Events

Past Events

Glen Rock Children’s Book Festival
Glen Rock, NJ
October 3, 2026

Congratulations to The Curious Reader and Glen Rock Guild on an amazing book festival!! I was thrilled to be one of 49 authors and illustrators at this fantastic literary event where I signed copies of my middle grade comedies Free Period and Vote for the G.O.A.T. The weather was perfect, the families were all so excited about reading, and I got to share a table with my friend Brian Gonsar, author of the hilarious Dracula’s Brunch Club!

Period Product Packing Party!
Split Rock Books – Cold Spring, NY
October 1, 2026

Thank you @splitrockbooks for such an amazing event! It was the perfect combination of education, period action, and bookish crafting!! We learned about the health aspects of menstruation and packed period product kits for schools and community organizations with @pphphealth We also talked about FREE PERIOD, my @scholastic middle grade comedy about friendship and period equity, while crafting cuterus uterus bracelets and keychains. Everyone got a photo with the 6ft tall crochet cutie in her spooky season witch hat. My fave was when someone held her up to her full height – sometimes I still can’t believe I made her lololol And of course meeting Buster, the best bookstore cat, was a dream come true!

Bronx Book Festival
Bronx, NY
June 20, 2026

Huge congratulations to @thebronxisreading on another incredible book festival!! I am so grateful to have participated in the middle grade panel with Shauna J. Grant (Baby-Sitter’s Little Sister: Karen’s Surprise) @shaunadrawscute, Kevin Blaize (Dogs of the Wild) @dogsofthewildseries, and Angel Luis Colón (Minecraft House of Horrors) @angel_luis_colon. Thank you to our fabulous moderator Kanika Mobley – please check out her wonderful work at Stories of a Colorful World @storiesofacolorfulwrld. And to Alyssa Reynoso Morris @areynosomorris for running the kidlit stage where the young readers were super engaged and asking great questions. The volunteers did such a wonderful job of keeping everything organized and running smoothly. And a huge bonus that I finally got to meet Inés Ayala @byinesayala in person!!

This was my last event for the 2025-26 year, and what a way to end it!!! I’ll be back in September with appearances scheduled in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Until then I wish everyone the best summer of reading ever!! I hope you find a new favorite book at the library!!

Middle Grade Book Party!
Dear Reader Bookstore in Wyckoff, NJ
May 30, 2026

The most periodtastic thank you ever to Allie and @dearreaderbookstore for hosting an incredible book party today where Brian Gonsar and I got to share our middle grade stories! The kids were absolutely hilarious and so insightful with their questions, the stories they are writing as authors, and their answers to an epic trivia game of periods x vampires. And it was so special to celebrate the launch of my @scholastic Gold paperback with my writing group Elisabeth, Laura, Suzanne, and Nona as they have been cheering on FREE PERIOD every step of the way over the last decade from when I first said to myself okay time to be brave and start sharing this story! Even the 6ft tall crochet Ute got emotional!

If you missed the party, I hope you’ll grab copies of Brian’s book and mine at Dear Reader – it is the perfect blend of books, stationery, and gifts (including gifts for yourself!!). Next weekend is the New Jersey Book Crawl if you’re looking for a fun way to kick off your summer reading at the store 🙂

📚 DRACULA’S BRUNCH CLUB by @bgonsar and @keenangaybba (ISBN 9781637158401)

📚 FREE PERIOD by @alitereseauthor (ISBN 9781338835847)

📚 VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. by @alitereseauthor (ISBN 9781665960489)

Hudson Children’s Book Festival
Hudson, NY
May 2, 2026

I was thrilled to return to the Hudson Children’s Book Festival with VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. and was surpised with my first signing of the Scholastic Gold paperback version of FREE PERIOD!! It was so great to hear from librarians and readers who read my debut and families excited to share their own goat stories and pick up a copy of my latest comdedy for middle graders. Thank you so much to the organizers for this wonderful event and for making sure that every child gets a book!!!

AWP 2026
Baltimore, MD
March 4-7, 2026

Huge thank you to @beckererine (Crushing It) for bringing us together and all the work that went into the #awp26 panel on writing for children during this era of book challenges. I left so inspired by Erin, @nashae.jones (The Beckett Effect), @missashleyjeanwrites (Choir Grrrl), and @meden_author (Perfect Enough), as well as the fantastic audience questions!! Can’t wait to see what stories come out of this session 🤓I had such an amazing time visiting the exhibit floor and listening in on panels – thank you @awpwriter for making this event so accessible! Heading home with some great poetry books and a billion ideas – time to get writing ✍️📚💗

World Read Aloud Day
Virtual
February 4, 2026

I had an amazing time reading with libraries and schools across six states to celebrate World Read Aloud Day! Of course the student questions were the best part! There was so much interest in where authors get their story ideas, how an idea becomes a book you can buy in the store, and tips for writing their own books. I also loved hearing how the different schools had named their crochet goats and were taking care of them. Too cute! WRAD is always a fave event, and I can’t wait for next year.

NCTE 2025
Denver, CO
November 20-23, 2025

Thank you so much to NCTE and all the amazing teachers for this wonderful conference in Denver!!! I am especially grateful for the middle school teachers who wrote scenes with Heather Murphy Capps, Ashley Granillo, Nicole Hewitt, Sydney Dunlap, and me in the narrative techniques panel, who were so fun and full of energy at my signings with Scholastic and Simon & Schuster, to Angel who gave the huge Babette her forever home just like at the end of VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T., and to Sarah Ressler Wright who crocheted her very own Ute from FREE PERIOD!! I learned so much at the panels, workshops, and keynotes, and of course I met fantastic authors who were kind enough to sign their books!! Plus the entire event was beautifully produced and organized!! Lots more in my NCTE highlights on Instagram!

CARE Convention
Brooklyn Heights Branch – Brooklyn Public Library
November 14, 2025

Thank you so much to the Brooklyn Public Library for including me in the latest Teen Takeover at the Brooklyn Heights Branch. They put together such a fun program that 40 teens spent their Friday night at the library! I was thrilled to be in conversation with the brilliant Rachel Gross about our books, bodily autonomy, censorship, and advocacy. The student questions were so insightful and continued in Molly Moreau’s Q&A session, period jeopardy, and the hilarious games and photo ops the library created. Also, pizza!!! Also, a huge thank you to Simon & Schuster for donating copies of VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T., my new tween comedy centering friendship and bodily autonomy, that went to attendees. I always share the amazing work of the library’s Cycle Alliance as an example of how libraries can empower youth-led action in America, and I was thrilled to get photos with three hero librarians who inspire me to keep writing stories that students can use in their own outreach and advocacy: Rakisha Kearns-White, Shamima Sharmin, and Lanisha LeBlanc-Wright. If you are looking for ways for your library to get involved, check out their work and resources!!! https://www.bklynlibrary.org/event-series/cycle-alliance

Psst for those of you who have read FREE PERIOD, this is exactly how Helen wanted to make the library walls look in that book, but with red paint. Such a delightful author moment for me to see!

Virginia Association of School Librarians Annual Conference
Williamsburg, VA
November 7, 2025

Thank you so much to @vaasl for including us in your 50th anniversary conference!! I was thrilled to present with @cissellssuperheroes @nashae.jones @hmcwrites @sydneydunlapwrites and chat with the attending librarians about using upper middle grade texts for social emotional learning – the slides and handouts can be downloaded from Sched! And look who joined us – our @2024debuts buddy @jadamswrites who is not only a brilliant mystery writer but also a librarian!! Thank you also to @bookwormcentral for carrying our books (and to Carrie who we had so much fun meeting at the signing)!! We all do library and school visits – Nashae and Heather are local to VA, Sydney is a former VA teacher who is back regularly, and I’ll be here again in March and April. So please reach out if you’d like to book with any of us!

Also the goaticorn now lives in Virginia 🐐🧚🦄🥹

Happy reading!!

