Chris Barton's Blog: Bartography, page 15

Offering 1-on-1 nonfiction picture book consulting!

In addition to researching, drafting, and revising nonfiction picture books… and submitting and promoting my nonfiction picture books… and visiting schools to make presentations about those nonfiction picture books… I offer one-on-one consulting to other writers about researching, drafting, revising, submitting, promoting, and visiting schools to make presentations about their own nonfiction picture books! (I [...]

4-book giveaway for This One’s Dedicated to… (#50): H. M. Bouwman, Gossamer Summer

Welcome to the 50th (!!!) episode of "This One's Dedicated to...," in which Jennifer Ziegler and I share our quick conversation with author H. M. Bouwman (A Crack in the Sea) about the dedication she wrote for her middle grade novel Gossamer Summer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, May 2023). Subscribers to my monthly Bartography [...]

“’Glitter Everywhere!’ will validate, teach and wow you.”

It's fun to get mentioned in your local newspaper, but even more fun to get mentioned alongside your friends! The Austin American-Statesman recently featured author Jason June and his new YA novel, Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball. As part of the package, writer Sharyn Vane shone a spotlight on 11 other [...]

“Staff members asked for a repeat!” and other feedback about my recent author visits

I'm not wild about receiving surveys after seemingly every interaction ("How was that printer paper, Chris?"), but I do love sending them out after my author visits and studying the feedback from the schools that host me. Here are a few highlights from my 2022-23 author visits—and an invitation for you to get in touch [...]

A starred review, and high praise from a glitter hater

The past few days have brought a couple of big notices for my next book, Glitter Everywhere!, which comes out on June 27 from Charlesbridge Publishing. Booklist gave the book, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat, a starred review that concludes by calling Glitter Everywhere! "[a] shining example of a seeming niche filler that turns out to have [...]

What did we do with our voices? Opposed HB900.

At the Texas Capitol last night, I was among a group of librarians, booksellers, parents, and one amazing eighth grader who testified -- many of us after waiting more than ten hours -- to the Senate Education Committee in opposition to House Bill 900. Here is my testimony: My name is Chris Barton. I'm a [...]

Austinites, mark your calendars for Glitter Everywhere!

My 24th book, Glitter Everywhere! Where It Came From, Where It's Found & Where It's Going (illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat), will be published by Charlesbridge on June 27, and to celebrate I have two events in the works in my home city of Austin during the week and a half that follow: At 4 p.m. [...]

Win 1 of 4 signed copies of the new Worser paperback!

For my May 2023 giveaway, I'm celebrating two big happenings in the life of Worser, the acclaimed middle-grade novel by My Favorite Author in the Whole Wide World, a.k.a. my wife, Jennifer Ziegler. First off, this month marks the publication of the paperback edition of Worser (Holiday House), complete with new additions to the cover [...]

Texas House Bill 900 (which passed) and Senate Bill 13 (which didn’t)

[May 30 update: The 88th Texas Legislature ended yesterday. Senate Bill 13 never made it through the House of Representatives, but House Bill 900 passed the Senate and awaits signing by Gov. Abbott.] As someone who has spent time inside literally hundreds of school libraries in Texas and had the opportunity to talk with at [...]

Texas House Bill 900 and Senate Bill 13

As someone who has spent time inside literally hundreds of school libraries in Texas and had the opportunity to talk with at least as many Texas school librarians about their work, I deeply value the professionalism of Texas school librarians as a whole. And I believe in their ability to meet the needs of their [...]