I recently realized that I forgot to hit “publish” on this blog post . . .
. . . SO here it is (oops lol), the announcement from May:
I’m excited to announce that I’ve received an HONORABLE MENTION in 2025’s PB Party!!!
How cool is that?
I’ve entered Mindy Alyse Weiss’ “PB Party” four times now, beginning in 2021, and this year my work was recognized! It was very exciting to get that email and then see my story listed on her website. This is a big contest and sooooo many talented people enter it every year that it’s an honor to have placed within the ranks of stories that topped the list.
The manuscript I entered was TOBY AND THE MOON.
You can see it in the screenshot below:
Toby has been through quite a few revisions and name changes, but no matter what, it remains a story about persistence.
In the world of traditional publishing, persistence pays off.
And the PB Party is a fantastic opportunity, so I encourage people to enter.
Check it out on Mindy’s website, or follow her on Bluesky.
As a writer, naming my characters is something I’ve always struggled with.
It seems like such a simple concept. After all, we all know a lot of people and regularly meet new people. At school, at work, in the grocery store. We should have a whole pile of names stored in our subconscious that we can just pick out at random any time we need them, right?
Or, if you’re like me, when you need a name for a character your entire mind suddenly goes blank and it’s like you’ve never met another human in your life.
Yeah.
That’ll bring a writing session to a standstill.
And whether you’re writing a funny picture book or a creepy horror novel, you’ll need names. You’ll need kid names and adult names. Names for your main character’s friends and frenemies, teachers and neighbors, bosses and dentists. Names for their pets. Names for the antagonists. Names for that barista that makes the perfect matcha latte . . . and the list goes on.
So where do you FIND all of these necessary names?
What I do is I keep a running list of possible names in a document on my computer. Because otherwise my stories would either stay stalled and unwritten, or end up looking like: “the [main character] is speaking to [girl 3] when then they look over and see [guy with dog] . . .”
Which is technically an option but . . . not ideal.
Having a running list makes it easy for me to open the file (or glance at the printed version) in order to pick a name like I’m browsing a menu. And I’m all for making life a little easier.
I even separate the list into columns for “kid first names,” “adult first names,” and “last names.”
For example:
KID FIRST NAMES
ADULT FIRST NAMES
LAST NAMES
Kayleigh
Amber
Moore
Nolan
Brian
Jackson
Bentley
Carrie
Bridges
Cooper
John
Ramirez
One reason I separate kids and adults is because name trends tend to change over the years. Kids today don’t have the same names as the kids I went to school with in the 1990s. So if I was writing a contemporary middle grade novel (spoiler: I am!), then I wouldn’t name all of my characters after the kids in my own 6th grade math class. (Unless I was naming the teachers lol.)
You’ll find some suggestions related to changing name trends in the categories below.
A QUICK NOTE: I would like to point out that when I find a name, I never use BOTH a first and last name from the SAME person. I just can’t. It feels too much like stealing. Like I’m taking something that just doesn’t belong to me. I’ll let you make your own moral decisions here, but my advice is to only add the first OR last name to your list.
Okay. So let’s get into the good stuff.
Where do we find the names to add to our running lists??
I gotta start with this one. It’s a classic. Tried and true.
Baby name books are hard to beat for browsing when you don’t have a specific direction in mind. I bought my first baby name book at a Waldenbooks in the mall when I was a teenager. A little bit of an awkward purchase for a teen in the 90s, but hey – I had that book for yearssss. Lost it in a move, but still, it is a very viable option for tactile people. And word nerds like me who, as a kid, often found inspiration flipping through my parent’s gigantic dictionary. A physical book can be a wonderful way for someone who doesn’t know where to start to discover an unexpected pathway.
So my first suggestion for authors is to have one of these babies (lol pun intended) on hand for when you’re not sure what kind of vibe you’re going for yet.
BUT if you’ve got an idea of what you’re looking for, then a baby name website is always a great option.
I don’t have a preference for one website over another, because if I’m going this route, I tend to put “baby name websites” into my search bar and then actually use multiple sites. Most of the ones that feature the least scammy ads will probably be from parenting magazines.
A cool thing about the websites (well, the good ones) is that you can put in search guidelines such as what letter you’d like the name to start with. Or they will let you type in a trait or name “meaning” and pull up names associated with that word.
Looking for “strong” names? Type in “strong,” or “strength” or maybe “bold,” and see what pops up. Want a name inspired by the forest or the ocean? A color or a feeling? A Greek or Hindu goddess? Type those babies in. Click on the “related” name suggestions that pop up. Explore. Have fun.
