Erica S. Perl

The cover of “Whale and the Birthday Rocks” by Erica S. Perl, surrounded by small rocks and paint pens.

Wanna rock?! Come to storytime at @peoplesbooktakoma.com in Takoma Park, MD on Sun. 11/30 at 9:30 am!

This Saturday (11/22), I'll be reading and rock-painting at @wonderlandbookshop.bsky.social in Bethesda, MD at 10:30 am. Join me and help spread the word! It's gonna ROCK! (you see what I did there?)

Thanks to my alma mater, Hampshire College, for sharing my story!

Alum Erica Perl 86F on Cancellation, Curiosity, and the Hampshire Education That Inspired Her Using her experience as a trial lawyer, she fought back and wrote about the experience for School Library Journal. We caught up with Perl and asked her how she made her way from Hampshire to where she...

Children’s book author & Hampshire alum Erica Perl 86F had a school visit canceled after a parent complained about her social media video in which she celebrated Pride and mentioned that one of her characters, Snail, is nonbinary.

www.hampshire.edu/news/alum-er...

My School Visit was Cancelled. I Fought Back and Won. | Opinion A parent complaint about a nonbinary snail led a Virginia elementary school principal to cancel a visit by author Erica S. Perl. A former trial attorney, Perl offers a lesson in smart booking contract...

www.slj.com/story/My-Sch...

www.slj.com/story/My-Sch...

In honor of Pride month, I’m reposting the video that got me cancelled. @slj.com

The Trump administration has just canceled a nearly $600 million contract with Moderna that was meant to develop a bird flu vaccine.

Sticking it to the Book Banners: A Glorious Tale of Pyrrhic Victory Podcast Episode · #AmWriting · 05/23/2025 · 48m

Talking book banning, fighting back, and snails. Y’know, like one does. On the #amwriting podcast. Take a listen! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

This is a first for me. A family at a school I visited this year told me about Fifi, their pet Snail. So I signed a Whale, Quail, Snail book to her. Today, I got a thank you email with these lovely pics of Fifi enjoying being read to!

The Wind beneath my wings! Thank you, Lee!

Thank you!!

@hownowbooking.bsky.social

Definitely not a time to "retreat into our shells." THANK YOU!

I had a school visit cancelled. Read on to learn why, and what I did about it. 🐌

Great piece from @ericaperl.bsky.social @slj.com!

Happy Independent Bookstore Day! Read Maris's piece, then go show your local indie bookstore some love. They're so much more than places to get books--they are places to engage with ideas and others in your community. Staffed by actual humans to help you find the books you didn't know you needed!

Thanks, @debbieohi.com, for doing the homework for the entire class! (Seriously - grateful for your research and generosity)

Mac Barnett Named New National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Mac Barnett Named New National Ambassador for Young People’s LiteratureAmbassadorship Will Celebrate the Power of the Picture Book Art FormProposals Now Accepted for National Ambassador Tour...

Mac Barnett Named New National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature newsroom.loc.gov/news/mac-bar...

How the Capybara Won My Heart—and Almost Everyone’s Else’s It’s not hard to understand why capys have a cultlike following on Instagram and TikTok. I fell for the giant rodent decades ago.

In this week's @NewYorker I write about my love for the world's greatest animal.

www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

As the author of The Capybara Conspiracy: A Novel in Three Acts, I heartily concur. (And loved your @newyorker.com piece.)

Congratulations, John!!

Get ready to celebrate World Read Aloud Day on February 5, 2025, with these special resources from our friends at LitWorld.❤️

How will you be celebrating #WorldReadAloudDay with your library and school community?

buff.ly/4fQcS5G

#EduSky #TLSky #tlchat #futurereadylibs #libraries #WRAD25

cover of a zine titled Do you make books? Yes? I want YOU to join Authors Against Book Bans! By Maia Kobabe

WHAT IS AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS? A coalition of writers, illustrators, editors & other book creators, standing united against the unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read. We support the availability of diverse voices in our libraries, in our schools, & in our culture. We pledge to band together against the oppression of literature, to speak when our voices are silenced, to go where our bodies are needed, & to fight to ensure this freedom. Our concern is not only for the books, but for the children, families, educators, librarians, & communities who suffer when the freedom to read is challenged and taken away. WHAT CAN AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS OFFER YOU? - Regional groups working on legislation to protect authors & the freedom to read state-by-state - Online trainings on digital security, public speaking, & how to counter book challenges in your community -Affinity groups for BIPOC authors, queer authors, authors with disabilities, indie, nonfiction, romance writers & more -Support if your book is challenged or your school visit is canceled! -A very active discord community

Author: What if my book hasn’t been challenged? Maia: JOIN! Author: Ok, but what if I’m really busy and can’t do much organizing right now? Maia: JOIN ANYWAY! Even if all you do is sign up, your membership will help lend weight to the letters AABB sends to publishers & legislators. As of January 2025, AABB has 3500+ members. Check out the recent open letter to publishers on AABB’s socials & feel free to share it with your contacts. An Open Letter to Our Publishers- instagram.com/p/DCzYmKcR8uq

Maia: I’ve been facing intense challenges to my book since 2021. Knowing that I am not alone in the fight against censorship is what keeps my spirits up! Watching the folks in AABB share information, co-write legislation, show up to library & school board meetings, & speak up to publishers about the need to protect diverse books & minority authors has been amazing! This is a weird & scary time to be an author, but you are not alone! Join thousands of us fighting for the freedom to read, the freedom to write, the freedom to teach, the freedom to learn, & the freedom to share our stories!

Has your name ever appeared in the credits of a book, or is it likely to in the near future? Then you should join
@authorsabb.bsky.social! Full transcript and jpg of this zine formatted for print available here: www.patreon.com/posts/i-want...
#authorsagainstbookbans

VCFA Info Sessions Join us to learn more about our low residency MFA programs and the application process. In this session we will discuss: Overview of VCFA programs What does low residency look […]

Wanna learn about VCFA's low residency MFA programs (including Writing for Children and Young Adults)? Tune into an upcoming info session!

YouTube video by E Train Talks Books My Read Aloud of THE NINTH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH by Author Erica S. Perl & Illustrated by Shahar Kober

THE NINTH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH by author @ericaperl.bsky.social
is the #picturebook I didn’t know I needed & you’ll feel the same way after you read this special #PB! A story that celebrates the unexpected & shows us how we can find kindness all around us! HAPPY 9th NIGHT! youtu.be/_8-8u3FEZms?...

Happy whatever you celebrate!

I spoke w/6 of the authors that contributed to, THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: 16 HANUKKAH STORIES, edited by @henryherz.bsky.social Watch my talk with: @alansilberberg.bsky.social @ericaperl.bsky.social @terrilibenson.bsky.social @bridgethodder.bsky.social & Kimberly Bradley 🩵➡️ youtu.be/3XxpCQTs4Oc?...

A Very December 25th Hanukkah Blog/podcast: interviews with creators of Jewish kidlit (mostly).

My newest podcast episode on The Book of Life is "A Very December 25th Hanukkah" with authors @joannelevy.bsky.social , @ericaperl.bsky.social , and @henryherz.bsky.social talking about their Hanukkah picture books, middle grade, and short stories. jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/12/a-ve...