Writing Children's Picture Books

### **The Greenbelt Chapter** **Where curiosity meets community.** The **Greenbelt Book Club** is a welcoming neighborhood gathering dedicated to exploring diverse perspectives through the power of literature. Whether you’re a lifelong reader or looking to rediscover the joy of books, we offer a space for meaningful dialogue and connection. *** ### **What to Expect** Our gatherings are casual, engaging, and centered on shared discovery. Every month, we dive into new selections—ranging from contemporary fiction and historical deep-dives to thought-provoking non-fiction. * **The Discussion:** We move beyond simple "likes" and "dislikes" to explore the themes, characters, and bigger questions each book raises. * **The Atmosphere:** Expect a low-pressure environment where every voice is valued. You don’t need to be a literary critic to participate; you just need an open mind. * **The Connection:** We are all about building local friendships. It’s a great way to meet neighbors who share a love for learning and storytelling. *** ### **Meeting Details** * **When:** Every **Wednesday and Friday** * **Time:** 5:00 PM * **Where:** 9200 Edmonston Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770 *** ### **How to Join** Joining is easy! Simply show up at our meeting location at the times listed above. No long-term commitment is required—feel free to drop in for a single session to see if it’s a good fit for you, or join us every week. **We can’t wait to turn the page on a new adventure with you!**

**You’re Invited to BERNINA Bingo at Artistic Artifacts!** Join us on Friday, June 5 and/or Saturday, June 6 (during store hours) for a fun series of BERNINA educational demonstrations — our staff will be sharing all kinds of sewing techniques, on several of our BERNINA models. This event is designed to inspire your sewing habit! Plus **after you have completed at least three of our BERNINA demos, you can submit your BERNINA Bingo card into our daily drawing for a chance to win a $50 Artistic Artifacts gift card!** Visit our shop June 5 and/or June 6 to learn how to create a blind hem, how to make corded pintucks, how to create a combination of stitches to stitch out together, how to scan and place projects and lots more! ***No fee to attend, no purchase required.***

Venez apprécier l'ambiance chaleureuse d'une conversation en français autour d'un verre de vin et d'apéritifs. C'est ouvert à tous quelque soit votre niveau, que vous soyez débutant ou bien que le Français soit votre langue maternelle. Enjoy a French convo with half-priced appetizers, glass of wine and rail drinks. The Event is open to all levels of French language, from beginners to native fluency. ***GRAB A DRINK AND YOU ARE ALL SET TO FLEX YOUR LANGUAGE CAPACITY. YOU NEED TO GET AT LEAST A DRINK OR FOOD :) To get the event going and show support. We know that you like our events. P.S. : We have non-alcoholic drinks as well.*** We have a tiny venue and we hit capacity often and early arrival is suggested. We have the discretion to decide entry. ***AFTER THE HAPPY HOUR, WE HIT THE DANCE FLOOR! BRING YOUR DANCING SHOES, WE WILL DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY!*** PARKING INFO : Street Parking might be a challenge and the event involves drinking. We highly recommend a shared ride or taxi service.

📚 Do you love reading, but wish you had a structure and a community to share your insights with? Join our small circle of curious minds (just 4 members per gathering) as we come together for an hour of focused reading—in the calm setting of a library or the cozy atmosphere of a café. Here’s how it works: First part: Quiet reading on your own—bring a book you’re exploring, whether it’s philosophy, history, psychology, literature, or anything meaningful to you. Second part: We regroup and each person shares key takeaways, insights, or questions sparked by their reading. This sparks a structured yet free-flowing conversation around ideas, perspectives, and personal reflections. Why join? Add structure to your reading habit. Discover new books, authors, and ideas through others’ choices. Build real connections by sharing and listening deeply. Socialize around something meaningful instead of small talk.