Mid-Atlantic Book Signings
Delaware-DC-Virginia
November 2025

I was thrilled to stop in at 4 of my favorite indie bookstores to sign copies of FREE PERIOD and VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. I hope you’ll support these wonderful indies in person and online!!!

Huxley and Hiro in Wilmington, Delaware

bbgb books in Richmond, Viriginia

East City Bookshop in Washington, DC

Politics and Prose in Washington, DC

Young People’s Book Festival
Villanova, PA
October 25, 2025

Thank you so much to @childrensbookworld and Black Rock Middle School for including me in the first ever @yobookfest!! I am so impressed by your readers and hope everyone found the perfect book today. I had an amazing time chatting with @laurielmorrison (KEEPING PACE) @lauraparnum (THE HAUNTING OF BELLINGTON COTTAGE)and Mary Kate Bolinder about middle grade books. The craftivism interactive session was super fun – message bracelets and goat-ready-with-me headbands continue to bring joy!! I had a wonderful time chatting with readers in the signing room and was so lucky to sit between Erin Yun (PIPPA PARK series) and Sunny & Gloomy (RAINBOW series). And I got to say high to lovely authors like @traceywestbooks (DRAGON MASTERS series) @laurenmagaziner (INCORRUPTIBLES series) and @lisanngreenwald (FORTUNE TELLERS series but I didn’t get a photo with her!) Heather, Rachel, and all the volunteers did such an amazing job – thank you!! In case you missed today, you can get signed copies at Children’s Book World in Haverford.

Pennsylvania Library Association Conference
Erie, PA
October 20, 2025

Thank you so much to the Pennsylvania librarians for such a fantastic conference experience in Erie! Multiple librarians crocheted in our panel and shared their projects with me, so many said they’re hosting period parties at their libraries, and someone showed me pics of their family’s baby goats so you know that it was my absolute dream day! 🥹🧶🐐🩸

I presented “The Social Emotional Future” on using upper middle grade texts to uplift tweens with @nashae.jones and @sydneydunlapwrites – brilliant authors and wonderful humans! Our world is a better, kinder, and more fun place because of their art so please read their books if you haven’t yet!! Tegan Connor-Cole, Director of Youth Services at the Phoenixville Public Library @phxville_library was our fabulous moderator and is now the guardian of Erie the Great Lakes Mergoat.

You can find our slides and handouts in the conference app. If anyone did not get a Babette who wanted one, feel free to reach out and I’ll make one for your library.

We also had so much fun at the exhibit hall signing and got to attend some really interesting panels.

Huge thank you to Kim Snyder-Wise and the conference committee for including us, and congratulations on this wonderful event!!

Midwest Book Signing Bonanza!
St. Louis – Cleveland – Erie
October 2025

I got to visit three bucket list bookstores that were somehow even more magical in person than I had even imagined:

❤️ Novel Neighbor in St. Louis, MO @novelneighbor

❤️ Loganberry Books in Cleveland, OH @loganberrybooks

❤️ Pressed in Erie, PA @pressedbooksandcoffee

Thank you for being so welcoming!! I would hang out at these stores all the time if I lived close by, but for now I will continue to follow their amazing recs, events, and book joy online. I hope you’ll follow them too and order a signed copy of VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. with swag for pick-up or delivery! It is a laugh-out-loud heist comedy out now from @simonkids where the world’s cutest goat mascot gets kidnapped and a ragtag group of students must rescue her and change the way animals are treated in their town. I call it Ted Lasso for tweens!

American Association of School Librarians
St. Louis,
October 16-18, 2025

Thank you so much to all the school librarians at #AASL25 for such an incredible conference, and congratulations to @ala_aasl for putting on this massive and wonderful event. I learned so much this weekend and just had the best time!

I am grateful to James Allen and @sydneydunlapwrites for the fantastic discussion we had on “Finding Hope through Story” – you can grab the slides and handouts on my linktree now.

For everyone who told me about their school knit and crochet clubs, first of all AHHHH! You are the coolest. Second, you can find free crochet patterns on my resources page for Babette, the goat-ready-with-me headband, goat book cozy, and herd head squish.

The energy at yesterday’s signings was off the charts! Thank you so much to @permaboundbooks and @ssedlib for hosting me and getting VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. into the hands of so many librarians!! If anyone wanted a Babette and did not get one, please feel free to reach out and I’ll make one for your library when I start crocheting them again. Hearing from teachers and librarians that she is a comfort goat in their spaces has been the best thing ever 🥹🐐

Lots more photos and shenanigans are in my AASL highlights!!

Judy Lopez Memorial Award Ceremony and Author Panel
Virtual
October 4, 2025

The Judy Lopez Memorial Award ceremony and author Q&A are now available on the @judylopezaward YouTube channel! I was not ready for Yvette Vasquez’s introduction to FREE PERIOD and ended up bawling! Thank you so much to the entire committee and the Women’s National Book Association for this incredible honor and for all you do to promote literacy for young readers ages 9-12. Special shout outs to Pam Muñoz Ryan for hosting the beautiful ceremony and to Brein Lopez of Chlidren’s Book World in Los Angeles @cbwchildrensbooks for hosting the super fun author panel. I hope this award helps even more young readers find these wonderful books:

THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN by @gennifercholdenko

ULTRAVIOLET by @aida_writes

DEER RUN HOME by @annclarelezotte

FREE PERIOD by moi and out now from @scholastic!

Award Ceremony: https://youtu.be/lQ2cXoLxo4g?si=3A35bz8BdxDiQF2Q

Author Panel: https://youtu.be/l5Zde8T4efU?si=oBWWG3QJExZG_f6g

Happy reading friends!!!

Chappaqua Book Festival
Chappaqua, NY train station
September 27, 2025

What an amazing day! Thank you so much to all the readers who came out and to The Chappaqua Book Festival for putting on such a joyful event. The organizers and volunteers ran such a fun and well-organized festival. I loved how happy readers were to get swag with their books included the goats and drops that I crocheted. I hope everyone has so much reading!!!

VCCA Residency
Amherst, VA
September 2025

I am home from my residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts @vacenterforthecreativearts and absolutely loved it! The most magical part of the experience was finishing a rewrite that I’ve been arguing with myself about for months. The combination of time, place, people, and peace helped me find the clarity and courage to do the cutting and revising I was beginning to think were impossible. I also left with a revision plan for the book I wrote in 2025 that I can’t wait to start (so I’m doing that as soon as I post this!). The key was getting back to my why – of these books in particular and as my basis for writing in the first place. It was such a special time to be in community with artists of so many different disciplines who were kind, generous, fun, and hilarious. While I was there, I got to visit the visual artists during an open studio night and do a reading from VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. and hear work from other authors during the writer’s night. VCCA and their amazing staff took care of everything so I just needed to create – a private room and bath, plus a private studio, outdoor spaces where I wrote andwent walking every day (there is a gorgeous pool where you can swim too!), art EVERYWHERE, every single meal deliciously cooked for us by professional chefs!!, cleaning, libraries, runs to town, and even laundry machines where you don’t need quarters. I am also immensely grateful to my family for working together to give me this time away. I hope my author and illustrator friends will apply during the next open session – I’m happy to answer any questions if you have them – and I will be counting down until I can apply again! THANK YOU VCCA!!!

Middle Grade Authors In Conversation: Meg Eden Kuyatt & Ali Terese
Severna Park Library in Severna, MD in connection with Park Books
September 16, 2025 – 6-7pm

I had so much fun chatting with my fave poet Meg Eden Kuyatt @meden_author and crafting with everyone who came out to our author event hosted by Park Books @parkbooksmd (Beth you are amazing!!) and the Severna Park Library @aacpl, which has got to be one of the cheeriest places on earth! We talked about the power of poetry to tackle big feelings, how our disabilities inform our art, and our hopes for middle grade going forward – more diverse stories and more time in the school day for kids to read them. We also answered insightful questions from young readers in the audience who are also writers – watch out world these stories are coming soon!!!

