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Two rounds! Two ways to play! Can you make the match?
(Answers to both rounds at the bottom of the post)
by Paige Vinten Taylor
Continue reading24 Wednesday Sep 2025
Posted in Poet's Perspective
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by Paige Vinten Taylor
Continue reading17 Wednesday Sep 2025
Posted in Toot Your Horn!
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board book, Fantasy Adventure, historical fiction, interactive, MG, middle grade, mystery, nonfiction, nonfiction picture book, picture book, picture book biography, published, publishing, SCBWI community, YA, young adult

SCBWI members’ publishing news is something to celebrate here at Kite Tales! Check out whose book is coming to a platform near you or around the world. Horn-tooting and digital high fives welcome in the comments!
13 Wednesday Aug 2025
Posted in Central Coast, Great News!, Los Angeles, SoCal, Toot Your Horn!, Tri-Regional News
We’re Going Fishin’ … but First, a Deadline for YOU
Today (Wednesday, August 13) is the last day to submit your news for Kite Tales’ September Great News and Toot Your Horn columns.
Follow the link, fill out the forms, upload an image (no larger than 2MB), and shine some light on your recent and upcoming work and achievements. Let the community help you celebrate!
Continue reading16 Wednesday Jul 2025
Posted in Illustrators Day, SoCal, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days
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Amanda Gaglione, Ariel Richardson, author-illustrators, authors, Brett Duquette, Brian LaRossa, illustrators, Kelly Dyksterhouse, Lauren Kisare, Marie Chan, Olivia Guimarães, Rebecca Sherman, Robert Mellette, Robin Preiss Glasser, Sally M. Kim, SCBWI community, SCBWI members, Shelly Romero, Tina Athaide
by Beverly Plass, RA SCBWI SoCal
When: Oct. 4, 2025
Where: Cal State Fullerton, Titan Student Union and virtual
Join us for a full day of speaker presentations, critiques, pitches, and mingling with fellow creatives!
Continue reading09 Wednesday Jul 2025
Dive into visual storytelling for the modern picture book market with agent Kait Feldmann!
Kait Feldmann is an agent with KT Literary and was previously an editor with HarperCollins and Scholastic, overseeing an award-winning editorial list. Join us as she brings more than decade of experience and her unique perspective on kidlit art to SCBWI-L.A.’s Illustrators Day at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino, CA, on July 13, 2025, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Continue reading25 Wednesday Jun 2025
Posted in Central Coast, Tri-Regional News, Writers' Retreat
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Andrea Brown Literary Agency, CenCal Writers and Illustrators Retreat, David Caplan, East/West Literary Agency, Farah Shaw, Harshini Vankineni, illustrators, Jim Averbeck, Joan Bransfield Graham, Kristie Choi, Lee Wardlaw, Little Brown and Company, Sally Kim, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, Simon & Schuster, writers
by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison
Join us for Writers and Illustrators Day 2025!
CATCH THE CREATIVE WAVE will be Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District Auditorium, 1605 E. Burnley Street in Camarillo (same as last year). Lunch is provided. In addition to our speakers and first pages panel, we’ll be offering written critiques, writing contests, prizes, and a chance to mingle with other writers and illustrators. There will be an optional pitchfest the following day on Sunday, September 21, 2025, online.
Continue reading18 Wednesday Jun 2025
Posted in Author's Perspective, SoCal Voices
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interview, Jenny Turnbull, Kelly Pellico, picture book, picture book author, publishing, SCBWI community, writing
by Kelly Pellico
Kelly Pellico: Jenny, welcome to Kite Tales and congratulations on the one-year anniversary of your debut picture book, Tate’s Wild Rescue!
Jenny Turnbull: Thank you, Kelly. It’s exciting to be here celebrating Tate‘s first book birthday!
KP: What was the initial spark for this story?
JT: Tate’s story is rooted in my lifelong love of animals and feeling wild animals are happiest free in the wild where they can thrive, while companion animals deserve the love and comforts of home. Commitment to our furry family members, and animal welfare, has always been so important to me.
Continue reading11 Wednesday Jun 2025
Posted in Contests & Grants, Los Angeles, Mentorship Contest, Tri-Regional News
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Julia Edwards, mentorship, Mentorship Award, MG, middle grade, novel, Sherry Shahan, writing, Writing awards
In March, we invited writers to apply for a six-month mentorship with one of our Published and Listed members, and we received a record number of entries! This year’s mentor, Sherry Shahan, joins us to announce the winner and discuss her selection process.
by Sherry Shahan
What a pleasure to spend time with this year’s mentee submissions, written by accomplished playwrights and actors, teachers, artists, music lovers, well-published poets, and other creators. While genres and approaches differed, each writer presented realistic characters with heartfelt desires. Their unique personalities shined through. Stepping into their characters’ worlds at the beginning of their transformations was a remarkable, emotional experience.
Continue reading28 Wednesday May 2025
Posted in Toot Your Horn!
Tags
board book, Fantasy Adventure, historical fiction, MG, middle grade, mystery, nonfiction, nonfiction picture book, picture book, published, publishing, SCBWI community, YA

SCBWI members’ publishing news is something to celebrate here at Kite Tales! Check out whose book is coming to a platform near you or around the world. Horn-tooting and digital high fives welcome in the comments!
07 Wednesday May 2025
Posted in Industry Conferences, Los Angeles, PAL, SoCal, Tri-Regional News
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Ann Suk Wang, Annelouise Mahoney, authors, Book Festivals, Dan McCauley, Events, Glenda Galvan-Garcia, illustrators, Janie Emaus, Jennifer S. Pitts, Joy Hwang Ruiz, Judy Campbell-Smith, Kimberly Tso, Kobina Commeh, Kumiko Yamada-Yuge, LATFoB, Lauren Gallegos, Lori Polydoros, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Molly Ruttan, PAL, PAL events, R.S. Mellette, Sasha Mayer, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, W.R. Miller, writers
by Jennifer S. Pitts
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
Though originally a tribute to the ancient Persian royal couriers, this enduring phrase also perfectly captures the spirit of SCBWI’s LA and SoCal PAL members, who braved unpredictable weather to complete their own “appointed rounds” at the 2025 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
Continue reading