July Author Update

Jul 28

Dear Bernstrom Readers,

It’s been some time since I last wrote. As I write this, it’s six in the morning on a Thursday. I want to give you an update on what I’ve been up to and what my future plans are.

Update:

As some of you know, I have two books coming out this Fall. Much of what I have been doing these past few weeks has been getting ready to launch those two books. I flew to Phoenix for the Children’s institute where I met many wonderful independent booksellers. I want to take a moment to encourage as many people as possible to support our local bookstores. These people love books! It’s very hard being an independent book store owner, especially in the days of Amazon. I’ve moved all book links to my website to platforms that support local bookstores. If you want to buy books online either use:

Bookshop: Buy books online. Support local bookstores.

IndieBound

After Phoenix, I flew to Washington D.C. for the American Library Association where I spoke on the unique benefit that text and pictures have on young readers. I met with some wonderful organizations that gift books to schools and teachers who struggle to afford them.

An Open Book Foundation “connects Washington DC-area students to authors, illustrators, and their books to nurture a lifelong love of reading.”

I also met with First Book. Teachers and librarians who serve underserved communities, please check out this resource for buying books for your students and patrons.

Additionally, I met with yet another resource called Reading Rockets. Wow! This is the go-to place for finding a book. I want to produce some YouTube videos on how to navigate this site. It is dense and deep. Easy to get lost in the weeds. But It’s everything parents, teachers, and librarians need regarding book selection for kids. So lots more on Reading Rockets soon.

As for me personally? My job as a college English faculty begins soon. Classes start up in about three-four weeks. I’ve been busy lesson planning and setting up my courses in the college’s learning management system. A little college tip from a former ACT tutor, if you have a child in 8th - 12th grade, please have them take the ACT. They can take it as many times as they need. But the sooner the student takes the ACT, she’ll start seeing ACT questions in high school math courses and ACT English questions in English class. It’s worth every penny and it really does prepare students for college.

Heather and the kids (LaVonne, Grace, Haven, Gwendolyn, and Edsel) are doing well. The kids are also getting ready for school. Lots of activity here in the Bernstrom house. We are trying to spend 1,000 hours outside. I’ll share more about this later.

Books Under Editorial Review (On editors’ desks but not acquired)

The Dumped Truck

Uncle Grumple

A Bear, A Fish, and a LIttle Wish

Books out for Submission:

I am working on trying to publish a few more books. My agent currently has about four picture books out for submission. Submission to acceptance or rejections takes months, so I’ll keep you updated. Picture books out for submission:

I Flow Like a Rainbow,

House of Mouse

One Shining Night

Princesses Share Almost Everything

My agent also has a Young Adult Book out for submission:

Blackbird Rising

Books I’m Working On:

I’m really excited about some of my new projects. I have two middle-grade books I’m working on.

Middle-Grade:

The Golden Boy

The Five

Picture Books:

The Night the Zumps Moved to Town

Unstick Tractor

Dear Santa

The Read-Aloud Dinner Family (Books, Poems, Literature Read During Dinner)

The Read-Aloud Dinner book we are currently reading is The Wind in the Willows.

We have just finished memorizing “God’s Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

We are memorizing the Beatitudes from The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 5. We have finished memorizing all the verses but are not working on mastery.