You can grab signed copies of our books with swag from Park Books online and in person – all my gratitude for this wonderful indie and their support of middle grade literature. And Meg and I are both booking visits for the 2025-26 school year. Meg is in Maryland so reach out to her now, and I’ll be back here in March so please reach out to my rad agents at @hownowbooking if you’d like schedule a visit during that trip.

I hope you have a wonderful day and find a fabulous book to dive into!!!

Signed books available at Park Books:

❤️ VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T.

❤️ FREE PERIOD

❤️ THE GIRL IN THE WALLS

❤️ GOOD DIFFERENT

Middle Grade Book Party with Taylor Tracy!
Dear Reader Bookstore, Wyckoff, NJ
September 13, 2025 – 3-5pm

My heart is so full! A huge, cheering thank you to Allie the owner of Dear Reader @dearreaderbookstore for the best book party ever! It was such an honor to celebrate the launch of VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. and PASTA GIRLS with Taylor Tracy @taylortracywrites at this fabulous indie. We had a packed house to talk books, win prizes, and make crafts. All the kids did such an amazing job creating bracelets and sewing their very own goat-ready-with-me headbands. Thank you so much to Caroline, Juliet, and Tina for running the show today and making sure everyone was included in the fun. And excuse me but can you even handle those ravioli that Taylor crocheted?!??! Too cute!! Friends, if you are looking for signed copies of books from me and Taylor, I hope you will buy them from this jewel of a shop either online or in person!! It is on Main Street in Wyckoff, New Jersey with books for all ages and gifts like stationary and plushies. The store is so beautifully curated and displayed I guarantee you’ll find something you love.

Brooklyn Book Signings
September 2025

I had the best time signing books in Brooklyn this weekend!!! I hope you will get a copy of my tween comedies VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. and FREE PERIOD with swag from one of these fabulous stores!!

❤️ The Bookmark Shoppe – a huge goat, a huge uterus, and a huge thank you for supporting my middle grade stories!! Just look at that book stack. Oh my author heart! And they have an amazing yarn selection so you can crochet your own cuties. I got a new metallic skein in my continuing quest to crochet a disco ball. Can’t wait to go back! @thebookmarkshoppe

❤️ McNally Jackson Downtown Brooklyn – I love every location of this iconic store, but the book wall downtown has my whole heart. Just walking in there makes my brain feel good. And the kids rooms upstairs are so cozy and beautifully curated!! @mcnallyjackson

❤️ WORD Brooklyn – Everyone was so wonderful and happy and shout out to all the people on the sidewalk talking about how cute Babette is. Yes!!!! And she is even cuter in the book 😉 Now I love both this store and the one in Jersey City. @wordbookstores

I will be back in Brooklyn for a library event this fall – details coming soon. Until then I wish everyone happy shopping and wonderful reads!!

North Jersey Book Signings
September 2025

This week I got to visit three of my all-time favorite bookstores and sign copies of VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. (and even of few copies of Garden State Teen Book Award Nominee FREE PERIOD!!). If you’re in North Jersey, I hope you will stop by one of these fantastic stores to get your copy with swag – they all have beautifully curated children’s sections so you are sure to find something you love. And we can never leave [words] without loading up on amazing stationary too so prepare yourselves!

⭐ Babette at the GWB – stunning, truly an icon

⭐ [words] Bookstore in Maplewood in a center display. I still can’t get over it! Dream come true ❤️❤️❤️ @wordsbookstore

⭐ The Collective Bookstore in Verona – certified coziness by the fireplace and you cannot miss their magical children’s room. So special! @collectivebookstore

⭐ Watchung Booksellers in Montclair – I love the kids store and it is on the same block as the grownup store so you can show for the entire family! @watchungbooksellers

And the book! It is Ted Lasso for tweens! Publishers Weekly gave it a star!! Two girls witness the world’s cutest goat mascot get stolen! Then they assemble a ragtag group of students to find her, steal her back, and truly set her free. Get ready to laugh out loud from start to finish in this heist comedy that centers friendship and bodily autonomy!! @simonkids

Books of Wonder Launch Signing
August 2025

Huge thank you to @booksofwonder for having me and the Babettes in for a signing visit. I am so grateful for your support and for all you do for children’s literacy!!! Signed copies of VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. (and a few of FREE PERIOD too!) are available for in-store and online shopping. Adorable swag packs are included while supplies last.

⭐ Ted Lasso for tweens
⭐ the world’s cutest goat
⭐ a hilarious heist
⭐ first dance vibes
⭐ diner deliciousness
⭐ empowering bodily autonomy
⭐ elite fart jokes, now and forever

ISBN 9781665960489 in hardcover, audio, and ebook from Aladdin / @simonkids. Cover illustration by Laura Catrinella, jacket design Tiara Iandiorio.

Psst if you’re shopping in person, don’t miss the Sweet Cats Cafe down the block – we love their character ice creams and boba, and this time Babette got to visit their Labubus. I feel like she’d be besties with them for sure.

American Library Association Annual Conference
Philadelphia, PA
June 26-30, 2025

Home after the best weekend ever learning from and chatting with librarians about all the books!!! Thank you @americanlibraryassociation for an incredible conference. I am in awe of the scale and quality of the programming this weekend and feel like I didn’t even scratch the surface of what was on offer. And thank you @ssedlib @simonkids for sharing VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T., my middle grade heist comedy launching on August 26, with thousands of librarians at this amazing event. I squealed when I saw the book at the wonderful booth!! Now I am a teensy bit biased 😉 but my favorite part of the conference was our sports and social change panel with @take_me_awayyy of @harriscountypl moderating (check out that photo of Nikki with the huge Babette!!) and a few of my favorite authors @beckererine (CRUSHING IT – available now!), @authoremilydeibert (BEA MULLINS TAKES A SHOT – available now!), and @amarshahism (WISH I WAS A BALLER, illustrated by @rashad.doucet – August 5 launch!). It was amazing to be conversation with this wonderful team and to hear directly from librarians about the importance of sports literature to their readers and their wonderful ideas to use sports stories to bring athletes back to the novel. Message me if you missed out on swag, and I’ll drop some in the mail. You can also grab our handouts, including printables for displays, on the conference app and I’ll get them on my linktree this week. Check out my ALA stories highlight for more shenanigans and photos – I still can’t believe how many people I got to meet! Feeling so full of book joy and the fight for our freedom to read!!!

Brooklyn Public Library – Saratoga Branch with the Cycle Alliance
June 11, 2025

Thank you so much to Young Adult Librarian Lanisha LeBlanc-Wright, the Saratoga Branch, and the Brooklyn Public Library’s Cycle Alliance for inviting me to talk about FREE PERIOD and how we can create change through crafting and other activities we already love to do in life. I am in awe of how this period equity program has expanded under the leadership of Rakisha Kearns-White to provide period products, education, and a place for tweens and teens to organize and advocate for change. It sounds like they have big plans for the fall so definitely check them out if you’re in Brooklyn or if you’re looking for inspiration on how your library can take action to break down period stigma and shame!

School Library Journal Day of Dialog
May 22, 2025

Thank you so much to School Library Journal and our fabulous moderator Brandi Grant, Teacher-Librarian, Frisco ISD (TX), for an amazing Day of Dialog panel. Anyone who registered will be able to watch a replay – the title is A Missing Goat, A Murder Mystery, and More Than a Few Surprises. And please check out these fabulous authors and their upcoming titles – I felt so energized and ready to write after our conversation!!

⭐️ Brandy Colbert, Let’s Get Together @brandycolbert

⭐️ Karina Yan Glaser, The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli @karinaisreadingandwriting

⭐️ Chris Grabenstein, Ms. Pennypickle’s Puzzle Quest @chrisgrabenstein

⭐️ Jennifer A. Nielsen, The Free State of Jax @nielsenwriter

⭐️ Ali Terese, Vote for the G.O.A.T.

