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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 11h

Yes. This. And also, make stuff. Write poems. Paint with watercolors. Scribble stories in your notebook. Make zines, novels, sculptures, screenplays, cartoons, all of it. Make it with your hands and your own human brain. Doesn't matter if it's good or not. It's YOURS.

Boze the Library Owl @sketchesbyboze.bsky.social · 11h

Chatbots and AI slop are going to ruin countless brains. Yours doesn't have to be one of them. Study history. Read poetry. Get acquainted with Bach, Shakespeare, George Eliot. In a time when people are rapidly getting dumber, we need communities devoted to the life of the mind.

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Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)

Maia Kobabe @redgoldsparks.bsky.social · 12h

It's Banned Books Week. If you are an author, please join @authorsabb.bsky.social! If you work in the publishing industry, please join @pubprosabb.bsky.social! Canadian authors, you can now join Canadian Authors & Illustrators Against Book bans: linktr.ee/caiabb. Working together feels good! 📚✍️👏

The black and white cover of a zine titled Do you make books? Yes? I want YOU to join Authors Against Book Bans! By Maia Kobabe. The image shows author Maia Kobabe holding a stack of books and pointing at the reader

WHAT IS AABB?
A coalition of writers, illustrators, editors & other book creators, standing united against the unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read. We support the availability of diverse voices in our libraries, in our schools, & in our culture. We pledge to band together against the oppression of literature, to speak when our voices are silenced, to go where our bodies are needed, & to fight to ensure this freedom.

Our concern is not only for the books, but for the children, families, educators,
librarians, & communities who suffer when the freedom to read is challenged and taken away.

WHAT CAN AABB OFFER YOU?
- Regional groups working on legislation to protect authors & the freedom to read state-by-state
- Online trainings on digital security, public speaking, & how to counter book challenges in your community
-Affinity groups for BIPOC authors, queer authors, authors with disabilities, indie, nonfiction, romance writers & more
-Support if your book is challenged or your school visit is canceled!
-A very active discord community

Maia: I’ve been facing intense challenges to my book since 2021. Knowing that I am not alone in the fight against censorship is what keeps my spirits up!

Watching the folks in AABB share information, co-write legislation, show up to library & school board meetings, & speak up to publishers about the need to protect diverse books & minority authors has been amazing!

This is a weird & scary time to be an author, but you are not alone! Join thousands of us fighting for the freedom to read, the freedom to write, the freedom to teach, the freedom to learn, & the freedom to share our stories!
-Maia Kobabe, 2025

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Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)

Samantha M Clark @samanthamclark.com · 16h

Wow! Congratulations to @jandersoncoats.bsky.social #kidlit #mglit

J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 16h

The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls will receive a **starred** review from @thehornbook.bsky.social! "This is historical fiction at its best" - wow, thanks, Horn Book! www.jandersoncoats.com/the-unexpect...

Illustrated book cover. At the top of the image is a street scene from early twentieth century Denver, with people of all ages in suits and long dresses. Some are on foot; others are in horse-drawn buggies. There is a large archway with "Welcome" across the top, and beyond it is Seventeenth Street full of people. There are buildings with arched windows on either side of the street. At the bottom left is a white girl with a single braid. She is wearing an beige dress and carrying a messenger-style bag over her shoulder. She is looking up at the archway with an excited expression on her face. At the bottom right is an Eastern European folk art motif with flowers and viney stems. The color scheme is shades of turquoise blue and an orangey-red, with purple accents. In the middle of the image is the book's title in white text: The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls. Also the author's name in red text: J. Anderson Coats.

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 16h

The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls will receive a **starred** review from @thehornbook.bsky.social! "This is historical fiction at its best" - wow, thanks, Horn Book! www.jandersoncoats.com/the-unexpect...

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 1d

Boosting! I love @lynnekelly.bsky.social's work, and I can't wait to read this new one. 📚❤️📚

Lynne Kelly 🐘🐳🐣🐙 @lynnekelly.bsky.social · 1d

Hey, my book is out today! 💙💙💙
You can find this story about 12yo Max and Ursula the octopus wherever you like to get your books, like your favorite bookstore or library

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/753918...

Three Blue Hearts by Lynne Kelly: 9780593898390 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

From the bestselling author of Song for a Whale comes a moving tale about the life-changing bond between a boy and the octopus he rescues. Max can’t seem to escape the big, looming shadow of his...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 1d

We are moving toward fall, but I will take as many of these glorious sunny days as the universe will give me.

A tabby/Bengal cat stands on a tall wooden planter that's next to a porch painted green. She has yellow eyes, and she's looking at the camera. In the background is her cat fence, so she is outside safely.

