Treasure Chest: June 2026

27 Wednesday May 2026

Posted by in Central Coast, Contests & Grants, Illustrators Day, Industry Conferences, Los Angeles, PAL, SoCal, Treasure Chest, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

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Events, Opportunities, and Resources happening now and coming soon for the Tri-Regions and beyond

Check out more resources at the end of the post!

LAST CALL—MAY 27
Entries for the SCBWI LA Mentorship Contest 2026 are due at 11:59 p.m. on May 27, 2026! This six-month mentorship with author-educator Rebecca Langston-George “is open to authors in the earlier stage of their career. Rebecca is equally comfortable with fiction or nonfiction writers and happy to help with picture books, middle grade, or young adult. While Rebecca is open to most genres, she is not the best fit for rhyme (internal rhyme is okay), romance, or high fantasy.” To learn more about the contest, click the link here. Submissions must be emailed to scbwilacontests@gmail.com.

LAST CALL—MAY 31
If you haven’t already bought your ticket for the SCBWI-LA Writers and Illustrators Day: The Pen and the Palette, register today! “Join us for Writers and Illustrators Day as we celebrate the art of storytelling to children through both word and image. We’re offering a day of marvelous industry speakers, networking with friends (old and new), and playful opportunities to build community. We hope you’ll leave inspired and empowered to craft stories that reflect the beauty, complexity, and wonder of childhood.” Speakers will include Andrea Brown Literary Agency senior agent Jamie Weiss Chilton, Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House executive editor Kelsey Horton, Donald Maass Literary Agency literary agent Kiana (Kiki) Nguyen, and painter, designer, writer, and illustrator Eugene Yelchin. For more information on registration, dates, times, and location, click the link here.

Artwork by Eori Tokunaga

SAVE THE DATE—JUNE 6
Add the annual SCBWI-LA Critique Day to your calendars on June 6, 2026! Critique Day is a free event on Zoom where you can “share your words or illustrations with a supportive small group who will give you feedback on your efforts.” Once the event page is listed, make sure to register so that we can send you the free Zoom link! “PLEASE NOTE: You are not registered until you press the green BOOK A SEAT button at the bottom of the registration page. You may need to scroll to the bottom or reduce the size of your screen if you haven’t found it.”

OPEN NOW
Submissions for the SCBWI Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards are open until midnight PST May 31, 2026! “You must be a current member to nominate your book and at the time the award announcement is made. This award is open to SCBWI authors, illustrators, and translators.” Round 1 of the voting process will take place from June 1, 2026, through June 22, 2026, midnight PST. Click the link here to submit today!

SAVE THE DATE—JULY 30–AUGUST 2
Take your children’s book career to the next level at the Virtual SCBWI Summer Conference 2026! “Dive into every aspect of the children’s book world, from writing and illustrating to translating, marketing, and self-publishing. Put your art in front of industry pros in the career-launching Portfolio Showcase. And get inspired by sessions tailored for illustrators, picture book authors, nonfiction writers, graphic novel creators, and more—no matter your path or publishing background. Best of all? You’ll have access to all sessions through September 13th, so you can learn and grow at your own pace. Join us and invest in your passion. It’s time to bring your stories to life!” Registration for this fabulous online conference will be open in early June so stay tuned!

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Sketch Crawl Sunday!

20 Wednesday May 2026

Posted by in Los Angeles, Sketch Crawl, Tri-Regional News

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Everyone is welcome to join the SCBWI-Los Angeles Sketch Crawl this Sunday, May 24, at the Getty Center. Details below. Hope to see you there!

Sketch Crawl graphic by Laura Burris

Further details:

1. The Getty Center address is 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049

2. Admission is free, but you will need to make a timed-entry reservation. Parking is $25 per car (carpooling encouraged).

3. Meet at the front entrance of the museum at 10:00 a.m.

4. Lunch will be available to purchase at the museum café.

5. The Sketch Crawl “officially” ends at 1:00 p.m., but feel free to stay as long as you’d like!

The Case of Nancy Drew’s Most Devoted Sleuth: Jennifer Fisher and a Literary Legacy, a Q&A

13 Wednesday May 2026

Posted by in Author's Perspective

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by Philana Marie Boles

Entranceway to the Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library

From childhood fandom to literary preservation, one woman has spent decades helping safeguard Nancy Drew’s legacy while building a community for readers who have never stopped believing in the iconic sleuth.

Before there were conventions, archives, or dedicated museum-style collections, there were simply readers.

Readers like Jennifer Fisher, who grew up devouring Nancy Drew mysteries before eventually becoming arguably Nancy Drew’s foremost historian and preservationist, having donated more than 5,000 objects of her own for fans to explore and enjoy at the world’s largest collection of Nancy Drew materials.