Let's kick off our Friday night with a fun stroll through one of DC’s best local events and neighborhood — the **[Dupont Circle ArtWalk](https://dupontcirclebid.org/events/artwalk-dupont)**! On the first Friday of each month from 6:00–8:00 p.m., art galleries, embassies, and cultural centers around Dupont Circle open their doors for a free, self-guided gallery walk. **5:30 PM:** Let’s meet up at the bar at **[Kramers](https://www.kramers.com/menu/happy-hour)** (1521 Connecticut Avenue NW - two doors up from the bookstore entrance) while everyone arrives. **6:00 PM:** We’ll head out to soak in some art, explore the neighborhood, and enjoy the evening together. Here's a suggested itinerary: * Church of Scientology - National Affairs Office (It's not scary - they don't try to recruit you or anything. They showcase the work of several contemporary artists, and it's in a historic mansion.) * **[Vika Gallery](https://vikagallery.org/)** * **[Washington Center of ADA Art Gallery](https://adawdc.org/en/view/23/28/spring_2026_exhibition)** * **[Alex Gallery](https://www.alexgalleries.com/alex-gallery)** * **[Studio Gallery](https://www.studiogallerydc.com/)** * **[IA&A at Hillyer](https://athillyer.org/exhibition-statuses/upcoming/)** **7:30 PM:** We can grab dinner from a local fast casual place. I'm partial to **[Tiki Taco](https://www.tikitacodc.com/)**, but please feel free to share suggestions in the comments! The closest Metro station is Dupont Circle (take the north entrance). The closest bus stops are the D74 and D96 at Connecticut Avenue and Q Street NW. There are a few parking garages around the circle.

Venez apprécier l'ambiance chaleureuse d'une conversation en français autour d'un verre de vin et d'apéritifs. C'est ouvert à tous quelque soit votre niveau, que vous soyez intermédiaire/avancé ou bien que le Français soit votre langue maternelle. ***GRAB A DRINK AND YOU WILL BE ALL SET TO FLEX YOUR LANGUAGE CAPACITY. YOU NEED TO GET AT LEAST A DRINK OR FOOD :) To get the event going and show support. We know that you like our events. P.S. : We have non-alcoholic drinks as well.*** We have a tiny venue and we hit capacity often and early arrival is suggested. We have the discretion to decide entry. It is irresistible, to enjoy French convo with a glass of wine, appetizers and drinks. The Event is open to all levels of French language, from intermediate to native fluency. This is mainly a social for Intermediate/Advanced/Native Speakers. It is not as such to learn a language. Beginners, if you want to learn a language, reach out to us ([info@merevents.com](http://info@merevents.com/)). We have a school and will arrange you a class. ***AFTER THE HAPPY HOUR, WE HIT THE DANCE FLOOR! BRING YOUR DANCING SHOES, WE WILL DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY!***

This is where you meet the area's 30, 40 and 50 years young; 30 somethings, 40 somethings, 50 [somethings.......as](http://somethings.......as/) they are known as GENERATION Xers....., who are active, self accomplished, sophisticated, young at heart, empty nesters; who would like to do things and enjoy life; who has got time and could afford it as well! ***GRAB A DRINK AND YOU WILL BE ALL SET TO ENJOY THE EVENT. YOU NEED TO GRAB AT LEAST A DRINK OR A FOOD ITEM :) To get the event going and show support. We know that you like our events. P.S. : We have non-alcoholic drinks as well.*** We have a tiny venue and we hit capacity often and early arrival is suggested. Direct RSVP required. We have the discretion to decide entry. Many of you were not born while we were partying:) The profile picture of this invite was taken while we were having a blast. One of our members was buying us rounds of shots. He almost spent $ 1K just on shots. LET US DO IT AGAIN! They also make us feel loved and honored, by serving, one of our signature cocktails, which is named after us - MerTini:) It will be one of the featured cocktails. Ask your bartenders:) Unacceptable Attire: 1. Athletic Clothing: This Includes gym attire, sweatpants, yoga pants, and tracksuits 2. Baggy Clothing: Clothing that is excessively loose-fitting or oversized, such as baggy jeans, sagging sweatpants or oversized t-shirts. 3. Sportswear: Jerseys, team logos, and other sport-specific attire 4. Beachwear: shorts, tank tops, swimwear, and revealing clothing 5. Flip Flops: Open-toe sandals, thong sandals, and flip flops are not allowed 6. Timberlands and Steel Toed Shoes. DETAILS : * We will have a registration station and check you in. * Most of our members complained about people writing in the comment box. Since it sends notification to all attendees. If you have any questions, send a message to the organizers. Don't write in the comment box. PARKING INFO Parking might be a challenge and the event involves drinking. We highly encourage you to take a public transportation, taxi service or a ride share. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. ***N.B. : We have ZERO TOLERANCE for solicitation. We don't allow anyone to run their own agenda at the Event. If you are interested to promote/sponsor/collaborate; contact us via ([info@merevents.com](http://info@merevents.com/)).***

