Issue 13 is Here!

Issue 13: Head, Shoulders, Spleen & Nose is now available in print and pdf!

A deep dive through the human body, Head, Shoulders, Spleen & Nose is full of delightful (and delightfully informative) poems, stories, and artwork showcasing the wonders of the body's essential systems, its fascinating oddities, and unsung heroes.

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

Submissions are open now through April 10th for Issue 14: Traditions and Rituals. From grand cultural traditions that build connection and form our identities, to small, individual rituals that add bursts of joy, comfort, and whimsy to our days, in this issue, we are celebrating the traditions and rituals that help shape our lives. We are looking for writing and artwork about holidays and festivals, unique family traditions, and the little, quiet rituals you keep just for yourself. Give us poems about raucous celebrations and the activities that are special to your culture, country, or community. We want stories about eating pancakes for breakfast on your birthday, ice cream sundaes to celebrate the last day of school, or how you always whisper goodnight to the moon before falling asleep. We can't wait to see your poems, stories and artwork that shed light on the traditions and rituals that make our world a more magical place. 

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. 

We are excited to have the brilliantly talented Steena Hernandez serve as our guest editor for this issue!

Author of Lupita's Brown Ballet Slippers, Steena writes picture books, and loves kid literature! She's most happy when she's with her family, reading a book, and when she's writing. She enjoys sharing her stories, especially with her kids who always cheer her on. They laugh, because she always has a stack of picture books piled high on her nightstand. 

Steena's writing has previously appeared in Little Thoughts Press Issue Three: Hit the Road, and Little Thoughts Press Issue Five: New Beginnings. 

For Younger Students (Ages 7 & Under)

This poem is all about Supernovas, a huge and brilliant explosion of a star up in outer space. Do you see lots of stars at night above your house? Do you have a telescope to see them? 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 is written from the point of view of a supernova, a bright, exploding star shining in the night sky. When the poem lets the supernova speak, we can imagine what it’s like to be one and to look down at the world below.

Now, pick something else you can see up in the sky, maybe a cloud, a star, the moon, or even the sun. Imagine what it would be like if it could talk!

What would it see from way up high? What would it feel?

Write a short poem from its point of view. You can start like this:

“I float above the world and see…”

or

“If I could speak from the sky, I’d say…”

Let your imagination shine as bright as a supernova!

In Case You Missed It

Our Better Together issue is packed with amazing examples of how we work together to make the world a better place, and our interviews with Better Together contributors expand on these ideas, sharing the charitable organizations and community projects that are near and dear to their hearts, as well as celebrating the books they love, offering some great writing advice, and giving us all an inside look at their writing processes and how they crafted their Better Together pieces. Find them all, along with all our past contributor interviews, here.

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!