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Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)

Ursula K. PenGuin @ikiruined.bsky.social · 1d

Bookshop.org is a great site for your book-buying needs, always use this over Amazon if you can!

Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · 1d

Can’t decide what to buy on Prime Day?

Try: absolutely nothing, and then go support indie bookstores instead 📚

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Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)

Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 2d

Bigots and book banners, as always, are shown to be a small (though very loud) minority: "99.97 percent of families, even when given the option, chose to let their children learn about LGBTQ+ people."

Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 2d

1. 4 months ago, The Supreme Court gave families a right to opt out of LGBTQ+ education in schools.

Now, in Montgomery County, Maryland, where the case originated, the results are in.

Only 43 families out of 160,000 students have exercised that new right.

Subscribe to support our journalism.

Only 0.03% Opt Out Of LGBTQ+ Education In Maryland After SCOTUS Gives Them A Right To

After SCOTUS gave families a right to opt out of LGBTQ+ education, Montgomery County, Maryland is reporting only 43 families took them up on it.

www.erininthemorning.com

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 4d

Boosting! This cover is gorgeous, and it looks like such a fun read.

Caroline Carlson @carolinecarlson.bsky.social · 4d

The nice folks at @candlewickpress.bsky.social are giving away 10 finished copies of THE TINKERERS over on Goodreads, and there’s still a day or so left to enter. Here’s the link if you need it! www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho... #kidlit #giveaway

Book giveaway for The Tinkerers by Caroline Carlson Sep 07-Oct 05, 2025

Enter to win one of 10 free copies available. Giveaway dates from Sep 07-Oct 05, 2025. The astromancers in Peter’s star-touched village have an amazing d...

www.goodreads.com

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 4d

This is why Small Spaces works so well IMO. It dials into what its audience will fear the most, then builds deepening layers of those fears.

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 5d

Fans of spooky #kidlit - check out this thread!

(Sidebar: I LOVE Small Spaces. It's one of the most singularly creepy things I've ever read, for any audience.)

This is Allyween @allymalinenko.bsky.social · 7d

Okay let's do this - Oct 1 - middle grade horror books you should read DAY ONE

When i decided i wanted to write middle grade, I knew I needed to read some modern ones and this was the first book I picked up. It was incredible.

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Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)

skellyton bones jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 5d

Trying to figure out how many ways we can flash the red lights here. This was NEVER EVER ABOUT BOOKS. Books were the tool.

THEY ARE STEALING YOUR RIGHTS.

THEY
ARE
STEALING
YOUR
RIGHTS.

Florida Freedom to Read Project @flfreedomread.bsky.social · 5d

Reporters, here’s the assignment:

Next time an elected or appointed official responds with, “it’s not banned because you can still buy it,” the mandatory followup question is, “Do you believe Americans have a First Amendment right to access and share speech in our publicly-funded libraries?”

Florida Freedom to Read Project @flfreedomread.bsky.social · 5d

In order for Judge Winsor to get to the conclusion that access elsewhere was an acceptable solution for a school to remove a book based on viewpoint, he had to deny patrons and authors their First Amendment rights in the library.

Let that sink in.

floridaphoenix.com/2025/10/02/s...

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 7d

The birds are not buying her act.

A Bengal/tabby cat lying on her back on a paved walkway. The lawn around her needs to be mowed. You can see it in the picture, but there is a cat fence so she is outside safely.

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Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)

PEN America @penamerica.bsky.social · 7d

Says author @malindalo.bsky.social: "Book banners want you to think that innocent eight-year-olds are being assaulted by sexually explicit material — which is just false..." Read more: pen.org/press-releas...

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Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)

Alanna Smith @alannawrites.bsky.social · 7d

The language of non-consent around AI is really telling. "It's too late to be scared." "It's here whether we want it or not." "You'll have to learn to work with it." "You can't fight the inevitable."

All just variations of "you're not allowed to say no." Creepy technology made by creepy people.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 7d

‘It’s too late to be scared’: readers on the controversial rise of AI ‘actors’

The birth of AI ‘actor’ Tilly Norwood has caused a backlash in Hollywood and has sparked conversation from Guardian readers

www.theguardian.com

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 8d

I spy The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls on this Mock Newbery list from Anderson's Bookshop! What great company to be in! andersonsbookshop.com/mock-newbery

A screen shot from a bookstore's Mock Newbery competition featuring The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls by J. Anderson Coats. Illustrated book cover. At the top of the image is a street scene from early twentieth century Denver, with people of all ages in suits and long dresses. Some are on foot; others are in horse-drawn buggies. There is a large archway with "Welcome" across the top, and beyond it is Seventeenth Street full of people. There are buildings with arched windows on either side of the street. At the bottom left is a white girl with a single braid. She is wearing an beige dress and carrying a messenger-style bag over her shoulder. She is looking up at the archway with an excited expression on her face. At the bottom right is an Eastern European folk art motif with flowers and viney stems. The color scheme is shades of turquoise blue and an orangey-red, with purple accents. In the middle of the image is the book's title in white text: The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls. Also the author's name in red text: J. Anderson Coats.

