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#AskanEditor, Adam Blackman, Alexander Vidal, Analía Cabello, authors, Brenda Scott Royce, Cassandra Federman, Christine Van Zandt, craft, Ellen Hopkins, Harshini Vankineni, illustrators, inspiration, Jaime Zollars, Jennifer Rofé, Jennifer S. Pitts, Jenny Turnbull, Judy Faulkner, Kelly Pellico, Micky O'Brady, Paige Vinten Taylor, Philana Marie Boles, publishing, publishing tips, quotes, SCBWI community, Sherry Shahan, writing tips

January is not just right around the corner—it’s tomorrow! But don’t panic. We still have time to make our resolutions or More/Less lists (see below and linked), and to dream big for 2026. Hopefully, revisiting some of the ideas and insights in Kite Tales’ 2025 posts through the quotes and article links below will provide a fresh sprinkle of information and inspiration to help you get started. Write on. Draw on. Read on!
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Author/illustrator
I’m always grateful for the community and connection that comes from being a member of SCBWI. There’s no shortage of people willing to share advice, tips, and knowledge. And lucky for us, so many in the kid lit community have shared their stories and wisdom on the Kite Tales blog.
Author/Illustrator Cassandra Federman was born and raised in Massachusetts where she spent her childhood reading comic books, playing action figures, drawing super heroes, and participating in all things nerdy. She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University and moved to Los Angeles, where she became a hand model. When she isn’t pretending to be famous people’s hands, she’s creating art and literature for children. She is the