Prior to the book banning movement and before the politics of hate and cruelty metastasized, I would routinely have thirty, forty, fifty, or even sixty author visits each school year. Later this week, I have my second school visit for the 2023-2024 school year.

Just three days left to enroll in 2024's Revision Season! I'm spending this morning reading and responding to early enrollee's Week Zero letters, and I am so excited to get to know this cohort and their work in the coming weeks. Onward! revisionseason.com

In March 2024, a total of 71,437 books and materials were checked out through HBPL. Another statistic that shows the strength and efficiency of our public library system. It doesn't need privatization!

I love this so much!! Have the best time reading, Wheeler Elementary!!!

Show your support this Saturday for our gem of a public library. Let’s keep our library public! HB taxpayer money shouldn’t be funneled to outside private profiteers. Our library is financially lean and shouldn’t be used in this way!

Allison Lee, ⁦managing director of ⁦PEN America⁩ Los Angeles office, debated Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark about the new children’s book parent/guardian board on KCAL9 this morning. youtu.be/hy_q4PKES7E?si…

I was busy while on vacation. Yesterday, in conjunction with AuthorsAgainstBookBans, Elana K. Arnold MariNaomi (they/them) Molly Knox Ostertag, maggie tokuda-hall (updates only) and I joined Huntington Beach council members to speak out again a recently passed ordinance aiming to restrict access to certain children’s books.

Thank you to Publishers Weekly for covering our press event w the Huntington Beach City Council members who voted against bans, Dan Kalmick, Rhonda Bolton 🏳️‍🌈🇺🇦 & Natalie Moser, along with Elana K. Arnold, Gretchen McNeil, MariNaomi (they/them) & Molly Knox Ostertag.

publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/in…

Here's what Elana K. Arnold has to say, as an alumnus of Huntington Beach's high school, and user of the Huntington Beach Public Library, about city ordinance 4218:

EveryLibrary PEN America

I'm overjoyed to share this ✨glorious blurb✨ from award-winning author and all-around fabulous human Elana K. Arnold. Thank you, Elana, for these kind words!

I love visiting school communities, both virtually and in person. Please consider bringing me to your readers.

Spring is in the air! 🌸🌻🌷🪻

How is everyone doing with #MiddleGradeMarch reading lists?

harpercollins.com/products/the-h… HarperKids HarperStacks 📚

A Week Zero assignment in Revision Season is to write me a letter. I just got the first one, and it reminded me how much I believe in this course. It's so exciting to see writers opening up to the revision process, and to themselves. We're still enrolling! revisionseason.com

I can help you

The damsel book has a few weird similarities with Elena’s book (not completely the same but I raised some eyebrows) but FYI this book is so worth reading. It’s a super weird/experimental fairy tale deconstruction that’s very mature (I’d almost recommend it for an adult audience)

Everyone should read this dark, rage-laden, cathartic story

Many have asked if the DAMSEL movie is based on my book as it has the same name & many similar conceits. I haven't seen the film or read the book based on its screenplay. I can say I'm disappointed they chose to use the same title & I hope that's as far as the similarities go.

Writer friends…you want to take this class!