What do you hope the MLAG conference achieves, and what are the highlights of the event?  The MLAG conference was designed to create a dialogue between writers of color and the major publishing houses; to address the educational needs of writers of color; and to expose educators, libraries, and the general public to the myriad of [...]

Do you own a small press? Bowker, the agency that assigns ISBNs (International Standard Book Number), wants to know what you think about having separate ISBNs for ebooks. As a small press owner,  here’s what I think: At the price of over $300 per 10 ISBNs, assigning separate ISBNs for ebooks that are identical to their print book [...]

From the supplemental material of my upcoming chapter book biography PEACEBUILDERS: DAISAKU IKEDA & JOSEI TODA, BUDDHIST LEADERS, check out the  kid-friendly version of Daisaku Ikeda’s 5 no nuke steps here: http://www.foresthillpublishing.com/peacebuilders/nonukes. LaVora www.mlavoraperry.com

This is the Chicago Open Book Program event that featured my middle grade novel Taneesha Never Disparaging about a fiesty urban Buddhist and 5th girl with bullying problems, December 12, 2010:   Click here to read the article. The students’ sign says “Victory Over Violence.” The interactive Victory Over Violence website  www.vov.com is all about this anti-violence youth initiative. LaVora www.mlavoraperry.com [...]

Got this from Twitter: http://mywritingsoftware.com/Blog/tabid/128/EntryId/51/The-14-Biggest-Mistakes-Even-Best-Selling-Writers-Make-courtesy-of-Joseph-Finder.aspx LaVora www.mlavoraperry.com

A few years ago when a well-known person died, editors sought writers to create a picture book about this person’s life.  Responding to an editor’s request, a friend of mine wrote a poignant story in few words and record time.  The person in this story wasn’t simply the iconic figure everyone knew. No. My friend wrote about a living, breathing [...]

Read all about it here: http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Personal-Picks-Best-of-2009/The-Best-Children-s-Books-of-2009-Chapter-Books/ba-p/1875;jsessionid=BC2FDFB10DB34FAE8757137B048F9737 Buy Sacred Mountain on BN.com. LaVora www.mlavoraperry.com

Read the media release about the upcoming Multicultural Literature Advocacy Group Conference in Mobile, AL March 19-21, 2010 here: http://www.prlog.org/10458076-multicultural-literature-advocacy-group-conference-to-level-playing-field-for-writers-of-color.html LaVora www.mlavoraperry.com

Finally, I’ve gotten a round to writing some long-overdue book reviews.  Check out my presses-hot reviews by scrolling down,  or click “newest posts” in the menu to the right, or select “Reviews” from the “Topics” category on the menu.  Whew! Now to get offline and be with my fam! LaVora www.mlavoraperry

Last year, in the course of about a week, I picked up about 200 children’s books, middle grade to young adult, from local library used book  sales. My kids and I have read most of the fiction titles. But yesterday, when I was looking through those I hadn’t read yet, I happened upon Bargain Bride by [...]

History, a loving father-daughter-tale, and clean, crisp illustrations all wrapped up in one beautifully written story–that’s what you get with Kelly Lyon Starlings One Million Men and Me. I was happy to see my local public library holding a few copies. In my opinion, this book about the 1995 Million Man March in Washington D.C. [...]

I really could have used Askhari Johnson Hodari Ph.D’s African Book of Names: 5,000+ Common and Uncommon Names from the African Continent had been available when I was choosing names for my three children. I knew I wanted African names for them and this handy volume would have definitely been a welcome edition to my library [...]

<P>Beautifully illustrated by Laura Jacobsen, Asma Mobin-Uddin’s A Party in Ramadan offers a warm glimpse into an annual holiday for those children who are unfamiliar with Islamic traditions, and an affirming contemporary read for Muslim children growing up amidst children who hold other beliefs. For the first time in her life, the engaging heroine, Leena, [...]

Neesha Memingers’ Shine Coconut moon is about a 15 year-old Punjabi American girl named Samara, or Sam. Sam’s mom, a clinical psychologist, has been estranged from her family for almost all of Sam’s life.  She’s raised Sam with no sense of cultural identity. Shine Cocount Moon opens the week of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Sam’s uncle, her [...]

Publishers Weekly gives debut author Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich a starred review for her young adult novel Eighth-Grade Superzero. Read the review here. LaVora www.mlavoraperry.com

What do you hope the Multicultural Literature Advocacy Group (MLAG) achieves?  Through advocacy for writers of color, we hope to expose, address, and combat the biases that exist within the publishing industry, to “level the playing field.” Through numerous workshops, conferences, etc., we hope to provide guidance and education for writers of color to improve the acceptability and, [...]

For details about my book events this weekend in Chicago, go here: http://www.mlavoraperry.com/meet#chicago LaVora www.mlavoraperry.com

I just posted a new contest by Amazon here: http://bookcover.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/tips-tools-for-the-kidlit-trade/ LaVora www.mlavoraperry.com

Dyahnne Alston is the founder of Sweetie’s Books/Sensations Publishing and of the Multicultural Literature Advocacy Group (MLAG). MLAG’s stated mission is “Ensuring that Minority Voices in Print are Heard.” MLAG’s first annual event takes place in Mobile Alabama Firday March 19 – Sunday, March 21. It’s an ambitious event with much to offer for both seasoned and new writers. [...]

I was very upset with Jeannine Garsee after I read Say the Word. The author made me care so deeply about 17 year-old protagonist Shawna Gallagher that when she (Shawna) made certain choices, I wanted to march right into her world (where, thanks to Garsee I uncomfortably lived for the day and a half it took me [...]

Have a tip to share related to writing and publishing children’s books? Know of a conference, group, website, editorial service,  publisher or agent seeking submission, guide book, or something else that can help kidlit writers do what they do? Please post it in the comment section here.  Please write a title for your comment in ALL CAPS. Thanks! -LaVora www.mlavoraperry.com [...]

From time to time, someone phones or emails me for advice on getting a book published. I’m still a new author myself. But I do know a few things. In this article I’m providing a little bit of the enormous amount of information I learned the sometimes painfully hard and expensive way. You may know [...]