Rhode Island Library Association Annual Conference
Kingston, RI
May 22, 2025

Middle Grade Book Party with Anna Staniszewski and Amar Shah
Charter Books in Newport, RI
May 22, 2025

Thank you so much to the Rhode Island Library Association for an incredible conference and to Melissa for hosting Amar Shah @amarshahism and me during our panel on navigating friendships through middle grade literature where I presented VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. (August 26, 2025 – Aladdin) and FREE PERIOD (out now – Scholastic). We had a fabulous discussion in session about the need for more tween / upper mg / young teen books and the challenges of organizing these books in libraries when readers no longer want to visit the children’s room but aren’t ready for the full teen section. I feel so lucky as an author to hear these on-the-ground experiences from librarians. Also very thankful to them for giving the book mermaids new homes 😉

I feel like I’ve known Amar for decades but this was actually our first time meeting in person!! He brings all that warmth, heart, and fun that you’ve read in the PLAY THE GAME series to his presentation. And getting to hear him share the absolutely wild details of his upcoming middle grade memoir WISH I WAS A BALLER (illustrated by @rashad.doucet ) was such a treat. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids with Shaq!!!!!! Kids are going to love this book so much.

And thank you to Charter Books for hosting us in Newport!! I have always loved this gorgeous store as a reader so it was such a treat to visit as an author. We even got to sign the wall. Dream come true! Visit the store for signed copies of our books!

You can find the booklist we created with the incredible kidlit author Anna Staniszewski @anna.staniszewski and a G.O.A.T. lesson on friendship on the Resources page of my author website. Also, Anna, Amar, and I are all booking 2025-2026 visits now through How Now Booking @hownowbooking 🥳

Finally I got to show Babette some of Meg’s favorite places in Narragansett! If you read G.O.A.T. you’ll see this is where Meg recovers from an injury and starts to think there might be more to life than playing sports 24/7. The Ocean State has my whole heart!

Maryland and Delaware Library Associations Annual Conference
Ocean City, MD

Authors in Bloom with Meg Eden Kuyatt, Heather Murphy Capps, & Sydney Dunlap
Caprichos Books in Ocean Pines, MD
May 9, 2025

Thank you so much to the Maryland @mla.mdlib and Delaware Library Associations for an incredible conference. I learned so much in the sessions and loved presenting with superstars @meden_author @sydneydunlapwrites and @hmcwrites on using middle grade literature to spur intergenerational conversations. You can find the lesson I created on this issue for VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. on my Resources page along with the FREE PERIOD in action handout I discussed during our panel. Huge thank you to @caprichosbooks for being the most welcoming and fun store which hosted us for a four author singing this afternoon. The huge Babette and Tamp loved it so much they live there now. Check out my MD/DE highlights for all the shenanigans and links to buy signed copies at the store. Love you Ocean City! Can’t wait to come back!!
#voteforthegoat #aliterese #freeperiod #mglit @scholastic @simonkids @ssedlib

Texas Library Association Annual Conference
Dallas, TX
April 1-4, 2025

Thank you Texas librarians!! @txla_1902 @yartxla for an incredible TLA experience from speed-pitching to signings to our fantastic panel on kidlit and activism! I felt so welcomed and left with my heart full of hope! In awe of everything you’re doing for young readers. I am so grateful to you for including FREE PERIOD in the Lone Star list and sharing your experiences with the book with me! I hope you will love VOTE FOR THE G.O.A.T. my middle grade heist comedy launching on August 26 with Aladdin / Simon & Schuster! Please feel free to reach out for any additional info on how my books are used in libraries.

Cycle Alliance Period Party at the Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Heights Branch
March 18, 2025 – 4-5pm

World Read Aloud Day
Virtual
February 5, 2025

Miami Book Fair with the National Book Foundation
Miami, FL
November 22-23, 2024

My heart is full after celebrating the power of stories with @nationalbookfoundation, amazing readers, and my fellow nominees this weekend at the @miamibookfair! All the shenanigans are in my Instagram Miami highlights and here is a recap:

⭐ First up was the 2024 Teen Reads– Miami emceed by @johnniexmas who led us in a wonderful discussion and then students who read books by @erinentrada @authorangelashante @violetduncan @rantingowl @authorjoshgalarza and moi asked their own questions. They were so good, covering everything from narrative choices to personal connections to the texts to concerns over whether authors will change the way they right in response to the book bans.

⭐ Then it was a celebration dinner organized by Natalie Green at @thebetsyhotel which is a huge supporter of the arts and literature in particular (they have a residency there so check it out writing friends!) in beautiful Miami Beach.

⭐ Finally, Ruth Dickey, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation, led 24 honorees (including @2024debuts @by.rebecca.boyle!) in a rapid-fire read and response that left me in complete awe of the stunning writing in this year’s books.

⭐ And making sure there were books everywhere was the fabulous indie bookstore @booksandbooks – check out their IG page for some behind-the-scene shots of how they managed thousands and thousands of books for this start-studded week-long event. You can get signed copies from lots of the authors on their online store now or by stopping in! That includes FREE PERIOD 😉

💅 Last, but certainly not least, please tell me how much you love the huge crochet cuterus uterus in her longlist pageant sash.

Thank you so much to the entire team at the National Book Foundation, the Miami Book Fair, Books & Books, the amazing team of fair volunteers, and the sponsors who support the arts and the freedom to read that made it all possible for this once-in-a-lifetime experience!!!

CRAFTIVISM: Teen Crafts and Activism for Period Action Day with Rachel E. Gross and Rakisha Kearns-White
Brooklyn Public Library – Kings Bay Branch
October 10, 2024

Thank you so much to the Brooklyn Public Library for hosting me and Rachel E. Gross, author of VAGINA OBSCURA (she signed my copy ahhhhh!), for Period Action Day!! Here we are with Rakisha Kearns-White who in addition to leading the Kings Bay Branch is also the founder of Cycle Alliance, a period equity program within the library system. BIG NEWS! Rakisha was recently recognized with a grant to share the Cycle Alliance work with even more patrons!! For all my librarian friends, this is an amazing example of libraries leading the way to address period needs and education – I hope you can connect with Rakisha to learn more!! Today was a super fun tween and teen crafting program for friendship bracelets, pads-for-all postcards, and bookmarks to share the period equity message. Pads and tampons are never luxuries – they’re not different from toilet paper and soap and should be provided at no cost in all public bathrooms. Reminder, you can find all the craft activities, lesson plans, and discussion guides for free at aliterese.com.

Glen Rock Children’s Book Festival
Glen Rock, NJ
October 5, 2024

Thank you so much to @thecuriousreader and @glenrockguild, the volunteers, and all the readers for an amazing festival day!! It was wonderful to chat about books in all that fall sunshine. We even had a little @2024debuts reunion in the tent with @taylortracywrites @mo_netz and @downing_waugh 🙌🙌🙌 and I was lucky to share a table with @katzhangwriter!! If we missed you today you can order books through The Curious Reader website!

California Reading Association 57th Annual Conference
October 4, 2024

Thank you so much to the California Reading Association for including FREE PERIOD, my middle grade comedy about friendship and period equity, in your annual conference! I am so grateful for the chance to speak with Virginia Loh-Hagan (BORN READING), Idris Goodwin (YOUR HOUSE IS NOT JUST A HOUSE), Natasha Tripplett (THE BLUE PICKUP), and there in spirit Lauren Emmons (NO CATS IN THE LIBRARY) . Check out my stories for links to their books! For anyone who wants to learn more about FREE PERIOD please check out aliterese.com and the Resources page for lesson plans, discussion guides, and activities. Thank you for all you do to connect young readers with our stories!

Columbus Book Festival
Columbus Library Main Branch
July 13-14, 2024

Thank you so much to @columbusbookfestival, @columbuslibrary, the team of staff and volunteers, and the incredible readers for a wonderful weekend!! This is such an amazing book city!! I had a great time chatting about FREE PERIOD, visiting all the festival bookstores to confirm my Cutuerus Uterus Crew fancasting lol (you can now get signed copies at the stores!), and my TBR is now a mile long. If you are ever in the area please visit this library – it is absolutely stunning and put together in a way that made me want to borrow everything. And if you are an author definitely add the festival to your ‘25 list and keep an eye out for when applications open this fall. Sharing a couple of pics here but you can find all the shenanigans in my Columbus highlights on Instagram.

