Joanna Sholem
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bookjo.bsky.social
Joanna Sholem
@bookjo.bsky.social
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Zen is my sunshine. Currently snoring gently.
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
It's the national year of reading in the uk in 2026. Instead of asking "why don't kids read any more", ask "how can I help them find the stories (and non fic) they will fall in love with". Less "get off my lawn whippersnappers" and more "come, sit on the lawn, here's a comic".
January 1, 2026 at 9:47 AM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
Happy New Year #WritingCommunity! 🎊

It's time for #WriteCBC, share your writing goal for 2026. Tell us in the replies to this post and you might win a course worth £230! Enter by 10am Fri 9 Jan.

Get some inspiration (and read T&Cs) here:
www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/blog/10-writ...
January 1, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥? 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘔𝘦, 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘵. by Judy Blume was first published #OTD in 1970. 

The NYT selected it the Outstanding Book of the Year. TIME: "Blume turned millions of pre-teens into readers. She did it by asking the right questions—and avoiding pat, easy answers." #booksky #literature #litsky
January 1, 2026 at 7:47 PM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
I advise you never to make these. Or at the very least go into making them with your eyes wide open. Because they are basically the biscuit equivalent of crack.
Parmesan shortbreads are the perfect accompaniment to any festive fizz you may be uncorking to celebrate the New Year. They’re #RecipeOfTheDay now in case you want a get a head start on them, but they’re neither difficult nor time-consuming to make. www.nigella.com/recipes/parm...
Parmesan Shortbreads
This is an Italian-inspired recipe that comes to me from Australia via Brazil. To explain: a Brazilian friend, and the best cook I know, Helio Fenerich made it for me, and I had to keep (rudely) askin...
www.nigella.com
December 29, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
"The Peek-Through Nature series by author Patricia Hegarty and Britta Teckentrup gives young children an early introduction to the natural world" www.readingzone.com/authors/expl...
December 29, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
The storm could bring snow and high speed winds to parts of the northern Midwest on Sunday and Monday.
Another Winter Storm Threatens Midwest With Blizzard Conditions—Snarls Air Travel With 6,000+ Delays
The storm could bring snow and high speed winds to parts of the northern Midwest on Sunday and Monday.
www.forbes.com
December 28, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
Monday Motivation!
Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

#MotivationMonday
December 29, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
I could not love this transport poster more.
December 28, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 867:
Don't make your writing all about you. Leave some space for your readers to also make it about themselves.
December 28, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
Looking for stimulating #Christmas reading? Enjoy our interviews with the four authors on the shortlist for the #nerobookawards Children's Fiction Award #KidLitUK

booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/bfk-27...
December 28, 2025 at 3:45 PM
I know I said I love cold, crisp winter days but this is a little chillier than I had in mind.
Have completely lost my midwesterner toughness as this would be a mild reprieve wouldn’t it?
December 28, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
With the National Year of Reading on the horizon, publishers are hoping shorter titles and graphic novels might prove the antidote to the decline in reading enjoyment among kids, says Charlotte Eyre 👇 #BookSky
February 2025: Children's Previews
ebx.sh
December 2, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 331:
Not everyone will love you. Live with it. All writers do. All you can do is your best, most honest work, and send it out into the world in the hope that it connects with someone. What they see in it after that is often more about them than it is about you...
December 14, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
Day 10 of the #NewIllustrationoftheDay #adventcalendar quiz.
Two children's book title characters beginning with J.
Your task: name the two ILLUSTRATORS.
Answers to the whole quiz will be posted on the afternoon of December 24th.
December 10, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
Barnes Children's Festival is raising money to fund their free school author talks next year. There are signed books and signed original drawings by famous illustrators. Do check them out! Might make a nice Christmas present for a kid's book loving friend.

www.jumblebee.co.uk/christmas202...
Christmas 2025 Art Auction Fundraiser
What better Christmas gift than original artwork by one of the UK's best loved illustrators, or a signed copy of a book by a beloved author? AND you'll be raising money that will go towards providing ...
www.jumblebee.co.uk
December 6, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
Denise Lugo has been a home care worker supporting aging adults and people with disabilities in North Carolina for over 30 years.

Now, the Labor Department wants to strip her and millions of other caregivers of minimum wage and overtime protections that could wreak havoc on their livelihoods.
Home Care Workers Are Losing Minimum Wage Protections — and Fighting Back
Three million care workers, many of them Black and Latina women, could be classified as “companions” instead of professionals.
capitalandmain.com
December 6, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
Blackwood Primary School in Lanark are the second school.

I got in touch a couple of weeks ago.

They've sent me a list of books they'd love.

So now I can can send them the books!

God, this is the BEST!

www.biggreenbookshop.com/big-green-bo...
Big Green Books 500 Club - Big Green Bookshop. @biggreenbooks on Twitter. Cheese fan. My Mum says hi.
The Big Green Bookshop an independent online bookshop in selling awesome titles by awesome authors to awesome people
www.biggreenbookshop.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
I started The 500 Club in July.

The idea is that with small regular donations we can get £500 of books into loads of different schools.

People joined in & the 1st £500 of books went out to Harlands Primary in September.

We've just hit the next £500!

www.biggreenbookshop.com/big-green-bo...
December 2, 2025 at 10:12 PM
This coming Saturday. Come one, come all..
Don’t forget to pre-order!
ICYMI: The Bookseller Crow in Crystal Palace has announced a Christmas signing day next month, featuring Holly Jackson, Jessie Burton, Lucy Mangan and Louie Stowell 👇 #BookSky
The Bookseller Crow to host signing day with Holly Jackson, Jessie Burton, Lucy Mangan and Louie Stowell
ebx.sh
December 2, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
We are proud to partner with @doorsteplibrary.bsky.social to give children the gift of reading this Christmas.

From 2nd to 9th December, we'll be helping to match donations made to their Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign. So if you donate now, it'll have twice the impact!

bit.ly/xmasbiggive25
December 2, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
CARNIVAL QUEEN is a "celebration of a celebration, both fun and inviting" www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...
CARNIVAL QUEEN | Kirkus Reviews
A little girl’s favorite day of the year poses some unique challenges, but she handles it with the grace of a queen.
www.kirkusreviews.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Reposted by Joanna Sholem
The School Reading List Children’s Books of the Year 2025 shortlist is live! 🎉📚
Explore standout fiction, nonfiction & picture books and vote for your winners in each category.
👉 schoolreadinglist.co.uk/childrens-bo...
December 1, 2025 at 7:30 AM
December 1, 2025 at 4:01 PM
@jennyhawke.bsky.social Hi! Sorry to bother you - but glad to be following you here, but I have a quick question re: Primary School Book Bundle comp and hope you could point me in the right direction.
December 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM