Featured Article: Read & Shine Retires, But Wait!

2020. Well, it has been…. a year. Frankly, what words could possibly sum up this year? I’ll take a quote from A Wrinkle in Time, “I don’t understand it any more than you do, but one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand things for them to be.” Our world has faced monumental challenges this year, yet when we look out our window, we still see squirrels climbing trees, plants growing, and the wind swaying. Things change, things alter, but yet some things remain the same. There have been moments throughout this year when I shook my head in disbelief, and there were no words capable of genuinely expressing my feelings. So, I watched, I cried, and I read. In reading, I found understanding. In reading, I found direction. Then I looked out my window, and while watching the squirrels climb the trees, the plants grow, and the wind sway, I decided to hold onto the good and move forward towards better.

Our world is changing. We are less afraid to share our feelings, our circumstances, our fears, and our needs. It is quite ironic that while we wear masks, we see people more, not less. In my opinion, this is good- to be seen. We all need help in some way. We all need.

So, in this time of change and refocus in our global world, we have decided to retire the Read & Shine newsletter. Though we retire the old, we shall introduce a new newsletter that more accurately reflects the world of children’s literature, its authors and illustrators, and the space it inhabits now. Children’s literature has been a respite, a learning tool, and a comfort. Children’s literature helps inform young minds in understanding and learning about people that may be different or may be the same as them. In a world where we currently cannot travel far and have other limitations, children’s literature provides children and teens an opportunity to move beyond themselves. It is a way to explore new places, new concepts, new ideas, new abilities, and new passions. In that vein, we want to provide a new well-rounded newsletter that helps librarians, educators, authors, illustrators, parents, and caregivers receive a complete look at the literature available to children and teens today.

Good news – do not worry about missing out on this new newsletter. Your current subscription to Read & Shine will seamlessly transfer into our new newsletter. It will show up in your inbox from editor@childrenslit.com. We are very grateful for our dedicated subscribers and, as this year ends, want to thank you for your continued support. Our adventures together are not coming to an end but instead are beginning anew.