Beltways and Bridges: A Kid Lit Road Trip

We have four intensives to choose from in Reston from revising your picture book, looking at off-the-page techniques to get over a writing hump, learning how to hook your reader on the first page, to digging deeper to revise your chapter book or novel. There will be something for everyone and a lunch hour for socializing in between. We hope to see you there!

Meet us in Charlottesville for our first ever hybrid event! We have two great sessions to offer: a writing 101 with multi-published author Terry Jennings, and a deep dive into enhancing character voice through dialogue. If you can't be there in person, you'll still have 30 days to watch the replay!

We're offering our Charlottesville workshops virtually also. Attend live via zoom or watch the replay which will be available 48 hours after the event and open for 30 days.

Terry Catasús Jennings is an award winning writer who immigrated from Cuba to the United States at age twelve. She is the author of several picture books, including The Little House of Hope; non-fiction titles including Pauli Murray, The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist, a biography in verse, Our World Cuba, The Definitely Dominguita Chapter Book Series and an upcoming, six book chapter-book series with ABDO Books. Her goal in life is to lead us to embrace our common humanity, as well as sing the praises of Cuban food.

Kathy MacMillan (she/her) is a writer, nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter, librarian, and signing storyteller. She is the author of more than two dozen traditionally published picture books (including the Little Hands Signing series), children’s nonfiction (including the She Spoke series), young adult fantasy (including Compton Crook Award Finalist Sword and Verse), and many resource books for librarians, educators, and parents.

Lee Gjertsen Malone is the author of middle grade novels The Last Boy at St. Edith’s and Camp Shady Crook, both from Simon & Schuster. She’s also a journalist who has written for a wide range of publications for children and adults, a non-profit manager who works primarily in disaster relief and with individuals leaving incarceration, and a writing teacher who has taught dozens of writing and editing workshops from Boston to DC.

Oakland-born law grad, Taj McCoy is a romance author, literary agent, and higher education consultant. Taj joined Rees Literary Agency in 2022 and aims to widen the entryway for marginalized authors and to normalize Black joy, fat joy, celebrations of culture, and love without limitations. She represents Adult Fiction (commercial, romance, rom-coms, women's fiction, mystery/thriller, upmarket), Adult Non-Fiction (memoirs, narratives, cookbooks, self-help, empowerment, cultural tradition and history), Children's Fiction (Picture books; MG and YA contemporary, mystery, romance, thriller, fantasy), Children's Non-Fiction (historical narratives, picture books).

Candice is the author of more than 180 books for children and young adults. Her published work includes board books, picture books, nonfiction picture books, biographies, contemporary middle grade fiction, historical and contemporary young adult fiction, and nonfiction. She earned an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and an MA in Children's Literature from Hollins University. She has been on the faculty of Hollins University's Graduate Program in Children's Literature for 16 years. In her 40+ year career, Candice's books have earned many honors.

Julie Scheina has dedicated nearly two decades to editing acclaimed and bestselling books for children and young adults, both as a former senior editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and as an independent editor at Julie Scheina Editorial Services, LLC. Julie has edited more than 300 titles across a variety of genres and has had the honor of working with authors and illustrators at all stages of their careers, from debuts to Caldecott Medal winners, Newbery Medal winners, and National Book Award finalists. Books that Julie has edited have spent more than 125 combined weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and include #1 New York Times bestsellers, a Lambda Literary Award finalist, a William C. Morris Young Adult Debut Award finalist, an Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy nominee, an Edgar Award nominee, Bram Stoker Award nominees, and a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book.