Hello Summer!

It’s summertime! Here at Little Thoughts Press, we’re looking forward to long, lazy days with lots of summer reading.

We can’t wait to bring you tons of great reading recommendations all summer long, but let’s kick it off with a reminder that you can download every issue of Little Thoughts Press for free! Or purchase a print copy of any past issue, or get a subscription to our 2026 catalog.

Want to enjoy fantastic writing and artwork by creators of all ages and get some fun, free stuff? Spend some time this summer reading through the Little Thoughts Press catalog and complete our Summer Reading Bingo! Once you’ve got 5 boxes in a row checked off, email us at [email protected] to let us know and we’ll send you some bookmarks and stickers to celebrate!

Issue 15 Submissions Open Soon!

Submissions for Issue 15 will open on June 22nd and the theme for this issue is…

In the Dark

In a galaxy far, far away, through the depths of the ocean, in the middle of a moonless night…

for this issue, we want you to take us into the dark. Give us creepy crawlers that tunnel through dirt, nocturnal animals prowling or prancing through the streets while we sleep, the mysteries of the ocean floor, and the majesties of outer space. We want spooky* and spectacular—what haunts the dark but also what illuminates it. Give us poetry that praises the beauty of a quiet night. Stories that celebrate the cosmos, the night owls, the creatures that thrive in the caliginous corners of the world. Give us shadows and starlight. Tales of surprising fun during power outages and twilight games of flashlight tag. Gloom and gloam, and the spine-tingling delight of being up past bedtime. We want your poetry, stories and artwork that lead us into the dark, and show us how to find our way out again.

*We are a publication for readers ages 10 and under. Please keep this in mind when crafting your spooky pieces.

Don’t forget to check out our submission guidelines before you get started writing!

Happy Pride Month!

This month is the perfect time to revisit our PRIDE issue from June 2024 and renew our thanks to our incredible contributors and guest editor, CK Malone, for sharing their words, vision, and stories with our readers. Be sure to check out CK’s fantastic books, A Costume for Charly and Popi’s All Souls Song.

You can download a copy of Issue 8: Pride for free, or order a print copy. 

Using “My Extraordinary Fingers” by Polly Katayama

For Younger Students (Ages 7 & Under)

This poem is all about the special things you can create with your fingers, and a little bit of paper. Origami is the art of building miniature sculptures by folding paper. On the page, you can see a flower, a crane, and even a green frog! 

HANDS ON CRAFT: Try to make a bird using one square of paper. Ask a parent for help if you need some extra fingers!

• Rotate the paper so one of the points of the square is facing up, forming a diamond.

• Fold the paper in half by bringing the left side over to the right. It should look like a sideways triangle.

• Now, fold the bottom into the top, forming a smaller triangle.

• Flip the paper over, so the corner fold is in the top right.

• Fold the bottom point upwards so it is pointing upwards over the top of the paper. This is the wing of the bird.

• Flip the paper over again, revealing the other unfolded wing.

• Now, fold the other point upwards so that it is pointing upwards, matching the other side. Now your bird has two wings and is ready to fly!

For visual guidance, check out https://www.origamiway.com/simple-origami-bird/

For Older Students (Ages 8+)

HANDS ON CRAFT: Try to build a car using one square of paper. Ask a parent for help if you need some extra fingers!

• First, fold the paper in half, top to bottom. Then, unfold it, just leaving a crease down the middle.

• Next, fold the paper again, left to right. Then, unfold it again to see four equal squares on your big square paper.

• Fold the bottom edge into your center crease, which should be halfway through your page.

• Diagonally fold down the right side of the bottom flap to form the wheels. It should look like a little triangle folded over the bottom right side of the car.

• Do the same on the other side. Now you have two wheels!

• Fold down the top two squares over the two wheels, completely covering them.

• Fold about ¾ of it back up, revealing the two wheels again

• Fold down the top right corner of the part that you just folded at a right angle, forming the window

• Flip the car over to see the final product!

For visual guidance, check out https://www.origamiway.com/origami-car/.

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.

Thank you for reading and supporting Little Thoughts Press!