Your November 2021 SCBWI Houston Newsletter |
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Upcoming Meeting: Monday, November 1 7-9 PM
Next Meeting: Monday, December 6 7-9 PM
Please join us on the first Monday of every month from 7-9 p.m. on Zoom until meetings are resumed at the Tracy Gee Community Center,
3599 Westcenter, Houston.
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This month:
December topic Coming Soon
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Yahoo Listserv has ended. STAY in the loop by joining the new listserv NOW.
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The listserv has proved to be a great way to keep in touch, start critique groups, announce good news, etc. With us not meeting in person in the near future, let's keep in touch virtually.
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Alda P. Dobbs' Barefoot Dreams of
Petra Luna Named to Bluebonnet list
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Congratulations once more to Houston SCBWI's Alda P. Dobbs! Named to the 2022-2023 Bluebonnet List, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna joins 19 other amazing books, including some by favorite Texas friends Kathi Appelt and Don Tate PLUS past Houston SCBWI Conference speaker Linda Sue Park. The Bluebonnet List is a program by the Texas Librarians Association to encourage reading in students in grades 3-6. Schools in Texas offer incentives for students who read these books.
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Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston, illustrated by Godwin Akpan. (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2021).
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Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs. (Sourcebooks Young Reader, 2021).
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Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero by Megan Hoyt, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. (Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2021).
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Becoming Muhammad Ali: A Novel by James Patterson & Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. (Jimmy Patterson Books, an imprint of Little Brown & Company, 2020).
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Billy Miller Makes a Wish by Kevin Henkes. (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2021).
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The Hungry Place by Jessie Haas. (Astra Young Readers, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2020).
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J.D. and the Great Barber Battle by J. Dillard, illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts. (Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House/Penguin, 2021).
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The Lion of Mars by Jennifer Holm. (Random House, an imprint of Penguin Random House Publishers, 2021).
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Long Lost by Jacqueline West. (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2021).
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Memoirs of a Tortoise by Devin Scillian, illustrated by Tim Bowers. (Sleeping Bear Press, 2020).
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Nightingale by Deva Fagan (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2021).
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No Place for Monsters by Kory Merritt (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, 2020).
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Once Upon a Camel by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by Eric Rohmann. (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2021).
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The One Thing You’d Save by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng. (Clarion, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing, 2021).
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Rock by Rock: The Fantastical Garden of Nek Chand by Jennifer Bradbury, illustrated by Sam Boughton. (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2021).
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Stella by McCall Hoyle. (Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2021).
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Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Don Tate. (Little Brown & Company, 2020).
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Twins by Varian Johnson, illustrated by Shannon Wright. (Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic, 2020).
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Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper. (Carolrhoda, an imprint of Lerner Publications, 2021).
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Willodeen by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Charles Santoso. (Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, 2021).
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Ellen Leventhal Announces Book Deal
Joni Sussman, publisher at Kar-Ben, has bought world rights to
Debbie's Song, by Ellen Leventhal. Natalia Grebtsova will illustrate the
picture book biography of Jewish singer/songwriter, Debbie Friedman,
with publication scheduled for spring 2023.
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OUTERSPACE
Adventure, Exploration, finding the new, and self discovery;
these have been a lot of the themes in the sci-fi genre of space.
All set in the awe inspiring grandeur of the seen and unseen universe.
During our creative time together, Yousef Balat (Houston IC) will be posting an inspiration board of different images of space, various planets and space vehicles
so we can all create our own final frontier.
(Illustrators and Writers both welcome)
from 10am - 11am central time
and be prepared to play with sci-fi environments among fellow creatives.
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'New Kid' by Jerry Craft reinstated by Katy ISD after controversial petition and review
The graphic novel petitioned by parents over alleged 'Marxist' and racially inflammatory content will return to shelves after a 10-day review.
In a statement, the district said the committee found no inappropriate
material in Craft’s graphic novel and that the author’s canceled speaking
event had been rescheduled. Inspired by Craft’s childhood experiences,
"New Kid" follows a Black seventh grader navigating life at a
predominantly white private school.
“Earlier this week, the review committee met and determined the appropriateness of the book, ‘New Kid,’” the statement read. “The reading material is already back on District library shelves and the virtual author visit [was] scheduled to take place on October 25 as part of the instructional day.”
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Tonya Ellis Signs
with literary agent,
Sara Megibow
of KT Literary
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Also see a fascinating and informative interview with Kristen Keisling on Tonya's IG Live show, Write This! to discuss her book deal and upcoming graphic novel.