Meet the Author & Craft Party!
Growing Minds Bookstore – Catonsville, MD
June 15, 2024

I met Jen from Growing Minds Bookstore in Maryland at a NAIBA/NEIBA booksellers retreat and have loved following her work online so I jumped at the chance to visit in person for a period product drive she is hosting to support The Childrens Home! The store is absolutely adorable, cozy, and welcoming with comfy places to read, a café room where we held the event, a fantastic middle grade selection, and even a case for books written by kids! Imagine having your story in a real bookstore when you were little?! We chatted about FREE PERIOD, my middle grade comedy centering period equity with @scholastic, how to keep going as a writer even when it means being brave enough to start a story over!, made bracelets, bookmarks, and postcards, and even gave out a few crochet uteruses 😉 You can get signed copies of FREE PERIOD with swag at the store now and check out downtown Catonsville just outside of Baltimore while you’re there for the public art, restaurants, and shopping! If you walk around with a guitar you will not be the only one in this town dubbed Music City! And the biggest thank you ever to Jessica Ricole – you know her as the fabulously talented graphic novelist whose MAGIE AND THE SOULES hits selves in 2025 from Andrews McMeel, but I also am so lucky to know her as a super supportive writing friend.

The Bronx Book Festival
Fordham Plaza – Bronx, NY
June 8, 2024

Thank you so much to the Bronx Book Festival for an amazing day together! It was incredible to hear how Nashae Jones and Mo Netz create literature for children – their middle grade stories are fun and funny, thrilling, and emotional. Exactly the kinds of books kids want to read for the summer! And our moderator Genee and all the volunteers were so welcoming! I also got to see authors in person whose books I’m super excited for or already love!! Below are some of their MG and YA reads to add to your TBR.

Launching this Tuesday so get ready to celebrate:
⭐ The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin (check out her partner’s t-shirt – I was howling!)
⭐ The Cookie Crumbles by Alechia Dow and Tracy Badua (Knives Out x British Bake-off for MG readers – take all my money)

Out now:
⭐ Courtesy of Cupid by Nashae Jones
⭐ The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines by Mo Netz
⭐ Free Period by moi
⭐ Bite Me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho
⭐ Forgive Me Not by Jennifer Baker
⭐ True True by Don P. Hooper
⭐ Curveball by Pablo Cartaya and Miguel Diaz Rivas

And thank you to Schoalstic for being out in front on periods, in this case with an advertisement for FREE PERIOD on the schedule. I may have screamed that’s my book when I saw it LOL

Finally I got rainbow cookies. And I already ate them all. Plus an olive loaf. Yes my stomach hurts. Yes it was worth it. Happy weekend friends!!

Period Poverty Awareness Week Kickoff Event with free. Hingham
St. John the Evangelist in Hingham, MA
May 19, 2024

Today starts Period Poverty Awareness Week and this year’s theme is Period Supplies Are School Supplies. Which is also the theme of my debut novel FREE PERIOD, out now from @scholastic, a comedy where a couple of besties fight to get maxi-pads into their school bathrooms and more generally help everyone have fun and get more comfortable talking about menstruation. So of course I was thrilled to attend the @free.period.ministry (they’ve distributed nearly a million period products over the last few years!!) kickoff with the real life students, nurses, non-profits, legislators, advocates, and suppliers doing this work every day.

If you are from Massachusetts, please go to @massnow to find out how you can take a simple action today to get your state’s school period product bill passed this year – it has passed your senate but your reps need to hear from you to get it out of committee and to the house floor for a vote.

Thank you so much to Kenzie Blackwell of @free.period.ministry for bringing us all together in a day of conversation, community building, and action to get everyone the period products they need, to my fabulous conversation partner @thecreativeconfidant for your thoughtful questions, and to the other speakers and panelists – you are such an inspiration:
⭐️ Free. Student Ambassadors
⭐️ Naitasia Hensey, Mass NOW
⭐️ Kerry Carter, Hope & Comfort
⭐️ Mary Ellen Duggan, Northborough / Southborough Schools
⭐️ Ellen Cynar, Unicorn
⭐️ Rep. Joan Meschino (3rd Plymouth)

If you are not in Massachusetts, check out @periodsupplies to find local groups in your area that you can get involved with. And if you are a parent please ask your kids what is actually happening in their schools. Often getting a law passed is just the beginning as students have to keep advocating for products to actually be stocked.

Brooklyn Public Library Period Party!
Brooklyn Heights Library Branch, Brooklyn, NY
May 14, 2024

I was beyond lucky to visit Teen Time at the Brooklyn Public Library in Brooklyn Heights today. We chatted about FREE PERIOD, my middle grade comedy from @scholastic about a couple of chaos monsters fighting to get maxi-pads into all school bathrooms, confirmed that 8th grade senioritis is REAL and here in mid-May, had an incredible discussion about what is happening on the ground in schools with students making plans to advocate for the products that are supposed to be in their school bathrooms but are not stocked, and most importantly if you asked cheese connoisseurs Helen and Gracie from the book—made crafts and ate really good pizza.

The library creating this space for discussion, making a period pantry available to tweens and teens, and just having products out for people to see is an incredible example of normalizing and de-stigmatizing periods. I’m really in awe of what Shamima Sharmin is doing at this branch and how all the Brooklyn librarians in the Cycle Alliance are making such a huge difference and encourage you to check it out!

Also for my Brooklyn friends, I’m sharing a slide with information on the Center for Anti-Violence Education’s PACT Activist (their youth program) menstrual product drive if you’d like to donate. More to come on their great work soon.

We’re half way through Menstrual Health Awareness Month – hope you are finding this a helpful time to get the care and support you deserve!

Possible Futures Bookstore – Reading, Signing, & Crafting!
New Haven, CT
May 5, 2024

Have you ever seen the Cuterus Uterus Crew looking so classy? Walking into @possiblefuturesbooks is like arriving at your most welcoming friend’s home where they have the best taste in books and a super chill, super adorable dog. I am so lucky to have spent the day sharing FREE PERIOD, my middle grade comedy about period equity out now from @scholastic, with Lauren and the incredible store community in New Haven, CT. We book talked, crafted together, fixed Tamp’s eye, made new friends, and discussed periods, including what is happening in our schools. Thank you so much to Dr. Marian Evans for getting period panties for everyone (!!!), discussing product options and sustainability, and all you’re doing to break down stigma and create period justice. Thank you to @rhondaroumani – we finally got a signed copy of her fantastic MG debut TAGGING FREEDOM (you can order a signed copy from the store!) and @lilo_thelostprincess for your support – I love your page!! Everyone’s bracelets, bookmarks, and “pads for all” postcards were so creative, and seeing the kids work together is the real magic. Follow @possiblefuturesbooks for their upcoming events! My heart is full, and my entire family fell in love with this store. Drop loved it so much that she lives there now. Can’t wait to go back. Happy Menstrual Health Awareness Month friends!!!

Hudson Children’s Book Festival
Hudson, NY
May 4, 2024

Thank you Hudson Children’s Book Festival @hudson_cbf, your amazing volunteers, and all the wonderful readers for such a special day chatting about FREE PERIOD, my laugh out loud middle grade story about period equity from @scholastic, and spinning the Wheel of Weird. See my story highlights under HCBF for all the shenanigans. Save the date on May 3, 2025 for the next festival! In the meantime, @spottydogbooks is an incredible indie to visit – I could have spent all day in there!! @hudsonarealibraryny is such a welcoming library and literally looks like a castle. And the views all over were breathtaking! I’m already planning a return trip to see Olana this summer 👩‍🎨🖼️🎨

The Uterus Goes to Washington

Happy Menstrual Health Awareness Month! Periods are so important to me that I wrote a whole laugh out loud funny book about them for tweens called FREE PERIOD (out now from @scholastic) where a couple of chaos monsters fight to get maxipads in their school bathrooms and get everyone more comfortable talking about the issue. If you’re in Washington, DC, you can now get signed copies with swag at these fabulous independent bookstores – I am so grateful to them for being out in front on periods:

📚 East City Bookshop @eastcitybookshop
📚 Solid State Books @solidstatedc
📚 Kramers @kramerbooks
📚 Busboys & Poets @busboysandpoets

No matter where you live, you can call the congressional switchboard at (202) 224-3121, ask to speak to your representative, and let them know you support the Menstrual Equity for All Act, legislation introduced by Rep. Grace Meng to take a “whole-of-government approach to combat period poverty and improve access to menstrual products.”