This is the sign you've been waiting for. Come write with us Sunday at 7:30 am at Kaldi's Social House in Arlington. Kaldi's opens at 7. Grab a coffee and join the group! We generally have 10 to 14 writers attend each week, and new folks are welcome to drop in anytime. Intros start at 7:30 am. We will write for one hour. After writing, feel free to debrief, share thoughts or get advice. Our meetups are a safe space for writers to work on their craft. No one will read or critique your writing. Kaldi's Social House website: https://www.kaldissocialhouse.net/ \* Resource \* Many thanks to Justin for putting together a shared file of resource discussed at the meetings. Feel free to add to it! [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing)

Join us for a discussion of ***The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders* by Sarah Aziza** Here's the summary: With the lucidity of a poet and the precision of a journalist, Sarah Aziza embarks on a quest to understand her family legacy, tracing three generations of diasporic Palestinians—from Gaza to the Midwest to New York City, and beyond In October 2019, Sarah Aziza, daughter and granddaughter of Gazan refugees, is hospitalized for an eating disorder. This brush with death becomes a rupture which brings both her personal and ancestral past into vivid presence. The hauntings begin in the hospital cafeteria, when a cup of apricot yogurt stirs the taste of Sarah's childhood, summoning the familiar voice of her deceased Palestinian grandmother. In the months following, as she responds to a series of ghostly dreams, Sarah unearths family secrets that force her to confront the ways her own trauma and anorexia echo generations of Palestinian displacement and erasure—and how her fight to recover builds on a century of defiant survival, and love. As silences break, heartbreak opens onto possibility. Sarah begins to grasp the ways her legacies echo and inform one another—through tragedy, and through love. She begins to resist the forces of assimilation, denial, and patriarchy, learning to assert herself in new ways that honor both her ancestors and herself. Weaving timelines, languages, and genres, The Hollow Half probes the contradictions and contingencies that create “history.” This stunning debut memoir ends in a cri de coeur for a world in which every body has a right to contain multitudes. **Let’s meet at Caboose Commons in Fairfax to enjoy some good discussion and meet new friends.**

**Hey everyone, we’ve exciting news for our next workshop, June 6th. Lesley Younge, local poet and author, will be a guest speaker. It’ll start right at noon so come early (I’ll be there so come keep me company). It’ll be at our typical spot, CapOne Café at 7th & H, from 12-1, followed by the usual poetry sharing and feedback.** **Below is her bio, plus where you can find her online.** **Lesley Younge is an educator and writer from Silver Spring, Maryland. Her work has appeared in Poetry, Callaloo, Bay to Shore, West Trade Review, MQR Mixtape, Full Bleed and others. She debuted as an author in 2023 with two books for young people. Nearer My Freedom (co-authored with her mentor Monica Edinger) is an award winning YA verse novel remix of British abolitionist Olaudah Equiano’s seminal autobiography. A-Train Allen, her first picture book, was an inaugural Own Voices, Own Stories Grand Prize Winner awarded by Sleeping Bear Press. Two children’s books on the nonviolent life of Reverend James M. Lawson are forthcoming.** **Originally from Los Angeles California, she attended New York University and Bank Street College of Education, where she discovered a passion for supporting young people’s learning. She currently teaches middle school English in Washington D.C. This is her 20th year in the classroom.** **Lesley is a fellow of Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Hurston/Wright Foundation, and Anaphora Literary Arts. She blogs and shares resources at teacherlesley.com** **[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/lesley-younge](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/lesley-younge)** **[https://writer.org/organizer/lesley-younge/](https://writer.org/organizer/lesley-younge/)** **We look forward to seeing you there!** Here're the usual notes about the rest of the workshop: Next, we **share our work and offer feedback**. Depending on attendance, everyone gets \~10 minutes to use as they like. (No need to share, though; you’re welcome to come even if you prefer just to listen.) We maintain a **Discord server** to help share our work and communicate outside our bi-weekly meet-ups. If you haven’t used Discord before, take a moment to download it and create an account before arriving. When we meet you on Saturday, we will add you to our server, the “DC Poetry Workshop”, and can help you navigate the app if you have questions. Finally, if you plan on sharing a poem, consider how you will do so. Some options include: * Print 5-10 copies to distribute in person * Take and share screenshots in the Discord chat. * Copy the poem into a google doc, change sharing settings to “anyone with link”, and copy the google doc link into the Discord chat. Most importantly, we’re excited to meet you! Catch you on Saturday, Diego / Cayden / Nate / Otasha / Lia / An

This meeting will be dedicated to talking about the entirety of "The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea" and New Direction's "Death in Midsummer" short story collection, both by Yukio Mishima https://www.ndbooks.com/book/death-in-midsummer/ The current list of short stories we will be focusing on is "Patriotism" and "Death in Midsummer," list pending to change. Due to recent high popularity of our meetings, we will be having a temporary moratorium new members until a level of member cultivation has occurred. We estimate this will be around July 1st. We will be meeting in the National Portrait Gallery Atrium. To stay up to date with events and discuss meetings or books, you can join our Discord group. Please message me to get added.

is is an In-Person Writing Event at Three This is an In-Person Writing Event at Kaldi's Social House in Clarendon! Please join us. This is not a critique session or discussion event. If you're interested in attending one of our regular meetings to discuss the art and craft of writing or to review another's work, please join us for a regular meeting on Wednesdays from 7p-9p.

