August is a banner month for 12 x 12! It’s too hot to be outside, so stay inside and read one of these 12 x 12 member books. This month we have two new series launching and 17 other books to celebrate! Plus, we have agent signings, new book deals, and awards. No summer slump here!

If you have good news in any of these categories, be sure to let us know by filling out the Good News form in the Important Announcements section of the 12 x 12 forum.

All of today’s good news was submitted before July 25th. If you submitted news after July 25th, it will be included in our September post. Please note: We changed our deadline date for Good News submissions. Going forward, be sure to have your good news submitted by the 25th of the month for inclusion in the next month’s Good News Post.

Easy ways to help 12 x 12 members and their books:

1. Click on the “Click to Tweet” links to share on Twitter and get the word out about these books on social media.
2. Submit a request to your local library to carry these books.
3. Write reviews on Amazon, GoodReads, and B&N.
4. Consider purchasing these books from your local independent bookstore or the 12 x 12 Bookshop.org site. (Purchases made at the 12 x 12 Bookshop.org help to fund our diversity and scholarship programs.)

Your fellow authors appreciate your support!

Book Birthdays

Congratulations to Karin Larson on the recent release of ALPHABET ZOO published by 4RV Publishing and illustrated by C.E. Dale!  (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Laura Gehl on the July release of HAPPY OWL-OWEEN published by Abrams and illustrated by Lydia Nichols! (Click to Tweet)

THINGS WE FEEL is a poetry anthology edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong which debuted in July. Congratulations to the following 12 x 12 members featured in the book:  Patricia Franz, Pamela Taylor, Rose Cappelli, Lisa Varchol Perron, Rochelle Melander, Marcie Flinchum Atkins, Kelly Conroy, Katey Howes, Marty Lapointe-Malchik, and Joyce Schriebman! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Artika Tyner on the August 1st release of her FOCUS ON series featuring FOCUS ON THE WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT, FOCUS ON THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE, and FOCUS ON THE GREAT MIGRATION published by Lerner Publications! (Click to Tweet)

More congratulations to Artika Tyner on the August 1st release of THE COURAGEOUS SIX TRIPLE EIGHT, published by Capstone Press and illustrated by Cynthia Paul! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Bryan Patrick Avery on the August 1st release of his Mr. Grizley’s Class series including: BOBBY’S STORY, CECILIA’S FUNDRAISER, EMILY’S BIG SHOT, MORDECAI’S MAGIC, NATHAN’S NEW MOVES, NICOLE’S SECRET, RAHMA’S GIFT, and SHAW’S SOLO. The series is published by Picture Window Books and illustrated by Arief Putra! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Janet Sumner Johnson on the August 1st release of BRAVER THAN BRAVE published by Capstone Publishing and illustrated by Eunji Jung! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Jessica Speer on the August 2nd release of MIDDLE SCHOOL: SAFETY GOGGLES REQUIRED published by Familius and illustrated by Lesley Imgart! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Karen Yin on the August 2nd release of SO NOT GHOUL published by Page Street Kids and illustrated by Bonnie Lui! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Lisa Tolin on the August 2nd release of HOW TO BE A ROCK STAR published by‎ G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and illustrated by Daniel Duncan! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Shelly Pollock (and co-author Richard Tuere) on the August 2nd release of LION LIGHTS published by Tilbury House Publishers and illustrated by Sonia Possentini!  (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Sophia Gholz on the August 2nd release of A HISTORY OF TOILET PAPER (AND OTHER POTTY TOOLS) published by Running Press Kids (Hachette) and illustrated by Xiana Teimoy! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Rebecca Gardyn Levington on the August 3rd release of BRAINSTORM! This picture book is published by Sleeping Bear Press and illustrated by Kate Kronreif! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Kirsten Pendreigh on the August 15th release of LUNA’S GREEN PET, published by Sleeping Bear Press and illustrated by Carmen Mok! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Elisa Boxer on the August 16th release of COVERED IN COLOR: CHRISTO & JEANNE-CLAUDE’S FABRICS OF FREEDOM published by Abrams and illustrated by Susanna Chapman! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Becky Scharnhorst on the August 23rd release of THIS FIELD TRIP STINKS! This picture book is published by Flamingo Books and illustrated by Julia Patton! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Donna Cangelosi on the August 23rd release of MISTER ROGERS’ GIFT OF MUSIC published by Page Street Kids and illustrated by Amanda Calatzis! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Sarah Kurpiel on writing and illustrating ELEPHANT’S BIG SOLO debuting August 30th from Greenwillow Books! (Click to Tweet)

Congratulations to Stacy Burch on the August 30th release of A WAY WITH WORDS published by Ethicool Books and illustrated by Lucy McLoughlin! (Click to Tweet)

Signed! Look who has an agent!

Carol Gordon Ekster signed with Jonathan Rosen at the Seymour Agency! Congrats!

Jessica Yoon signed with Tara Gonzalez at Erin Murphy Literary Agency! Awesome!

Lynn Street signed with Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary! Way to go!

Rachel Shupin signed with Marisa Cleveland at the Seymour Agency! Go you!

New Book Deals

Congratulations to Becca McMurdie on the sale of BUILDING A BEAK: HOW A TOUCAN’S RESCUE INSPIRED THE WORLD to Kayla Tostevin at Page Street Kids! Diana Hernandez will illustrate. Huzzah!

Congratulations to Gaby Snyder on the sale of TODAY to Paula Wiseman at Paula Wiseman Books! Stephanie Graegin will illustrate. Fantastic!

Congratulations to Lauren Kerstein on the sale of ONE MORE SUNDAY to Andrea Hall at Beaming Books! Nanette Regan will illustrate. Excellent!

Award Winners

Congratulations to Deborah Foster who was awarded The Ann Whitford Paul – Writer’s Digest Manuscript Award for Most Promising Picture Book (Fiction Category) from SCBWI! WOW!

Congratulations to Srividhya Venkat and her picture book DANCING IN THATHA’S FOOTSTEPS on winning the South Asia Book Award 2022 from the South Asia National Outreach Consortium! Way to go!

So much to celebrate this month! Congratulations to all our members for staying determined and not giving up on your dreams! We are so proud of you!

All of today’s good news was shared prior to July 25th. 12 x 12 members, if you have good news about a new book release, agent signing, book deal, or writing award, share it with us. Please submit your good news by August 25th to be included in our September Good News post. You can find the Good News form in the Important Announcements section of the forum.

Keep up the good work, everyone!

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