And readers like me, a little girl growing up in Toledo with her own shelves full of Nancy Drew mysteries, who also once convinced a furniture store to sell her parents a Nancy Drew book that had been set up as part of a mock–living room display.

Decades later, those two parallel reading journeys converged inside the Toledo Lucas County Public Library, where Fisher’s expansive Nancy Drew Collection now draws visitors from around the country, fans who make literary pilgrimages to see the collection in person.

As Nancy Drew approaches her 100th anniversary, Fisher is working to continue to preserve rare artifacts and publishing history alongside her organizations, the “Nancy Drew Book Fans” and the “Nancy Drew Sleuths,” providing fans with a place to gather and a sense of belonging in celebration of a beloved fictional teenage detective.

In our conversation for SCBWI, Fisher discusses fandom, literary preservation, storytelling authenticity, and why Nancy Drew still resonates nearly a century later.

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The Mystery of Staying Power in Story Worlds: Nancy Drew at Nearly 100

06 Wednesday May 2026

Posted by in Author's Perspective

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by Philana Marie Boles

Philana Marie Boles visits the Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection during the series’ 95th Anniversary Conference.

Every writer wants to create something that lasts. A book that sells. A story world where readers return again and again, across years, even generations. Little House on the Prairie. The Chronicles of Narnia. Harry Potter. And nearly 100 years after its first publication, Nancy Drew.

Even if it isn’t one’s goal to write a multi-book series, the principles behind Nancy Drew’s staying power apply across genres and formats for all writers to consider. Readers connect with characters they enjoy, understand, and trust.

Originally written for girls aged 12–16, Nancy Drew has expanded into more than 600 mysteries since its debut in 1930 and an IP world that now includes a series for even younger readers, one with college-era stories, a modern reboot, and a contemporary relaunch. Television, film, and video games have sustained a global readership spanning generations, and Nancy Drew is arguably the earliest and most enduring example of a scalable story world.

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Treasure Chest: May 2026

29 Wednesday Apr 2026

Posted by in Central Coast, Contests & Grants, Illustrators Day, Los Angeles, PAL, SoCal, Treasure Chest, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

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Events, Opportunities, and Resources happening now and coming soon for the Tri-Regions and beyond

Check out more resources at the end of the post!

NEW EVENT—MAY 24
The second SCBWI-Los Angeles Sketch Crawl of 2026 will be happening on Sunday May 24th from 10am–1pm at The Getty Center. FREE Admission. Parking is $25 per car (carpool or public transportation is encouraged). Address is: 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049. More details to come!

OPEN NOW
Register today for the SCBWI-LA Writers and Illustrators Day: The Pen and the Palette! “Join us for Writers and Illustrators Day as we celebrate the art of storytelling to children through both word and image. We’re offering a day of marvelous industry speakers, networking with friends (old and new), and playful opportunities to build community. We hope you’ll leave inspired and empowered to craft stories that reflect the beauty, complexity, and wonder of childhood.” Speakers will include Andrea Brown Literary Agency senior agent Jamie Weiss Chilton, Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House executive editor Kelsey Horton, Donald Maass Literary Agency literary agent Kiana (Kiki) Nguyen, and painter, designer, writer, and illustrator Eugene Yelchin. For more information on registration, dates, times, and location, click the link here.

Artwork by Eori Tokunaga

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SCBWI-L.A.’s Mentorship Contest Is Open! 

15 Wednesday Apr 2026

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Los Angeles, Mentorship Contest, Tri-Regional News

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**Note: The SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship is a six-month program that alternates between various categories of writing and illustrating. In this post, our 2025 winner, author Julia Edwards, shares her experience with the program. The 2026 mentor will be announced at the end of the post.** 

by Julia Edwards

Last year, I was the lucky winner of the SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship Contest and got to work with middle-grade author Sherry Shahan for six months on my manuscript I Speak for the Trees.

Sherry Shahan and Julia Edwards in conversation over Zoom
Mentee Julia Edwards and mentor Sherry Shahan in conversation

I am so glad I met this human! She is enthusiastic, she asks essential questions, she elucidates truths. She dove into her own research to understand the heart of my story, and we had deep conversations about eco-anxiety, the Wood Wide Web of mushroom fibers that allows trees to communicate, women’s climbing camps, and more. 

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The Nature of Nonsense

08 Wednesday Apr 2026

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by Paige Vinten Taylor

Have you ever thought about writing nonsense poetry for children? It holds such great appeal, and librarians will tell you that poetry collections of this genre are among the favorite books that kids take home. 

