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Brooke Baum

@brookebaum.bsky.social

1.2K followers 1.9K following 850 posts

🌟 2025 #PBRisingStars Mentee 🎨 #kidlit author-illustrator 📚 Former children's bookseller and school librarian 😴 Current tired mom 🤓 Self-taught and still self-teaching brookebaum.com

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 3d

LATE BIRD is sick of Early Bird getting all the worms--and all the glory. But don't worry, Late Bird has a plan. Forget the alarm clock, this calls for a catapult. Look out world, here comes Late Bird!

THE BAD SEED x THE VERY IMPATIENT CATERPILLAR

#DVPit #ND #PB

Images of LATE BIRD looking for worms and getting increasingly agitated as he doesn't find any. Another image of LATE BIRD sweaty and out of breath saying "I made it!"

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Reposted by Brooke Baum

Kim Collazo @kcollazo.bsky.social · 1h

Double double, toil and trouble! It’s time #Kidlit writer friends! 🧙‍♀️

Make sure you check out this year’s #Halloweensie guidelines from Susanna Leonard Hill! 🎃

And the prizes? Jam packed with treats!

susannahill.com/2025/10/11/i...

“I’ll Get You, My Pretty!” – Announcing The Guidelines for the 15th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest for Children’s Writers!!!

Our hands begin to twitch -our thoughts, to pitchand suddenly ideas flywithout a hitch.A ghost? A witch?A mummy with an itch?Our Halloweensie storiesflow without a glitch.And oh, what happens then …

susannahill.com

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 22h

🎃 31 Days of Halloween Books 🎃

Day 10: THE GHOSTS GO MARCHING by Maria Modugno & illustrated by Claudia Boldt

Why I 🖤 it: Read to the tune of "The Ants Go Marching," this book had my 3 year old begging to read it again and again. A great preschool read aloud!

#kidlit #halloween #booksky

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Reposted by Brooke Baum

Caroline Palmer @1010lilfoot.bsky.social · 2d

New Graphic Novel!!!

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Reposted by Brooke Baum

KidLitGN @kidlitgn.bsky.social · 3d

KidLit GN Pitch event PREVIEW! #editors, #agents, take a look at what's waiting at kidlitgn.com!

#kidlitgn #pitchevent #pitch #graphicnovels #comics

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Reposted by Brooke Baum

beth phelan @bethphelan.bsky.social · 1d

#DVpit inspired me to reopen to queries sooner than I'd planned... Starting Nov 2025, I'll be open to unsolicited queries the first week of every month! Still just YA + MG fiction... Really hungry for 🤩 debut voices... You'll be able to submit here: querytracker.net/querybeth #mswl

Announcement:
I will reopen to unsolicited submissions for the first week of every month starting in November!
I’m only looking for YA + MG fiction. I am particularly hungry for debut voices! Also:
- high-stakes plots about liars, scams, etc
- fresh grounded dystopian with personal stakes
- smart, cutting social commentary
- meta shit and big twists
- multigenerational stories
- anything with a unique/risky approach or voice
- ugly underbellies!
gallt & zacker literary agency
querytracker.net/query/querybeth
www.bethphelan.com

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 1d

I hate this so much. First it's not like struggling illustrators are usually rolling in extra money to steal. But also, it's just plain mean. Imagine thinking your break has finally come and then, not only are you scammed out of money, you're left heartbroken.

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Reposted by Brooke Baum

Brian LaRossa @brianlarossa.com · 1d

Hang in there illustrators, I see you fighting that good fight.

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you so much Nicole!

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 1d

🎃 31 Days of Halloween Books 🎃

Day 9: DRAGON'S HALLOWEEN by Dav Pilkey

Why I 🖤 it: Dragon is one of my favorite #kidlit characters of all time. Sweet and hilarious, this is a great read aloud for preschoolers, but it's also perfect for early readers to read on their own.

#halloween #booksky

Cover of DRAGON'S HALLOWEEN by Dav Pilkey

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 1d

🎃 31 Days of Halloween Books 🎃

Day 8 (a day late): PUMPKIN SOUP by Helen Cooper

Why I 🖤 it: I always think of this book as cozy, but then I read it every year and I'm reminded that it is truly bizarre and a bit unsettling. Cozy it up with a bowl of real pumpkin soup!

#kidlit #booksky #halloween

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks for the update! I've heard wonderful things about you and definitely plan to query. 😎

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 1d

OMG Perfect! Thank you!

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 2d

I really want a light-hearted middle grade or YA graphic novel with heavy fall vibes. Think Pumpkinheads, The Okay Witch, or Ghosts. 🎃

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 2d

My 3 year old loves OK GO videos. The airplane one blows her mind.

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 2d

Thanks Mili 💙

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 2d

This sounds so great!!! It's only a matter of time!

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 2d

And if all else fails, there's always plan B:

a group of cartoon characters are in a circle with a pentagram in the middle

Alt: a group of cartoon characters are in a circle with a pentagram in the middle

media.tenor.com

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you, Layne!!

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 2d

And to yours! Your pitches were great!

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 2d

OMG! I feel like I just time traveled. Can you do that again, but this time to when I've found my agent and I'm done querying? 😂

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 2d

I just want to thank everyone who cheered me on yesterday during #DVPit. The #kidlit community here is so incredible. 💙

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 3d

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 2d

Always love your posts, Jacob! I just started querying last week (although it's for the first time for me). I find a lot of comfort in reading these kinds of stories! Can't wait for Part 2!

Reposted by Brooke Baum

Jacob Souva @jacobsouva.bsky.social · 2d

That time I was agent-less, book dummy in hand:

“If you know me, you’ll know the moment I wrapped on this book dummy I began to question if it would get my foot in any of the doors I was trying to get into.”

#kidlit #kidlitart

😳 open.substack.com/pub/jacobsou...

How I Queried My Literary Agent

A tale full of intrigue, doubt, and success (Part 1)

open.substack.com

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 2d

This is exactly how my brain works, too. Lol.

Reposted by Brooke Baum

Michelle Witte @michellewitte.bsky.social · 2d

Now that #DVpit is over, writers might be wondering what happens next. Well, from the agent side, things are about to get brutal. First there is the flurry of requests. For some projects, that means those who get in their quickly (i.e. building their client lists) have the advantage.

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