A Feast of Kid-Lit News and Links

Issue 12: Better Together is now available to pre-order!

An inspiring issue celebrating community and collective action, Better Together is a perfect antidote to this long, hard year that has been full of difficulty and heartache for so many. This issue features poetry, stories and artwork centered around the many ways we work together to make the world a safer, happier, more equitable place.

Better Together officially launches on December 15th and would make an excellent gift or stocking stuffer for a young reader in your life.

Want to see your writing or artwork in an issue of Little Thoughts Press?

Submissions are now open for Issue 13: Head, Shoulders, Spleen & Nose!

Join us for a deep dive into the human body! Give us stories about the stomach’s favorite restaurant, a young fingerprint’s search for its true identity, or how the larynx found its voice. We want poems full of blood, burps, and bile. Odes to secondary organs and the many surprises hidden beneath the body’s skin. Take us from the biggest body systems to the smallest bones and through the body’s many wonders in between. From the crown of the head to the tips of the toes, we want to see your stories, poetry and artwork that celebrate the magic and majesty of the human body.

We welcome poems, prose, and artwork by kid-lit creatives of all ages and backgrounds. Please make sure your submissions are appropriate for an audience of readers aged 10 and under. 

 Submissions for Issue 13: Head, Shoulders, Spleen & Nose will be open November 20th - December 31st.  

For Younger Students (Ages 7 & Under)

This poem uses many sounds that come with school. What sounds make you think of school?

There are so many exciting sounds in the world around you. Close your eyes and sit as quietly as you can to try to hear them. What do they sound like? Where do they come from?

HANDS ON CRAFT: Get one sheet of paper, any color you’d like. Imagine that piece of paper is your backpack, and draw all of the things you would fill your backpack with on the paper. It could be things you need for class, or even special things from home that you don’t want to leave behind!

For Older Students (Ages 8+)

This poem uses onomatopoeia at the start of every stanza. Onomatopoeia are the words for sounds. This could be “Moo!” from a cow, or “Beep!” from a car.

Write a poem about how you arrive to school in the morning and start each stanza with onomatopoeia, just like the poem you just read! Think about the sounds you hear on your way to school. Maybe it’s the “zip!” of your backpack or the “whoosh!” of the bus doors. Focus on the sounds that you hear each day and where they come from.

In Other News

Congratulations to our From Trash to Treasure contest winner, Eric Peterson! You can read Eric’s winning limerick, “Supper Gross,” as well as our two Honorable Mentions, and Kid Choice winner up on the blog.

And while you’re there, be sure to check out interviews with Stirring Words contributors Shawna Cain, Mona Voelkel, Rachel Burrows, and Barbara Bleiman.

Are you an elementary school teacher or librarian? We would be delighted to provide a free copy of Little Thoughts Press for your classroom or library. Send us an email at [email protected] to receive a complimentary copy for your students to enjoy!

Find links to all of our past issues, available in print or to download for free, here.

Annual subscriptions are available through our ko-fi memberships. Learn more about subscription tiers here.

Thank you for reading and supporting Little Thoughts Press!