We will meet outside as long as the weather is nice. If not, we will move inside. Look out for a comment the morning of each meeting with our exact location. As we are meeting in person, please remember to bring something to read as we usually spend some time sharing our current reads and/or reading when meeting in person. As a reminder, there is no assigned reading; please bring whatever you are currently working on. This group is super casual, sometimes we read and sometimes we talk the whole time. **** NO SHOW POLICY: Due to the high number of members on the waitlist recently we are having to reinstate our no-show policy. If you sign up and no-show to 2 events you will be removed from the group. Reminders are provided weekly to change your RSVP to allow those on the waitlist a chance to come to the meet-up, no 3rd chances with be given. Please be considerate to your fellow members. Thank you! I look forward to reading you!

Log off for a bit and create your own bookmark while connecting with fellow book club members irl. Supplies provided & you’re always welcome to contribute supplies! more RSVPs available on GroupMe *Black Lit. Book Club is a closed affinity space for Black women, femmes, and nonbinary readers. All Black Lit. events are intentionally designed to provide a safe, supportive environment where Black readers can connect with one another in real life. To preserve the purpose of that space, attendance is limited to those who identify within that community.*

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!

Big Ohio Book Con "A convention for book lovers all over Ohio (and beyond)! Author panels, signings, bookish vendors, meet & greets, and more!" Featuring more than 100 authors, more than 50 bookish vendors, and plenty of exciting activities throughout the event! Travel with fellow book lovers or meet us at the event. Park for free at the Medina Convention Center, 735 Lafayette Rd., Medina, Ohio 44256, then hop aboard one of the free shuttles whenever you’re ready for your next bookish adventure! The convention spans three neighboring locations, giving you even more to explore and enjoy.

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, February 11 at Streetlight Guild. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **SCHEDULE:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. **BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.

Greetings writers! Come down and join your fellow wordsmiths for one hour of uninterrupted writing time in the upper level of the Market District Supermarket in Upper Arlington. The main entrance of the shopping center opens onto stairs/elevator leading up to the 2nd floor cafe section where we will have a table displaying a sign with the Shut Up & Write logo. Writing is largely a solitary craft. Practicing with others in a community setting may be the thing you need to fire your own routine. We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings, starting the clock at 6:30, following a brief period of introductions. This is solid writing time and all inclusive. Any project is acceptable, be it fiction, non -fiction, work or homework assignment. All is welcome and will remain private to you. The market boasts a Starbucks, a full service bar and various affordable food options. Parking is plentiful, free Wifi is provided as well as outlets for charging your devices, though they are somewhat limited, so plan accordingly. Show up as early as you like, or stay late. This group tends to socialize some, both before and after the alloted time, but this is not mandatory to you. Feel free to come and go as you please and late arrivals are welcome. The cafe may be noisy on occasion so headphones/ earbuds are reccommended as you see fit. Please try to RSVP if possible so that we may grab enough seats for all—the venue can be busy at times. Feel free to message me privately wth any questions and/ or concerns you may have. Happy writing!

[Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3351321) Location: The Goat River South 219 S High St, Columbus, OH 43215 Street parking is free on Sundays [Menu](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/686d3ed16745133042482c5f/t/68ff654dbb03b96875430bde/1761568077220/all_brunch-20250311.pdf) Book summary: On a hot day in Bethlehem, a twelve-year-old Palestinian-American girl is yelled at by a group of men outside the Church of the Nativity. She has exposed her legs in a biblical city, an act they deem forbidden, and their judgement will echo on through her adolescence. When our narrator finally admits to her mother that she is queer, her mother's response only intensifies a sense of shame: 'You exist too much,' she tells her daughter. Told in vignettes that flash between the U.S. and the Middle East--from New York to Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine--Zaina Arafat's debut novel traces her protagonist's progress from blushing teen to sought-after DJ and aspiring writer.