SOCIAL SECURITY WEBSITE
That’s right – the official social security website has lists of popular names.
To be more specific, it lists the Top 10 (or 20, 50, 100, 500 or even 1,000) baby names for any year after 1879. Their website always features the current year of newborn babies, but scroll down a little and you’ll find a search menu that allows you to dig deeper.
Why is this helpful? It’s that thing we talked about earlier: changing name trends. People had different names in 1890 than they did in 1990. So if you know what year your book is set, you can find the most popular names for that time period.
For example, if your book is set in 2005 and your character is ten years old, you can search for the most popular baby names from 1995.
Of course, these are American names. So it’s less helpful in some cases. But it’s certainly fun to browse through the trends.
Social Security popular baby name website screenshot
MOVIE CREDITS
You ever sit and watch the entire scroll of credits to a modern day movie? They’re massive.
Maybe you’re waiting to see if there’s a secret bonus scene at the end, or maybe you’re listening to the credit’s soundtrack, but when you look at the screen, you’ll see it:
Thousands of names.
It’s a great way to spark inspiration. You do have to consider that the ages of the people in the credits may not be correct for the time period of your story (remember those changing name trends), so this one is usually more helpful for adult books/names than for kid books/names.
It’s also a reminder that there are still lots of “Johns” and “Michaels” out there (at least in the US). So keep that in mind, too when naming your characters. It’s why you should always consider using a few of the “popular” names from the social security website we mentioned above – at least for contemporary or historical fiction.
But, yeah, watching name after name scroll by right in front of your eyes is sure to get you going on your Character Name List.
REALITY TV SHOWS
There were years of my life where HGTV and the Food Network were 95% of the television I watched. Heck, I’d leave the channel on all day while I did other stuff, like cooking and cleaning and graphic design. But these days, when I have my occasional binge stream of House Hunters International, I find myself sometimes focusing in on the show with a sudden thought: hey that’s a really pretty name.
So if you watch any type of reality TV, and you hear a name you love, remember to jot it down. (This is also why I have a ton of notes in the Notes app on my phone. Just saying.)
SCHOOL EVENTS
This might be a weird one, but when I’ve been sitting there at a concert or a play that one of my kids are in, I always find myself with a flyer full of names. As a writer, my first thought is always whether or not any of the names from these classmates of my kids are giving me main character vibes.
I haven’t used this method much, but when you need to name your characters and you find yourself holding a paper full of contemporary kid names, well, maybe you add a handful of first names to your running list.
NAME GENERATORS
I’ve used these to name my Dungeon & Dragon characters. They’re a lot of fun. They’re made for fantasy characters but, honestly, they can used as inspiration for any genre. You never know what they’ll spark in your imagination as you scroll through the options. Definitely worth a try if you’re stuck.
There are a lot of name generators out there, so I’m not going to list/promote any specific ones. What I do is go to my search engine and type in something like, “name generator” or “name generator dnd” or “name generator book character.”
Some websites are focused on something specific (like fantasy names) and others will give you a list of options. I’ve seen everything from “pet names” to “pen names.”
PINTEREST
Pinterest is one of those fun websites that can be a fantastic resource . . . or a gigantic waste of time. The problem is that there are a lot of great “pins” that say they have what you are looking for, and then when you click on them, you find that some of them are actual baby name websites or parenting blog, but then some of them are blogs that are just many, many lists punctuated by many, many ads.
And then every so often, there are some absolute treasure troves.
So it’s still a suggestion. Plus, it ends up being a good resource for more unique finds.
To get started, you can search for things like “popular names for twins” or “Victorian girl names” or “baby names that start with m” or “short unisex names.” Try typing in whatever vibe you are searching for. Have fun with it. (Remember to search in the Pinterest search bar – not Google.)
One more tip: when you click on a “Pin,” (not the link attached to it – just the image), it will show you “related pins” below. This can be a helpful way to explore a specific niche.
Pinterest screenshot
YOUR FAVORITE STORIES & POEMS
Okay, I wouldn’t name your wizard character Harry or your mermaid character Ariel, and I’d be a little careful about giving your fantasy character who rides dragons a name like Violet with a nickname of Violence . . .
But maybe you’ve got an old favorite book with a few characters that really mean something to you. For example, I named one of my cats Milo after The Phantom Tollbooth. And I named another cat Charis after a Ben Johnson poem. Not that anyone could pronounce the latter, but that’s another story.
In the movie Sabrina, the main character Sabrina Fairchild talks about how she was named for a water nymph that saved the knight in shining armor.
