THE SCHOOL MAGAZINE (TSM) Contributors Luncheon

I was invited to attend The School Magazine Contributors’ Luncheon held last Monday in Sydney. Australia. I have contributed a number of articles to The School Magazine over the years. Most recently, my story about sea turtles was republished in Blast Off last August. (The School Magazine is produced by the New South Wales Education Department and is read by school children all over Australia and, now that it is online, throughout much of the world.)

Flying to Sydney was out of the question for many contributors, including me. Instead, we were given the opportunity to attend online for a celebration of the wonderful contributions of writers and artists to The School Magazine, far and wide. Participants included authors from the United States, New Zealand, and as far away as Austria. (Because of the time change, the event was actually Sunday evening in California where I live.) While it took some time to get all the technology in order, the program began and we were introduced to the staff and  treated to a summary of the history of The School Magazine, from its beginnings in 1916 to the present day. Here are a few examples of the changes that have taken place over the years. 

REMEMBERING FLOYD COOPER, JR, 1956-2021, Author/Illustrator

Author/Illustrator Floyd Cooper, Jr.

Floyd Cooper, Jr., 1956-2021, whose paintings and stories transformed people's lives, was remembered by family, friends, editors, librarians, fellow authors, and others that knew him in a virtual celebration of his life and legacy on Friday, January 7. Although I had never personally met Floyd Cooper, I had heard him speak at a children's book festival and was impressed by his art and ability to connect with children through his stories. As one speaker said of him: he encouraged young children to become change agents.
The memorial program, sponsored by the Highlights Foundation in partnership with The Brown Bookshelf, included video and audio clips of Floyd and his work, special guest tributes, and celebrations of his art and legacy.  
Floyd was the award-winning illustrator and author/illustrator of nearly 100 books for children.  His real and beautiful depiction of the Black experience, his signature “subtractive process,” and his genuine spirit of kindness and mentorship will forever be an important part of the children’s publishing industry. He will be sorely missed.

Click HERE to see the VIDEO of the memorial program and learn more about Floyd Cooper's legacy.

Connect Online

On May 28th I went to a terrific program in Walnut Creek, CA, sponsored by the Northern California SCBWI, featuring Author Mike Jung talking about how he developed his online presence BEFORE selling his first book!  His talk, Don’t Be a Pinhead: Building on Online Presence Before Landing a Book Deal, showed how he uses the internet to connect with people and become part of the online community.  His first book, Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities, comes out next year from Arthur Levine Books.  For photos and highlights of his talk, read Edna Cabcabin Moran’s post on her blog Just Sketch.  It will inspire you (and me) to do a better job of building your own online presence!