In real life, the student-led movement for menstrual equity is bringing menstruation out of the shadows and showing it is a normal part of daily life that we have to deal with to get equal access to education. But whether you have what you need largely depends on where you live, and you know who doesn’t care about your zip code? The uterus! It is going to shed that lining whether your local school board thinks pads are a “luxury” or an essential part of bathroom care just like the toilet paper and soap already provided in public bathrooms. Calling your rep is a meaningful, quick, and free action you can take today to support these students.

Interview with Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist Samantha Antonietti of Core Dynamics

I couldn’t have picked my pelvic floor out of a line up when I was younger, so I am definitely including in discussions now that I’m a parent. For Menstrual Health Awareness Month, I wanted to learn more about how the pelvic floor relates to periods and was thrilled to get the chance to talk to Dr. Samantha Antonietti PT, DPT, CAPTCC, SFMA, FMS (@sam_coredynamicspt) with Core Dynamics Physical Therapy (@coredynamicsphysicaltherapy) in Englewood, NJ. She told me that having pain or difficulty using tampons can sometimes be a sign of pelvic floor issues and something a therapist can evaluate! This discussion is not medical advice, but is for informational purposes only.

Texas Library Association (TLA) 2024
San Antonio, TX
April 16-19, 2024

Thank you Texas Librarians for an amazing day in San Antonio!! I loved chatting with you about FREE PERIOD, my middle grade novel centering friendship and period equity, treating pads like the necessities they are, the absolute fact that yes you can make your own crochet uterus and I hope you tag me when you do, and using literature to show how kids can resolve conflict in fun and engaging ways! Make a batch of Tampretzels and chat it out together! Getting interviewed by Van was completely amazing sorry for just giggling the whole time LOL and I loved seeing so many author friends and celebrating their stories! The highlight was absolutely our panel moderated by Becky Calzada where I got to chat with Chris Barton and Crystal Allen!! I’m so grateful to the Texas Library Association and Scholastic for this wonderful opportunity to share my debut novel.

The Book & Nook – FREE PERIOD Signing and Crafting!
24 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Warwick, NY 10990
April 6, 2024

Thank you so much to @thebookandnook in Warwick, NY for a wonderful afternoon of periods, books, and crafting! Candace has created such a welcoming and beautifully curated space that I could have spent all day in there! Stop by to grab a signed copy of FREE PERIOD, my middle grade debut centering friendship and period equity from @scholastic, along with an indie swag pack full of stickers, recipe cards, bookmarks, and a bracelet while supplies last. You can also find some of my all-time middle grade faves on their shelves like LEI AND THE FIRE GODDESS by @maliamaunakea and COURTESY OF CUPID by @nashae.jones. And there is probably no way you’re walking out of there without buying a sticker because there are so many fun ones. Check out their full event listings on the store website, especially Independent Bookstore Day on April 27 when Barbara Dee will be reading and signing her new book UNSTUCK! There is so much to do in Warwick now that spring is coming from the drive-in movie theater to shopping to hiking to multiple candy shops including this black dirt onion chocolate that was an absolute must and turned out delish! Make a day of it!

Books of Wonder Great Middle Grade Reads
Virtual via Crowdcast
March 23, 2024

Huge thank you–like a three-foot-tall-crochet-uterus-size thank you–to Rosalind and the whole team at @booksofwonder for such a lively and fun discussion of new middle grade titles today:
⭐ FREE PERIOD by moi out now from @scholastic
⭐ GUT REACTION by @kirbylarson and @quinn.wyatt
⭐ THE PARTITION PROJECT by @saadiafaruqi
⭐ COYOTE LOST AND FOUND by @dangemeinhart
We chatted about everything from inspiration, fave and difficult characters, balancing humor with tough issues, to advice for young writers who want to tell their own stories. Watch a replay on the store’s Crowdcast channel and order signed copies of all the books either in-store or online. I’ll add the link in my stor!es. You can find the activities I discussed on the Resources page of aliterese.com – check it out for free lessons, crafts, and other smart shenanigans. You can also use the Contact page there to request a free 20-minute virtual Q&A if your class or club decides to read FREE PERIOD. Enjoy the rest of the weekend friends!

Children’s Book World Virtual Visit
Virtual via Crowdcast
March 13, 2024

Teacher and librarian friends! I’m thrilled to share this recorded conversation led by the amazing Brein Lopez, manager @cbwchildrensbooks and champion for literature!!!, featuring FREE PERIOD by moi and GUT REACTION by Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt. Link in b!o and stor!es 🙂 Loved chatting about how fun books tackling tough issues like periods and chronic illness can make readers feel less alone, develop empathy for others, and use their own voices in their personal lives and as part of collective action for change. You can find the Conflict & Empathy Lesson I discussed on the Resources page of aliterese.com along with lots of free discussion guides and activities. And you can use the Contact page there to reach out about scheduling a free virtual Q&A about FREE PERIOD for your library, class, or club.

Finally a huge thank you to @caliba_20 where I was lucky enough to meet Brein Lopez and @pacificnwbooksellers where I met Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt (and got a signed copy of their amazing book!) for creating community and making these connections between booksellers and authors so we can share more stories with young readers!!!

International Women’s Day Signing Tour
Various Cities
March 6-10, 2024

The giant crochet cuterus uterus went on a road trip to celebrate International Women’s Day and the launch of FREE PERIOD, my middle grade novel of friendship and period equity available now from @scholastic. It began at the Judy Blume Rest Stop as all magical quests should and somehow kept getting better and better before ending in New York’s stunning Hudson Valley. See the Road Trip in my highlights for all the shenanigans.

Everyone has a right to period care that includes the minimum of safe and effective products, access to bathrooms, menstruation education, and healthcare. We deserve to talk about these issues without shame or stigma. Even better if we can find some joy and laughs. Which is where my romp of a book & three-feet of floof come in. Carrying around a giant uterus may rival a plate of Maxi-Pad Cupcakes as a great conversation starter.

I’m so thankful to everyone who talked periods with me and the incredible independent booksellers taking a chance on two 8th grade chaos monsters who use their pranking powers for good with bestie banter, wildly weird crafts, and delightfully disgusting desserts. I hope you’ll grab a copy from your favorite indie or borrow it from your library (I will never get over the audio being on Hoopla!!). If you don’t have a fave store yet, below are some fantastic ones where you can get a signed copy with fun swag:

⭐ The Curious Reader – Glen Rock, NJ @thecuriousreader
⭐ McNally Jackson – New York, NY & Brooklyn, NY @mcnallyjackson
⭐ The Enoch Pratt Free Library & Dreamers Make Believers – Baltimore, MD (check with the Penn Ave library branch to see if there are any copies left!)
⭐ Books of Wonder – New York, NY @booksofwonder
⭐ WORD – Jersey City, NJ & Brooklyn, NY @wordbookstores
⭐ Children’s Book World – Haverford, PA @childrensbooksworld
⭐ The Little Boho Bookshop – Bayonne, NJ @littlebohobookshop
⭐ Books Are Magic – Brooklyn, NY @booksaremagicbk
⭐ Asbury Book Cooperative – Asbury Park, NJ @asbury_book_cooperative
⭐ Greenlight Bookstore – Brooklyn, NY @greenlightbklyn
⭐ Sleepy Hollow Bookshop – Sleepy Hollow, NY @sleepyhollowbookshop
⭐ Hudson Valley Books for Humanity – Ossining, NY @hudsonvalleybooksforhumanity

FREE PERIOD Book Launch with Writers LIVE!
Enoch Pratt Free Library at Pennsylvania Avenue
Baltimore, MD
March 5, 2024

Thank you so much to the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore Schools, Dreamers & Make-Believers booksellers, and Scholastic for making my launch day so special with school and library visits where copies of FREE PERIOD were donated to each young reader in attendance. Your generosity is just incredible! I was floored by the students’ discussions of FREE PERIOD and their thoughtful questions. And another huge thank you to my writing buddies for also coming out – Meg Eden Kuyatt @meden_author, the award-winning author of GOOD DIFFERENT with more fabulous books on the way, and Jessica Ricole @jessica.ricole, an incredibly talented author illustrator debuting with her graphic novel MAGIE AND THE SOULES in 2025, the first of many! I am so lucky that this was my second trip to Baltimore this year to present FREE PERIOD, and I can’t wait to go back!!

