It's been a wonderful first year for my Little Free Kidlit Library (Charter #106458)! We opened to the world in April 2021 and it has definitely made an impact in the community. 

Local patrons have connected with the mission of the library, to provide diverse books for children by BIPOC creators, and word is spreading about our presence. The library was featured in Publisher's Weekly and the local newspaper, the Boston Compass.

I supply many of the books myself, but I've been thankful for the support of neighbors and other book lovers to provide enough books, including donations purchased at Frugal Bookstore in Nubian Square. Recently, my library was selected for a Read in Color book bundle grant from Little Free Libraries National in partnership with 826 Boston and Candlewick Press.

One thing that hasn't gone as well, the integrity of the beautiful book cover shingled roof that grabbed the attention of so many. You might notice that the library in the picture above looks a little different than last year. Snow, rain, wind, and cold did not treat the decoupaged shingles kindly at all.

So, I'm looking forward to sharing a new process post on the roof that I installed last month. It is full of new book covers (including my own!) and is just as colorful as the original, but weatherproof and durable enough to hold up to New England winters (finger crossed!).

Look for that post soon!

Release day is coming soon for A Comb of Wishes! I want to celebrate and thank readers who have already ordered my book with some pre-order goodies.

If you purchase the book before Tuesday, February 8, 2022, I'd like to send you a signed bookplate and an exclusive bookmark.

To receive these goodies, please fill out this Google Form and upload your proof of purchase. This campaign is for US addresses only. Thank you!

I’ve teamed up with my fellow #22Debuts author K. Tempest Bradford to share two webinars for writers, both pre- and post-published. We both feel strongly that authors should have a web presence, even a basic one. We’ll give you the tools to create and maintain a website and a social media presence even if you aren’t tech-savvy or trained in digital marketing.

It's Reveal Day! I can't wait to share the cover of A Comb of Wishes with everyone. It has been a long journey to this point but I'm excited that in a few months my book will be available to readers. Thank you to Mr. Schu for hosting the cover reveal on his website, Watch. Connect. Read.

Head over to read my interview with Mr. Schu about the book and get a first glimpse of the amazing cover by illustrator Michael Machira Mwangi and designer David Curtis.

mrschureads.blogspot.com/2021/05/a-comb-of-wishes-by-lisa-stringfellow.html

Update (7/5/22): My book cover shingles sadly did not survive the New England winter. I've refinished my roof with weatherproof vinyl stickers and it looks amazing! Check back for a link to the NEW process post soon.

The pandemic has taken a lot from us and one of the ways I did self-care was to work on my Little Free Library project. I posted last year my reasons for wanting one and why I decided to make it focused on BIPOC authors and illustrators of children's literature. Now it is 2021 and the library is close to being ready! I wanted to give an update on the process I used to build this library.