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Speaking of, Meet Kristen Kiesling's illustrating partner for The Harrowing, Jen Hickman
Suggested by Kristen's agent, Jen Chen Tran of Bradford Literary Agency,
Seen above is a panel from The Harrowing, about a psychic teen who hunts potential killers, but then finds out her boyfriend is her next target. Release date fall 2024 by Abrams Amulet. Learn more about Kristen at her website here.
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Jennifer Mathieu's Newly Released Book Featured in Houston Chronicle |
For “Bad Girls” Mathieu didn’t set out to recast a classic. But she used S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders” as an inspiration and a point of reference for a story about youth, class and connection.
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SCBWI New Webinar:
Come Create Illustration Spreads: From Manuscript to Thumbnails.
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This webinar will take place on Thursday, November 4 at 1 pm Pacific Time (4 pm Eastern Time). It will be taught by Joe Cepeda, the award-winning illustrator of more than thirty books for children.
If you’d like to attend the workshop live, you can register starting Monday, November 1 by clicking here.
If you can’t attend the live workshop, a video recording of the event will be placed on the SCBWI website by 1 pm PACIFIC TIME the following day and will remain up for one month. If you do not plan to attend live, there is no need to register in advance. The video recording will be available to all current SCBWI members here.
For more information on our free digital workshop series,
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11/13/2021
9:30 am - 11:00 am
Zoom link will be added to this event page the morning of the meeting.
Calling all picture book WRITERS. That’s right, writers, who have a way with words but maybe not with pictures. To make sure your picture book really works, you should make a dummy (a rough sample of the actual book). But what to do if you can’t draw? Learn the basic rules of illustration and how to evoke movement, emotion, and personality using basic line and color with author Meredith Davis and illustrator Emma Virján. Emma successfully taught Meredith the skills she needed to make a dummy, and now they’ll share their process, tip and tricks with you.
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Austin Chapter Workshop:
Come Create Powerful Pro Presentations
Thursday, Nov. 11, 3pm
Registration opens Nov 8
Avoid death by PowerPoint and put some boom in your zoom! Is your PowerPoint putting your audiences to sleep? Are your Zoom viewers tuning out instead of tuning in? Avoid Zoom Zone-Out and Death by PowerPoint by learning new tips and tricks to make your presentations visually and emotionally engaging.
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November 18, 7-8:15 pm
SCBWI members: $15
Non-SCBWI: $25
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15 Ways Authors Support Each Other on Social Media |
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Writing is a solitary job by nature, but for many authors it has felt especially isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic, which removed pivotal avenues for book promotion (and mingling with readers and fellow authors) by reducing bookstore foot traffic and eliminating in-person events.
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In the past few years, advertising via BookBub Ads and other display ad platforms has become an increasingly important part of many authors’ book marketing plans, but getting started with ad campaigns can be a daunting experience.
To help guide authors who are dipping their toes into digital advertising for the first time, we interviewed four authors who created their very first BookBub Ads campaigns earlier this year. We’re sharing their experiences in a four-part series, where they each discuss why they decided to start running BookBub Ads, what resources they used to set themselves up for success, how they set up their first campaigns, and everything they learned along the way!
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Contest for MG Mystery Novels |
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The institute of Children's Literature says it's time to lure them in with the first pages of your mystery novel for middle grade readers. This contest is your chance to write a fiction mystery first page for kids ages 8-12 years old. It can be funny or ominous or somewhere in between. Entries for this contest will include a one-sentence book summary followed by no more than 1,000 words from the beginning of your book. (Book summary sentence not included in first pages word count. The full manuscript does not need to be finished in order to enter.) Your first page should be previously unpublished.
DEADLINE: November 15, 2021
Click here for more details.
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The Future of School Author Visits |
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SCBWI Indie Support
SCBWI is happy to announce the launch of new member benefits to support authors and illustrators who publish their books independently. Your SCBWI membership now gives you access to resources to help distinguish reputable self-publishers from the scams; new publications that discuss self-publishing tools, technologies, and marketing practices; a self-publishing guidebook that will be out this fall; grants and awards for self-published books and more!
Check out the full list of benefits HERE.
If you’d like to receive ongoing notification about SCBWI’s self-publishing programs and publications, please log into your member profile and check the “Independently Published” box.
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SCBWI BookStop is Here
There's an opportunity out there for every SCBWI member to connect readers with their book and it's called SCBWI BookStop, our annual promotion where we assist you in promoting your book to readers everywhere. Independent and traditionally published books published in 2019, 2020, and 2021 will be eligible for the promotion. The eligible 2021 books may either have been published or will be published, in this calendar year.
