So honored these young people trusted us to share their stories!
And so grateful to Quinn and Haddie who created the NO BRAIN THE SAME book trailer. More talented youth!
I had a fun conversation on the 12×12 podcast with Julie Hedlund and Kelli Panique about poetry, activism, and the anthologies I co-edit with Jeanette Bradley and Lindsay H. Metcalf. No Brain the Same is the third book in the series, which includes No Voice Too Small and No World Too Big.
Find the podcast episode 016 at: The 12 x 12 blog I Apple Podcasts I Spotify I YouTube
Listen to other creatives discuss writing craft and so much more at the 12×12 Podcast!
So grateful for this starred review and all the love from SLJ!
10 Poetry Works for Young Readers Perfect for National Poetry Month l SLJ Reviews
42 Standout Selections from Daniel Nayeri, Ari Tison, and More | Starred Reviews, April 2026
Through powerful poems, this book honors neurodivergent youth activists transforming their communities and invites kids to act—continuing the spirit of No Voice Too Small and No World Too Big.
Featuring Billie Eilish, Dara McAnulty, and Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhǎngsūn, these fourteen poems spotlight neurodivergent activists inspiring kids ages 5 to 9 to make change. These fourteen neurodivergent activists began their work when they were young and continue it now, changing systems, politics, policies, and more. The book features poems written by poets who have something in common with each activist.
These fourteen neurodivergent activists began their work when they were young and continue it now, changing systems, politics, policies, and more. The book features poems written by poets who have something in common with each activist.
Fourteen poems by CooXooEii Black, Vanessa Brantley-Newton, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, Liv Mammone, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, K. A. Reynolds, and others honor activists from all over the world and the United States. Additional text goes into detail about each activist’s life and how readers can get involved.
Activists introduced:
- Connor DeWolfe, featured in a poem by e.E. Charlton-Trujilo
- Helena Donato-Sapp by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
- Billie Eilish by Devin Murphy
- Mia Armstrong by Fiona Morris
- Sadie McCallum by Liv Mammone
- Adam Wolfond by Hannah Emerson
- Liam Garner by Jen Malia
- Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhǎngsūn Brown by A. J. Sass
- Jazmine Wildcat by CooXooIee Black
- Andy Smith by Lyn Miller-Lachmann
- Molly Seidel by Jeanette Bradley
- Dara McAnulty by Sally J. Pla
- Mollie Davis by Jordan Scott
- Cillian O’Conner by K. A. Reynolds
Edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley;
Illustrated by Jeanette Bradley
Charlesbridge | ISBN: 978-1-62354-583-3
40 pages | Ages 5-9
No Brain the Same, coming June 2, 2026!
Pre-order from:
Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes and Noble Hudson Booksellers | Books A Million | Target
Writing to reimagine midlife still feels fairly new to me. And the creativity part? Still becoming. And I suspect, like a story, can go on and on until the author stops writing. I am honored Paulette Bethel, PhD, featured me as an example in her beautifully written CULTURS Magazine article, “The Art of Becoming: Creativity, Cultural Wisdom & the Stories We Carry”. I discuss my journey from educator to children’s author and how my New Orleans roots, global experiences, and reimagining midlife led to my passion for truth-telling and creative becoming.
To all of my friends and fellow writers “of a certain age”…
Happy becoming!
The Buckeye Book Fair featured me with an amazing write-up in their March Book Bits newsletter for Women’s History Month for my contributions to the world of literature. What an honor!💕
In March, we received news that NO WORLD TOO BIG was chosen as the winner of the 2024 Green Earth Book Award in the Picture Book – Intermediate category. The award celebration will take place virtually on Thursday, October 17, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, EST. The event is free to attend, although registration is required.
We are so honored to have our work recognized and hopefully encourage more youth to get involved!
To register go to: tinyurl.com/NatGenGEBA2024
We are so honored to have our work recognized and hopefully encourage more youth to get involved.
NO WORLD TOO BIG: YOUNG PEOPLE FIGHTING GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE is the recipient of the 2024 Green Book Earth Award in the Picture Book – Intermediate category from The Nature Generation! 
We are so happy this book is reaching readers! And besides the winners and honors, there’s a long recommended reading list.
It was also a finalist for the Russell Freedman Award for Nonfiction for a Better World, part of the SCBWI Legacy and Impact fund.
NO WORLD TOO BIG is a finalist for the Russell Freedman Award for Nonfiction for a Better World. This award is given by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Ilustrators (SCBWI) “to a work of nonfiction that contributes to our understanding of how to make our world and society better.”
See the full list of finalists on the @SCBWIIMPACT post on IG. The winner will be announced in March!
Lindsay, Jeanette and I are grateful to the youth who trusted us to tell their stories and the poets inspired to write about them.
NO WORLD TOO BIG POETS
Aka Niviâna
Carlon Zachras
Dalia Elhassan
I am so excited to announce there’s a third poetry anthology featuring fourteen incredible young neurodivergent activists in the works! Once again, it is such an honor that these young people have trusted us with their stories. And I am thrilled to teamed up with the uber talented Lindsay H. Metcalf and Jeanette Bradley, too.
NO BRAIN THE SAME: Young Neurodivergent Activists Shaping Our Future will be on bookshelves in 2026!
The Nerdy Book Club includes teachers and librarians extraordinaire who care about books, reading, and their students. It was an honor to contribute to their blog, where I shared ten current and forthcoming books about climate change for young readers. Because everyone can do something to fight global warming!
