forget to register for the three upcoming Houston Area conferences:
SEPTEMBER 17: Houston Bay Area RWA’s Starfish Conference
SEPTEMBER 23-24: Houston Writers Guild’s Indiepalooza
OCTOBER 22: SCBWI-Houston Conference

Scroll down to see the new listings for agents and editors at conferences. If you’d like to be notified of these weekly updates, please use the Subscribe to Updates form on the sidebars! Here’s what’s up this week:

Happy Book Birthday

I’m so happy to day to celebrate this week’s book! The author, Ena Jones, is a long-time moderator on the SCBWI Discussion Board (aka The Blueboard). Her new book is a sequel to last year’s CLAYTON STONE, AT YOUR SERVICE, in which 12-year-old Clayton catapults into family business—being a secret agent—when the President calls asking him to help catch a kidnapper.Now we have the thrilling sequel…

CLAYTON STONE, FACING OFF

By Ena Jones

Published by Holiday House

From the Publisher: Middle-school spy Clayton Stone is back in business and his adventures are better than ever in this funny and heartwarming sequel to Clayton Stone, At Your Service.

Thirteen-year-old Clayton’s new assignment for the Special Service means adopting a new identity indefinitely. He has to leave behind his friends and beloved lacrosse team to live as Max Carrington, a student at the Sydney Brown School, where the President’s son Kyle is a seventh grader. But Clayton isn’t the only new kid at school and there’s something odd about his fellow outsider, James Scott. Is James hiding something, and is he a threat to Kyle?

The chaos of undercover life keeps Clayton on his toes as he rushes from one crisis to the next, while a cutthroat school election brings out some strong personalities at Sydney Brown. To make matters worse, Clayton’s new lacrosse team is set to play Masters Academy in the playoffs. It looks like he will face off against his best friends and former teammates!

Kirkus gave CLAYTONE STONE, FACING OFF a great review, which you can read here. Also, The Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors has a terrific interview with Ena where you can find out much more about this fun series.

BUY THE BOOK! Blue Willow Bookshop Brazos Bookstore Murder By the Book Indiebound Barnes & Noble Amazon

Local KidLit Events

For Readers

SEPTEMBER 1, THURSDAY, 10:00 AM: EMILY ARROW, SINGER/SONGWRITER

Blue Willow Bookshop

Singer/songwriter Emily Arrow will join this week’s storytime! If you missed seeing author/illustrator Kelly Light, you might want to pop in. Perhaps you’ll hear Emily sing about Kelly’s book LOUISE LOVES ART!

For Writers

AUGUST 31, WEDNESDAY, 10:00 AM: SCBWI BRAZOS VALLEY MTG

Barnes & Noble, College Station
COST: FREE

This month’s meeting will feature report from members who attended the SCBWI National Conference in Los Angeles.

SEPTEMBER 6, MONDAY, 7:00 PM: SCBWI HOUSTON: MTG

Tracy Gee Community Center
National SCBWI in Review—Panel Discussion
COST: FREE

This month’s meeting will feature report from members who attended the SCBWI National Conference in Los Angeles.