We're in this together. Through the talent, creativity, and connections you've built with readers through your website, in-person and virtual events, and your social media outlets, as well as good old word-of-mouth, you have a strong foundation to promote your book. Our website sees thousands of visitors throughout the promotion period. Our tremendous following on social media, email marketing to librarians, booksellers, homeschoolers, and parents/caregivers will help in directing people to the BookStop website.
Here's the schedule for SCBWI BookStop. Please note the cost of a BookStop page is $25.
September 7
- The templates will be available for all members to create their pages
- Books published in 2019, 2020, and 2021 will be eligible for the promotion
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To take full advantage of the marketing we do to launch the promotion, your page needs to be completed by Monday, October 11
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You may still create a BookStop page all throughout the promotion period from October 18 - November 30
October 18
- BookStop goes live to the public
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You may still create a BookStop page all throughout the promotions period from October 18 - November 30
November 30
- End of BookStop promotion period
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2021 Version of The Book now available.
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THE BOOK is updated with invaluable, up to date market surveys, and several new articles including Bringing Your Backlist Forward, Putting Together a Winning Virtual Presentation, and Beware Author Self-Publishing Scams. Whether you are published or pre-published, there are many helpful articles to jump-start your career and/or provide the encouragement and knowledge you need moving forward.
THE BOOK is one of your most invaluable member resources that should be within reach at all times. Check out each section for information and insights: Preparing & Submitting Your Work, Published and Listed (PAL), Self-Publishing, SCBWI en Español, SCBWI Market Surveys, SCBWI Directories and Resources, Publicizing Your Published Work, SCBWI School Visits, and SCBWI Legal Questions.
To view THE BOOK, just log into your profile page and click on PUBLICATIONS, then on The Book in the dropdown menu. You must be logged in to download or order THE BOOK.
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SCBWI YouTube Featuring The Vault Let's You Relive Wondrous Moments with Best-Selling Icons of Childrens Publishing -- Or Experience Them For The First Time
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We are so proud to introduce you to the all-new SCBWI YouTube featuring the Vault which launches today with a treasure trove of exclusive never-before-seen videos that put you smack in the middle of the greatest children’s book creators of our time. Culling the best moments from SCBWI conferences---from the early days in the 1970s all the way up to this year, the Vault holds the advice, teachings, and musings of the biggest and brightest names in children’s publishing over the past 50 years. Even if you never got the chance to be there originally, you can now have a front row seat to all the SCBWI conferences---the profound, the moving, the funny, the goofy, the heart-stopping moments that are at the center of this brilliant creative community.
It's easy to step into our new YouTube channel and watch featured video clips from award-winning creators including:
Kwame Alexander Laurie Halse Anderson Judy Blume
Bruce Coville Karen Cushman Paula Danziger
Sid Fleischman Gordon Korman Meg Medina
Vanessa Brantley Newton Linda Sue Park
Jerry Pinkney David Small Jerry Spinelli
Shaun Tan Richard Jesse Watson
Before Newbery medals, before National Book Awards, before the adulation, there were young writers and illustrators on the path to legend status. The awards and praises of the book industry and book lovers worldwide were heaped on the giants of the industry seen here. All of them shared the stage at our conferences over the years. You’ll be inspired, captivated, and enamored.
And that’s just the beginning! Each week we will be bringing you stunning archival footage to watch and share with your friends, family, and colleagues. SCBWI is giving its members and book lovers everywhere an opportunity not found anywhere else, to witness the history of contemporary children’s books in the making.
SCBWI members will see exclusive clips pulled from the vault just for them in Insight, the monthly e-newsletter, and in Pro Insider the e-newsletter for published members. You can follow all the fun on our social media – Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook – with sneak previews and only-on-this-platform content. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/user/TheScbwi/ so you don’t miss out. And check in regularly, to keep the inspiration flowing.
For anyone interested in children’s books, for anyone who values creativity, for anyone wanting a direct hit of inspiration and joy, SCBWIYouTube featuring the Vault is the place to be. See you there, friends.
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Have an idea on how to improve Houston SCBWI?
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Information and Procedures
The SCBWI Emergency Fund has been established to provide assistance to SCBWI members of at least
six months’ standing in times of emergency or hardship. The emergency or hardship could involve,
for example, matters of health, family issues, or natural disasters that are in any way restricting
or preventing an SCBWI member’s ability to work as an author or illustrator.