There Is No Planet B: Ten Books about Global Warming for Young Readers
It’s a long, winding road toward social justice. Keep going!
Click here for a free classroom guide to use with OPENING THE ROAD: VICTOR HUGO GREEN AND HIS GREEN BOOK.
So honored that The Classroom Bookshelf, an SLJ blog, wrote an extensive article on how to use NO VOICE TOO SMALL in the classroom to lift student voices! A great resource and extension to the book’s free activity guide.
Read my article about introducing kids to activism through picture books over at the Nerdy Books Club blog. It includes a list. Happy reading! Here’s an exerpt:
What an amazing day! Lindsay, Jeanette, and I planned a fun-filled virtual book launch for NO VOICE TOO SMALL. An Unlikely Story Bookstore agreed to host us. The anti-bullying activist featured in the book, DJ Annie Red, agreed to perform.
And the day finally arrived!
It started with book lovers sharing the news of our book birthday…
…on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. Messages poured in. Friends, authors, our publisher, book reviewers, booksellers. All sending congratulations and praise.
All morning long!
We felt so much love for a book that so many poured so much heart into so it would be ready for this day, to be sent out into the world, and into the hands of children.
We even got a mention in the Washington Post! WOW!
At the book launch that evening, Lindsay, Jeanette and I spoke a bit about the book and thanked the the fourteen young activists, poets, our editor, art director and the our Charlesbridge team that were all a part of this project. We shared the opening and closing poems and one of the contributing poets, Lesléa Newman, read the poem she wrote about Zach Wahls. Jeanette demonstrated how she created the art for the book and drew a picture for us – live! DJ Annie Red performed an acapella version of her song “No You Won’t Bully Me”. Who had fun? WE DID!
We asked our audience to promise to use their voices and take the NO VOICE TOO SMALL pledge. Lindsay and Jeanette’s kids joined in!
So many friends, family, and creatives from the writing community came to our virtual event to support us. It was an unforgettable experience!
For weeks we noticed the “orange banner” on Amazon that designates a book as a #1 Release in a particular category which also compares and ranks books in the same categories.
The three Amazon categories for NO VOICE TOO SMALL are:
- Children’s American History of 2000s
- Children’s Social Activists Biographies (Books)
- Poetry (Books)
On our book birthday, NO VOICE TOO SMALL became an Amazon Hot New Release in the category of Social Activists Biographies! But that’s not all.
Something else happened that didn’t involve sales or marketing or book promotion. Instead, someone helped make this night more special than it already turned out to be. Because it reminded me of why I write books for kids. And why this book matters.
The same day NO VOICE TOO SMALL released, a blog post Lindsay, Jeanette and I wrote for Reading For Research Month went live. We discussed books that inspired us.
In that post I wrote, “I have witnessed the power of story. It is undeniable.” Although I know that to be true, I didn’t know I would witness it on our book birthday. We may not know how or when or for whom books may affect, but we know the power of books. It’s undeniable! What a gift to see the reaction by Judy Adams to her featured story. Judy speaks UP about living with DOWN syndrome. At age twelve, she created Dimes for Down syndrome and grants wishes to others.
Kids need to see themselves in books. They want their stories shared. Adults can help empower, uplift, and amplify their voices.
Thanks to all for the support that made this a wonderful day for us and NO VOICE TOO SMALL.
Keila
OPENING THE ROAD is the true story behind the Green Book guide Black Americans used to travel safely during legal segregation and the mail carrier who wrote it. I was honored to reveal the cover of my upcoming release on author Tara Lazar’s blog. Click on the cover to see a sample spread from the book by the talented artist Alleanna Harris.
I also wrote about my inspiration, the story behind the story, and a little about my road to publication.
BEEP! BEEP! On our way, be there January 26, 2021!
And there’s a GIVEAWAY! Comment on the blog post to enter a chance to win a copy of OPENING THE ROAD: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book.
Beaming Books | ISBN: 978-1506467917
40 pages | ages 4-8
Pre-order wherever books are sold!
It is what it is. GOOD TROUBLE!
NO VOICE TOO SMALL got a star 🌟 from Kirkus Reviews! Click on the picture to read the review.
Thank you to the wonderful words by Nikki Grimes, Carole Boston Weatherford, Traci Sorell, Charles Waters, Hena Khan, Janet Wong, Joseph Bruchac,Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Andrea J. Loney, Lesléa Newman, Greg Neri, S. Bear Bergman, and Fiona Morris. And to Charlesbridge Publishing, our editor Karen Boss and Literary Agent Emily Mitchell who represented us in this project.
We can’t wait to share this book with readers of all ages!
I write activity guides for all my books. Enjoy!
Click on the cover to download a copy of the No Voice Too Small Activity Guide.
Flipgrid Book Club
Check out our NO VOICE TOO SMALL Flipgrid Book Club, featured in Flipgrid’s Discovery Library. Parents and educators can access videos, mini writing workshops, art class with Jeanette Bradley, and the No Voice Too Small pledge. Readers can watch and respond to the videos with their own recordings and writings! For privacy, teachers can copy this module into their own classroom Flipgrid sites.
School Visits
With the knowledge that schools are reopening differently in every district – some online, some in person, some hybrid – Lindsay H. Metcalf, Jeanette Bradley and I have created a flexible school author visit package for NO VOICE TOO SMALL.
What does the School Library Journal think of No Voice Too Small?
Pre-order your copy today!
Charlesbridge | ISBN: 978-1-6235-4131-6
40 pages | ages 5-9
Bookshop | Charlesbridge | Amazon | B&N
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