What makes nonsense poetry so popular?  Perhaps most important, it is whimsical and imaginative. But rather than trying to define it further (since its borders are ever-widening), looking at some common elements is probably more useful. 

Wordplay 

“Betty Botter bought some butter,
But she said this butter’s bitter…” 

Who among us as children didn’t try to repeat “Betty Botter Bought some Butter” or “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers”? These tongue twisters, classics that have been with us for centuries, offer an engaging challenge to kids when reading them aloud or memorizing them.  Today there are even whole books written with that style, for example, Margaret Mahy’s Bubble Trouble. 

Tweaking words in humorous ways for the sake of rhyming is another time-honored technique. Chris Harris, in his poem “The Modern Dinosaur,” cleverly messes with our language by using “thinked” as a punch line set-up for “extinct.” And in “The Hungry Giraffe,” he pairs “swallow” with an unexpected “tomallow.” 

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Treasure Chest: April 2026

01 Wednesday Apr 2026

Posted by in Central Coast, Contests & Grants, Illustrators Day, Los Angeles, PAL, SoCal, Treasure Chest, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

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Events, Opportunities, and Resources happening now and coming soon for the Tri-Regions and beyond

Check out more resources at the end of the post!

OPEN NOW
The SCBWI-LA Writers and Illustrators Day: The Pen and the Palette is now open for registration! “Join us for Writers and Illustrators Day as we celebrate the art of storytelling to children through both word and image. We’re offering a day of marvelous industry speakers, networking with friends (old and new), and playful opportunities to build community. We hope you’ll leave inspired and empowered to craft stories that reflect the beauty, complexity, and wonder of childhood.” Speakers will include Andrea Brown Literary Agency senior agent Jamie Weiss Chilton, Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House executive editor Kelsey Horton, Donald Maass Literary Agency literary agent Kiana (Kiki) Nguyen, and painter, designer, writer, and illustrator Eugene Yelchin. For more information on registration, dates, times, and location, click the link here.

Artwork by Eori Tokunaga

OPEN NOW
Submit your manuscript for the SCBWI-LA 2026 Writers & Illustrators Day Contest today! The Writing Contest will be accepting manuscript submissions until April 12, 2026. “The first-place winner in each category will receive a certificate, recognition at Writers & Illustrators Day and in Kite Tales, and a free written critique from one of our faculty members.” Click the link here for more information about submission guidelines.

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Announcing the Winner of the 2026 SCBWI-L.A. Writers & Illustrators Day Art Contest

25 Wednesday Mar 2026

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Illustrators Day, Los Angeles, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

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 by Brenda Scott Royce

While the parchment in Eori Tokunaga’s illustration is blank, the scene is bursting with possibility. From the mouse hefting pen to paper to the caterpillar munching an impressionistic pattern to the ants marching in to make their own mark, each critter seems poised to create in its own way. So, it’s no surprise that this illustration was selected as the winning entry in the contest to create the theme art for SCBWI-L.A.’s upcoming Writers & Illustrators Day.

The winning image represents an experience “bursting with possibility.”

Read on to learn more about Eori, her process, and what inspired her winning entry… 

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New! SCBWI-Los Angeles Sketch Crawls

18 Wednesday Mar 2026

Posted by in Los Angeles, Sketch Crawl, Tri-Regional News

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by Judy Faulkner

Sketch Crawls kicked off with a meet-up at the downtown Los Angeles Public Library

Los Angeles area kid lit creatives have a new, fun way to gather. Hosted by illustrator Laura Burris, the SCBWI-Los Angeles Sketch Crawls are free events open to all, SCBWI members and the general L.A. community alike.

The library atrium captured the artists’ imaginations

Jessica Cooper, illustrator coordinator for the region, shares her impression of last month’s inaugural event.

“We had such a fun time at the first SCBWI-Los Angeles Sketch Crawl, hosted by illustrator Laura Burris.

“We went to the Central Los Angeles Library where we sketched and explored the exhibits and beautiful architecture. The library was built in 1925, so they have a 100-year anniversary exhibition inside the library, complete with an opened 100-year-old time capsule.”

Upcoming Sketch Crawls are planned for later this spring and in the summer. They’re great opportunities to sketch, socialize, and soak up inspiration at some iconic spots around the city. 

Jessica, Laura, and the entire L.A. regional team extend a warm invitation to all. “If you’re in the LA area and you’re a children’s book illustrator, writer or creator, come join us for our next Sketch Crawl event. Check out the SCBWI-L.A. homepage for more details.”

For more fantastic content, community, events, and other professional development opportunities, become a member today! Not sure if there is a chapter in your area? Check here.

Photos and graphics by Laura Burris; Artwork courtesy of Sketch Crawl participants.