The fund is also running low due to the high number of applications.
If you wish to donate to the fund, you may do so on the website or by mail:
Please send a check to:
SCBWI Emergency Fund
6363 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 425
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Your contribution will be announced in the following SCBWI Bulletin. Dollar amounts will not be listed. If you wish to remain anonymous please indicate so in your letter.
There is a $1,500 cap on any given grant, and no member may receive the grant more than twice.
SCBWI does not expect to be reimbursed for grants made from the Emergency Fund.
Applications for assistance can come from the individual member seeking the aid or from someone noting their member friend or associate is in need of assistance. Applications are confidential and not shared outside the organization.
Members should fill out the application, which can be found here. The applicant will receive an electronic confirmation and all communications will be by email unless the applicant indicates no access to a computer.
To learn more about the Emergency Fund, please click here to read the FAQ.
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Don't Get SCAMMED!
Are you aware of Writer Beware? It's a good site to check on complaints about publishers. This 2019 roundup covers the year in review. If you're not familiar with how "vanity publishers" scam authors, be sure to study the links under SAVE YOUR CASH and ADVICE YOU CAN USE. It also touches on how awards can take advantage of authors.
Use the SEARCH THIS BLOG function to look up specific publisher and agent names.
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FREE On-demand webinars from SCBWI MD/DE/WV! |
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Creating Your Portfolio with Rebecca Evans
• Formatting Your Manuscript for Submission with Kathy MacMillan
• A Conversation with Picture Book Authors 1 (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring
J.H. Diehl, Amy S. Hansen, and Rebecca Evans)
• A Conversation with Picture Book Authors 2 (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring
Ann McCallum, Karen Leggett Abouraya, and Lezlie Evans)
• Conversation with Picture Book Authors 3 (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring Veronica Bartles, Sue Fliess, and Megan Wagner Lloyd)
• A Conversation with Middle Grade Authors 1 (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring
Laura Shovan, Leah Henderson, and Barbara Carney-Coston)
• A Conversation with Middle Grade Authors 2 (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring
R.D Henham and Deborah Kalb)
• A Conversation with Young Adult Authors (Read Local Challenge webinar featuring
Kathy MacMillan, Linda Budzinski, Meg Eden, Pintip Dunn, and Christina June)
We are pleased to offer these free webinar recordings, available anytime
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SCBWI Podcast Goes Public
In a bold expansion to new platforms, SCBWI has made the first season of its popular podcast, SCBWI Conversations, available to the public. Our library of in-depth, insightful episodes feature the best of editors, agents, authors, and illustrators in the children’s book industry. As of today, we have over nine thousand listeners on six continents who have joined us since our public launch in May. The most current season will remain exclusive content for SCBWI members only. It is available for streaming from our website here.
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An Ongoing and Updated List of Webinars |
The Nevada SCBWI chapter has a new feature listing and updating webinars of interest to our members. Be sure to bookmark this page to stay abreast of new opportunities...
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Austin's Cynthia Leitich Smith Is Compiling
an ever growing list of Texas children's-YA
authors and Illustrators.
Howdy! Texas is bursting with talented children’s-YA book creators.
Once again, my Cynterns and I are updating the ever-growing list of
Texas children’s-YA authors and illustrators at:
It’s a popular resource for event planners, gatekeepers and Texas book lovers.
listings or updates to existing listings.
Those who currently live in Texas or have previously lived in Texas are
eligible for inclusion.
Please reply with byline, official website URL, preferred titles to
highlight, and current city and/or state of residence.
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Monthly Meetings
When: Meetings are held on the first Monday night of each month (first Tuesday if first Monday is a holiday), 7-9 pm. Fiction, Nonfiction and Illustration critique groups meet from 6-7pm.
What: All regular monthly meetings are open to all at no cost or obligation. To suggest speakers or topics and/or to be added to our monthly meeting reminder e-mail list, contact Program Coordinator via our Contact Us page.
Where: The meetings are held at the Tracy Gee community center, located at 3599 Westcenter Dr, Houston, TX 77042. Please note: Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, meetings will be held online through Zoom until further notice.
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Our Staff
Regional Advisor:
Asst. Regional Advisor:
Lynne Kelly
Illustrators Coordinator:
Monthly Program Chair:
Cheryl McCosh
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Listserv Coordinator:
Twitter Coordinator:
Newsletter & Website
Art Credit
Header Design:
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Copyright © 2021 SCBWI-Houston, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
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