Radio & TV Tour
Virtual
March 4, 2024

I was thrilled to speak with Desiree Shepard on Your California Life about FREE PERIOD, my middle grade novel of friendship and period equity, and how we can use humor, heart, and friendship to get comfortable talking about periods and our care needs. Thank you so much @yourcalife and @desi_wins for being out in front about menstrual equity and including the topic in your celebration of Women’s History Month! Watch the interview here and find the links to all my radio and podcast interviews in my media kit!

FREE PERIOD Book Launch with Craftivism Workshop!
The Curious Reader
Glen Rock, NJ
March 3, 2024

Thank you so much to Chris, Cami, and everyone at The Curious Reader for an incredible book launch. It was amazing to chat friendship and periods, craft together, and sign books. They’re real books! That you can buy in a store! I still can’t believe it. And we had a literary miracle—there were enough crochet cuties for everyone to take one home. Squeeeeee! All my gratitude to the kids, their grown-ups, family, and friends who came out to support FREE PERIOD and me. My heart is full!! Will share more pics later this week. Oh and you can get signed copies of the book at The Curious Reader right now…and I left a glitter sticker for each one!

NAIBA and NEIBA Book Buyers Summit
Rhinebeck, NY
February 25-26, 2024

I spent the most amazing afternoon with booksellers in Rhinebeck to discuss FREE PERIOD (out next Tuesday on March 5!!!), how bookstores are breaking down stigma and helping create a future where period care is treated as a human right, and of course crafts!! Can you believe this little felt cutie kit?!?! And there were tampon themed vases?!?! It was like I walked into an actual dream. Thank you so much to Tracy and Sydney for putting together such fun felt and vase crafts and the working lunch 💕 And to @scholastic, @neibabooks, @naibabooksellers, and all the wonderful booksellers!!

Middle Grade Debut Panel hosted by Utopia State of Mind
Virtual
February 11, 2024

I had the best time chatting with Lili on her Utopia State of Mind Youtube channel along with some of my favorite middle grade authors to discuss what it is like to debut today:

COURTESY OF CUPID by Nashae Jones
THE CURSE OF THE EELGRASS BOG by Mary Averline
OLIVETTI by Allie Millington
DAUGHTERS OF THE LAMP by Nedda Lewers

We covered everything from our books, writing craft, paths to publication, as well as topics like difficult family situations and activism in children’s books. I love Lili’s incisive questions and enthusiasm for sharing literature with the world. Click on the event link to see a recording of this panel and follow her channel for all the upcoming events she has in 2024.

World Read Aloud Day (WRAD)
February 7, 2024

My first school visits! Ahhh! What an amazing day reading with students in Vermont, New York, Ohio, and Michigan. Look at that super cute graphic one of them made me! It was incredible to hear how much they picked up on after only a few pages of the book. Not only about the period issues, but also the relationships between the characters. And it was great to see what everyone loved their friendship bead bracelets and bookmarks that I send in the FREE PERIOD swag packs ahead of time. I am so grateful to the schools and non-profit after school programs for including me in their WRAD experiences and can’t wait to volunteer again next year.

ALA LibLearnX 2024
Baltimore, MD
January 19-22, 2024

I am home from ALA in Baltimore, and had such a great time! It was an amazing weekend of connecting with librarians and hearing how they are on the front lines of period equity along with so many other basic needs issues. They are truly the heart of our communities 💗 And yes of course I talked about maxi-pad cupcakes while everyone was eating and showed Ute tossing Drop to Maxi at pretend Camden Yards!

It was thrilling to see FREE PERIOD at the gorgeous Scholastic booth. Also thrilling to hear people negotiating over the 20 crochet cuterus uteruses I passed out. I hope everyone shares pictures of them in their new hometowns. And being supported by a Scholastic team that has put ending period shame front and center over and over again this past year made this all possible. THANK YOU!

Finally, I achieved Automatic Hero Status for bringing home art goodies from Jonathan and Booki. The spring line-up is truly amazing. There is a great group picture somewhere that I have to get! I’ve already mentioned on my Instagram how much I love all these books and you can see my grid for graphics and recommendations on all of them:

⭐ MEET ME ON MERCER STREET by Booki Vivat
⭐ ULTRAVIOLET by Aida Salazar
⭐ TIMID by Jonathan Todd
⭐ THE LIARS SOCIETY by Alyson Gerber

Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) 2023
Columbus
November 20-21, 2023

My heart is full after the ALAN Workshop, which stands for Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE, where I got to share FREE PERIOD and its period equity message with hundreds of teachers. And my TBR is now completely out of control!

First, we had an authors’ reception which was a bit of speed dating. Join a group of teachers for five minutes, pitch your book about chaos monsters and maxipads, chat about periods and other basic needs experiences, fling a crochet uterus into the middle of the table, and repeat. It was so much fun and meant I got to have personal connections with everyone from experienced teachers to those still in training.

Then there was the general session, including author panels, readings, and conversations. WOW. I’ve never seen anything like it – there were no concurrent sessions, you got to hear about ALL THE BOOKS. I was super lucky to present “Blossoming into Adolescence,” with Beth Shaum, the K-8 Librarian at St. Francis of Assisi School, and R.L. Toalson, the author most recently of THE FIRST MAGNIFICENT SUMMER. Do not miss any chance to talk with Beth—her questions taught me new things about my own book that I never considered before! And I loved being in conversation with R.L. as her story not only deals with a first period experience, but focuses on the central theme that we are enough, we are born magnificent, and worthy of love as human beings. I felt that over and over again through the presentations—how children’s literature can show us that we all matter and deserve to be heard—and am really excited for FREE PERIOD to be part of that movement.

Finally there were so many books—all the teachers get a box of books but they’re not all the same so there was intense swapping going on—I didn’t understand it all but it was fascinating to watch and now I wish I could go as an attendee! The workshop had even more than that going on – this is just what I saw from the author side!

Thank you so much to @thealanorg and @scholastic for this wonderful opportunity!! And happy 50th birthday!!

National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) 2023
Columbus
November 16-19, 2023

I had the most amazing morning at #NCTE23 meeting educators and loved hearing about how they’re breaking down period stigma! First up was a signing with Ann E. Burg whose next book is FORCE OF NATURE, illustrated by Sophie Blackall, a novel in verse about the life of Rachel Carson. You can see from the mini-review on my grid that I love this book! We were supported by the most amazing team from @scholastic throughout the conference. Lizette Serrano, Maisha Johnson, Katie Dutton, Daisy Glasgow, Jennifer Rivera, Sabrina Montenigro, and Meredith Wardell are the best!! I have to find a picture with Katie!

Then it was time for the Scholastic Literary Brunch emceed by Lizette and organized by Maisha. Yes I talked about maxipad cupcakes while everyone was eating and yes it was the best time ever 🙌🩸🧁😎 Ann and I joined Alan Gratz, HEROES: A NOVEL OF PEARL HARBOR, and Joanna Ho, WE WHO PRODUCE PEARLS, illustrated by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya. The review on my grid does not do this book justice – just get it on your TBR please. I’m even more in awe after hearing about Joanna’s writing process. And I can’t wait to read Alan’s latest historical and shout about it next!! Sounds like a story kids will love. Plus there was an intro video with more books on the topic of finding your voice that I can’t wait to read and share.