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Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)

We Need Diverse Books @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social · 8d

Today is the last day to apply for a 2026 WNDB Mentorship!

💻 bit.ly/2026Mentorships

We Need Diverse Books @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social · Sep 2

🔔 Now accepting 2026 Mentorship applications!

Want to participate in our annual Mentorship Program, where we pair emerging writers & illustrators from diverse backgrounds with experienced professionals in the field? Visit the link below (🔗 also in bio) to apply today!

💻 bit.ly/2026Mentorships

Light yellow graphic titled “2026 Mentorship Applications Now Open!” Beneath the title text is an illustration of a light-skinned person with shoulder-length brown hair sitting at a desk with a notebook open in their lap and their desktop computer showing screens full of emails and word documents. At the bottom is a search bar graphic containing the shortened URL “bit.ly/2026Mentorship”, which will redirect folks to the 2026 Mentorship application.

Light yellow graphic titled “About the Mentorship Program.” Beneath the title text is a mock-up internet browser window, with the search bar at the top containing the shortened URL “bit.ly/2026Mentorship”, which will redirect folks to the 2026 Mentorship application. The program description in the browser says, “The WNDB Mentorship Program aims to support writers and illustrators by pairing them with an experienced professional in the field. Our mentors work one-on-one with a mentee and their completed draft of a manuscript over the course of a calendar year, offering advice to improve craft and to better understand the publishing industry. For 2026, WNDB is offering fifteen mentorships split amongst the following categories: Picture Book Text (PB), Middle Grade (MG), Young Adult (YA); and Illustration (IL).”

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 8d

I've called my reps, and I hope you'll call yours. We need solidarity here. No one's rights, dignity, or safety should be on the bargaining table.

Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 8d

1. It's shutdown day, and anti-trans provisions are on the line... either today, or in a few more weeks if a clean continuing resolution passes.

Trump posted a video this morning blaming a shutdown on trans people and immigrants.

Here is your shutdown guide.

Subscribe to support our journalism.

Shutdown Day Guide For LGBTQ+ People: "Continuing Resolutions" And New Anti-Trans Posts From The White House

Shutdown day is here, and there has been a lot of competing coverage on Republican priorities, Democrat's demands, and what shutdown politics means for LGBTQ+ people in America.

www.erininthemorning.com

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 9d

I love JSTOR so much. Here's your chance to join in the nerdy fun.

Warwick History Post-Doc Club @post-doc-club.bsky.social · 9d

Great news!
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month

www.jstor.org/action/showL...

J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 9d

Writer friends - this is worth a read.

Tajja Isen @tajjaisen.bsky.social · 12d

I spent the summer reporting this essay on why it seems harder than ever to sell a book right now—especially if it isn't a debut and comes with the dreaded "sales track." I'm grateful to the writers, agents, editors, publishers & experts who spoke to me for this piece: thewalrus.ca/the-publishi...

The Publishing Industry Has a Gambling Problem | The Walrus

Companies keep betting on the next bestseller. Literature is poorer for it

thewalrus.ca

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 12d

a cartoon of a penguin holding a megaphone that reads thank you

Alt: a cartoon of a penguin holding a megaphone that reads thank you

media.tenor.com

Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)

Deborah Kalb @deborahkalb.bsky.social · 13d

Q&A with J. Anderson Coats about her new middle grade novel, THE UNEXPECTED LIVES OF ORDINARY GIRLS.
tinyurl.com/4xvkwj4v
@jandersoncoats.bsky.social

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 14d

Boosting for all you #kidlit spooky season fans!

Mary Averling @maryaverling.bsky.social · 14d

autumn is here! time for ghosts and ghouls! and your semi-regular reminder that I have two creepy, magical little middle grade books perfect for when there's a fresh chill in the air <3

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 14d

PNW friends - hope to see you there! This event is free and open to the public. 📚❤️📚

Bigfoot Kids' Book Festival @bigfootbookfest.bsky.social · 18d

We've got a middle grade line up this year that's sure to appeal to reluctant readers and satisfy your voracious readers too! Come meet the authors of these amazing books at our 3rd annual Bigfoot Kids' Book Festival on Sat, Oct 11th from 10am to 4pm at the Redmond Senior & Community Center!

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J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 14d

Thank you! I'm super excited. :)

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