Hannah Holt

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It's not about bizarre so much as not making your characters generic. Flat. Real people have quirks. One of mine is that I adore my chickens. Not everyone has chickens but people can relate to the feeling of loving an animal. Every character needs something that makes them unique.

If you write a character that appeals to everyone, it will connect with no one. Specificity is the heart of character building.

Standing in the Portland Rose Garden

Snap a pic of yourself in "war ravaged" Portland!

❤️❤️❤️

Woooo!

Thank you, Abbie! ❤️💎

An image of the picture book Cassini's Mission, which is on sale now, with the following excerpts from quotes: "a courageous, steadfastly rendered story" "A perfect read for kids curious about the universe" "Engaging text and awe-inspiring art" "A must have for schools and libraries"

Happy Birthday, CASSINI'S MISSION!! This picture book has my whole heart. It's about Cassini as she explores the Saturn system and discovers the ingredients of life on the moon Enceladus. Julia Blattman's illustrations are jaw-dropping!

#kidlit #picturebooks #picturebook
@joycekay.bsky.social

Currently reading (and loving!) ONE DROP by Kaitlin Sikes and Mel Cerri. With bright illustrations and zippy text, this water cycle journey is a refreshing splash! 💦

Looks delicious 😋

Ack! Racoons are the devil. I hope your flock recovers. I swore off more baby chicks, but then my broody hen wouldn't break. This was the only thing that worked.

Publishers Marketplace. $25/month. A one month subscription yields a wealth of knowledge.

cover of A HISTORY OF UNDERWEAR by Hannah Holt shows a chicken with a pointer stick pointing at the title; the title is made of yellow bricks; some other chickens stand in front of a wall under the title; the cover background is blue; the picture is taken with the book in my hand in front of a live chicken and another live chicken's tail feathers and green plants

My chickens do not understand storytime, but my kids loved reading this fabulous, funny, fact-filled book! #kidlit 📚👍
A HISTORY OF UNDERWEAR WITH PROFESSOR CHICKEN by @hannahholt.bsky.social & illustrations by Korwin Briggs. 🙌

Beautiful bird! Thanks for sharing and my chickens say, "hi!'

Thanks, and yes. 207 writers were matched with critique partners last week.

Congratulations!

Beautiful! Congratulations!!! 🐝

The sweetest 💓

The notes says, "Please be careful with this book." ❤️

Amazing! Congratulations! ❤️ 🎉

This sweetie dressed up like H. Tracy Hall for his school wax museum. And the note on The Diamond and the Boy. 🥹💎

Yay! Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉

I think you misunderstood my intent. I'm saying the current system should be given more resources. I support the DOE. I want to live in a world where there isn't a scarcity mindset in SPED. Where parents don't need private tutors and lawyers. Where schools find and help every child with disability.

If you don't see the problem, you are part of it.

To even get to the IEP meeting stage is a privilege. Many schools push kids onto 504s when an IEP would be a better fit, which circles back to my original premise: many schools are not sufficiently finding (or *testing*) students with disabilities in the first place.

Do you know how many hoops parents jump through to get help? Do you know how much bandwidth it takes to get "free" help? This does not solve the systematic problem. We need schools to identify more kids and we need to better support schools so they have the staff and tools to do the work.

ADHD diagnosis is covered by most insurance, assuming a parent has medical insurance. But other specific LDs are not. It cost hundreds of dollars to get a diagnosis. Money many families can't afford, and the law requires schools to do the testing. And yet...many students go undiagnosed.

"Parents need to inform themselves of the laws..." No, parents shouldn't be expected to be legal experts. Schools should follow the laws they are required to abide by. You really expect a parent working two jobs to know the ins and outs of FAPE?

That's the problem. Parents need lawyers to keep up and not everyone can afford lawyers. If you need a lawyer for the system to work, the system isn't serving vulnerable populations.

Critique group matches start going out May 1st. Every writer who filled out my April form will have their matches by May 7th at the latest. Happy writing and connecting!