AASL 2023 Conference
Tampa
October 19-21

<

I had the most amazing time in Tampa meeting with school librarians at the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) 2023 conference. It is hard to put into words the excitement we shared over ending period stigma, and I am simply in awe of how they are able to help students through the library on this and other equity issues. First up was a signing with Perma-Bound who has one of my all-time favorite taglines: “The strongest books you can buy.” Grrrr! The entire team was so great, and we had a really fun time signing FREE PERIOD arcs, giving out friendship bead bracelets with phrases like pads-for-all, cuterus-uterus, squee!, and of course free-period, and chatting with librarians about how they’re planning to use the book in schools. Bonus: I met my “Fight Evil, Read Books” twin. Tampa it was meant to be!

Next was a panel on conflict in kidlit and how it can be addressed in respectful and engaging ways. Becky Calzada, the AASL president, Leander District Library Coordinator, and all around champion for the rights of children to read, Chris Barton, (GLITTER EVERYWHERE!, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat), and Kerry Cerra (HEAR ME) were amazing to work with in the months leading up to the panel and we had such an engaging discussion with the librarians in attendance on how literature can not only help kids feel seen, but also about how storytelling can help them resolve disputes. I put a lesson together on this topic that you can find here and will be highlighting Chris and Kerry’s books in my next newsletter. Can’t wait to work with Becky and Chris again at the Texas Library Association Conference scheduled for April.

Finally, it was a party at the Follett booth for my final event where I signed FREE PERIOD, learned about librarians leading period clubs and running basic need banks out of their spaces, and gave out a record number of Crochet Cuterus Uteruses. So thankful for Follett’s support and the way they are out in front on period equity. Inspiring!!

Attending AASL gave me such a better appreciation of the wonderful and challenging work our school librarians are doing to ensure students not only have access to great books, but also are developing the critical thinking skills necessary to understand and evaluate what they’re read. So much hope for the future!! And FREE PERIOD is available to order through Perma-Bound and Follett for your library or classroom right now!!

Debutiful Lunch at MPIBA
Denver, CO
10/4-7

The MPIBA Fall Con was an incredible experience. I talked with booksellers about how we can break down period stigma with humor and heart! Hearing that some stores are planning their own period parties and bracelet crafting events made my year!!! Thank you so much to the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association, their kind and expert volunteers, and Scholastic!!

At the Debutiful Lunch emceed by Adam Vitcavage I shared FREE PERIOD, one of my fave lines from the book about using what is unique about each of us to create change, and the message that advocacy doesn’t have to be fancy or formal, it can be fun…and full of maxi-pad cupcakes. My TBR is toppling after learning about so many exciting books at that event, including from fellow MG debut author Davaun Sanders whose novel KEYNAN MASTERS AND THE PEERLESS MAGIC CREW is out in a week (Oct. 17, 2023)!!!

I was lucky enough to spend time with RozHilden (and Paula!) on the floor and that is like taking a master class in books for young readers. Congrats on your retirement Roz but also don’t go lololol And I got to meet fellow Scholastic author Kazu Kibuishi. What? Yes! For real! Can’t wait to see how the Amulet adventure concludes in WAVERIDER (Feb. 6, 2024).

Authors Reception at NEIBA
Providence, RI
10/3-5

I had the most amazing time sharing FREE PERIOD at the New England Independent Booksellers Association Authors Reception!

It was so much fun to sign books, help crochet uteruses find new homes, and squeeee! with everyone as they picked out their favorite friendship bracelets. But what really floored me was to hear so many people share their enthusiasm for breaking down period stigma in fun and engaging ways.

Meeting these incredible booksellers dedicated to children’s literature gives me such hope for the future! As does this absolute rock star of a sales rep Nikki Mutch!!

Bonus: I got to meet fellow Scholastic authors Jonathan Todd (TIMID – 4/2/24) and Ann E. Burg (FORCE OF NATURE illustrated by Sophie Blackall – 3/5/24) and can’t wait to dive into their stories. Thank you so much to Nikki, the Scholastic team, and the New England Independent Booksellers Association for this wonderful opportunity!

Look at those gorgeous books and crochet uteruses! All gone by the end of the night!

Scholastic Lunch at CALIBA
South San Francisco, CA
9/27-9/28

My heart is full after California Independent Booksellers Alliance‘s Fall Fest where the booksellers celebrated Roz Hilden’s 30 year career with Scholastic! I am so thankful for her support and dedication to young readers, and for the chance to present FREE PERIOD during the Scholastic Lunch moderated by the incredibly generous and insightful Brein Lopez with Children’s Book World in West Los Angeles.

Can you believe this pic of amazing kidlit? Don’t miss these titles in the coming months:

⭐️ OKAY, CUPID by Mason Deaver (1/2/24) is a YA romance where a cupid breaks a big rule – they fall in love with a person! The voice is as incredible as the premise. I am loving it so much and can’t wait to finish reading.
⭐️ MEET ME ON MERCER STREET by Booki Vivat (4/2/24) follows a young artist as she navigates big changes in her friendships and community. It is full of fun, energy, and hope, and of course Booki’s amazing illustrations—I know middle grade readers everywhere will love it!
⭐️ ON THE TIP OF A WAVE written by Joanna Ho and illustrated by Catia Chien (10/31/23) is a stunning picture book that shares how Ai WeiWei has created art, often on a monumental scale, using everyday objects to help people feel the plight of our fellow human beings – a beautiful way to get young readers thinking of how their own art can make a difference in understanding each other and improving human rights.(Bonus: we got a sneak peek of WE WHO PRODUCE PEARLS written by Joanna Ho and illustrated by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya (4/16/24) – excited to read!!)

And of course there was all the bestie banter, wildly weird crafts, and delightfully disgusting desserts of FREE PERIOD as we discussed using humor to break down period stigma and fight for a future of menstrual equity. Yes, I talked about Maxi-Pad Cupcakes while everyone was eating again 😉

Thank you again to CALIBA and their super supportive volunteers, Scholastic, and Roz for this wonderful opportunity!

Period Equity at PNBA!!
Portland, OR
9/19-21/2023

Photo credit to Teagan Tigani

Dinner at the Kids Table was such a joy! I got to talk to a huge room full of incredible booksellers, librarians, and reviewers from the Pacific Northwest about FREE PERIOD and using humor to break down period stigma and work with people who are different from you to take action. Oh yes we connected over pranking for change, maxi pad cupcakes, and uteruses riding skateboards while everyone feasted on scrumptious pasta and garlic bread! A dream come true thanks to the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association and Scholastic. And bonus! Everyone who attended got a signed book, FREE PERIOD friendship bracelet, Maxi-Graham recipe card, and the Pads on Parade bookmark designed by Bev Johnson—all connected to fun activities that can be used to break the ice and extend the reading experience.

But it wasn’t just me! Lily Taliaferro who manages the Children’s Department at Eagle Harbor Book Co. on Bainbridge Island, WA was our fantastic emcee as these legends took the stage:

⭐ Suma Subramaniam – THE RUNAWAY DOSA
⭐ Rosanne Parry – A HORSE NAMED SKY
⭐ Nisi Shawl – SPECULATION
⭐ Ryan La Sala – BEHOLDER

And Nisi and Ryan brought down the house with a rendition of the Miss Mary Mack clapping game. It was all captured with photos by Teagan Tigani, the brilliant and hilarious Children’s Book Buyer at Queen Anne Book Company (hearing her and Chris talk about read alouds has totally changed the way I look at picture books!).

Huge thank yous to PNBA’s welcoming staff and volunteers, especially Aspen who got me through my first signing ever. And finally to Chris Satterlund, Scholastic’s district sales manager and the best book champion an author could hope for. Her kindness, enthusiasm, expertise, and humor made this an amazing experience.