Perhaps there is a story from your own childhood, or a poem you discovered in an old book in the dusty corner of a used bookstore, and it struck you in such a way that you once thought: this is a perfect name. One day I’m going to name my kid / pet this name.
Maybe try naming your main character instead.
ANIMAL RESCUE WEBSITES
I gotta include the fur babies. Especially since I’m currently a momma to four of my own fur babies AND I foster kittens. What can I say? Animals are amazing.
Anyway, this section is here in case you’re ALSO looking for pet names. Sure, you can use the same resources above for this too – like looking up blogs by searching “popular names for dogs,” but that may not fit your vibe if you’re looking for something unique.
Rescues, though? They have to come up with tons of names ALL THE TIME. And they like to post the pictures on social media in hopes they’ll get a big crowd to show up on adoption day.
It’s great for groups, too. One whole litter of kittens can get you Salsa, Guacamole, AND Nacho. With maybe a side of Peanut and Butter. Or maybe puppy twins named Diamond and Pearl. Or a bunny named Floof.
So search for rescues in your area, and check out their Facebook and Instagram pages. Animal shelters also post photos on their websites, so look at county websites, too. You’re likely to find a lot of interesting names. Especially for rescues with big litters who need lots of names.
Screenshot of animal shelter adoption list
YEARBOOKS
This is one of those suggestions that should have been obvious, but I didn’t think of it until I was lugging around a box of 30-year-old yearbooks the other day.
There are a LOT of names in a yearbook.
Okay, okay, so the “name trends” thing does apply here too. You’ll want to be careful that the ages of the characters in your book match up with the ages in the yearbook you have.
You can use your own yearbooks, yearbooks that belong to your relatives, or you can see if your local library keeps yearbooks in their collection. Or maybe you find an interesting one at a yard sale. Never know when inspiration will strike!
ONE LAST WARNING: While this task of collecting names can be very helpful in not interrupting future writing sessions, be careful that you don’t use it as an excuse to NOT write. Writing adjacent activities are important, but don’t let them distract you from the writing itself. And this is one of those activities that can be really entertaining for neurospicy people like me – so beware of rabbit holes!
These are downloadable individual activity worksheets that include mazes, tracing and matching shapes, identifying animals, and dot marker letter searches.
They’re great for use in homeschooling, classrooms, libraries, and more!
I am utterly HONORED to announce that I am the recipient of the 2025 Transgender and Nonbinary Scholarship for Picture Book Storytellers from the Highlights Foundation!
Attending a retreat / class at the Highlights Foundation in Pennsylvania has long been at the very top of my wish list. As a kidlit writer, this is something I dreamed about.
It is always difficult to open up your heart and pour your soul into an application of any kind (and I’ve entered SO many contests over the years), but to be recognized by a respected organization as a nonbinary writer of potential makes it all worth it.
I shared with them my selkie story that I hope to share with the world one day, and also my vision of incorporating more of my own life experiences into my picture books and middle grade stories.
I’m headed out soon to attend a writing retreat with fellow picture book writers, which is taught by amazing authors, and I’m just so very excited.
I’ll be sure to share some photos and experiences with you here on my blog.
Have you been to the Highlights Foundation retreat center at Boyds Mills? Let me know in the comments!
Get ready . . . it’s time for the NEXT BOOK in the Animal Adventure Series!
That’s right – THIS WEEK An Arctic Animal Adventure: A Tongue Twisting Tale with Shapes is launching!
This will be the third book in the series, and will be followed by a matching activity book.
I’m still updating the links on my website, but be sure to follow me on socials and keep checking the BOOKS page for more details.
Plus, the related FREE printable activity sheets will also be posted soon.
So much excitement! If your kiddo enjoyed learning about the alphabet the wild way with silly rhymes in An African Animal Adventure: A Tongue-Twisting ABC Tale, they’ll also love this guessing-game adventure to help them learn about 12 basic shapes.
Welcome to my blog series Picking Pages: Picture Book Peeks where we pick our favorite Picture Book pages! Today we’re looking at SOME DAYS ARE YELLOW by author Suzanne Slade and illustrator Michelle Lee. It was published by Sleeping Bear Press in 2024.
SOME DAYS ARE YELLOW is a book about emotions. It has sparse text that is short and sweet – lyrical and yet clear. Between the illustrations and the few words on each page, we know exactly what the author is saying – and we FEEL the pictures.
It’s not a book all about colors, which I thought it might be from the title, but instead it takes us through everyday activities with a unique way to describe them. Kind of like kids do themselves.
Lines like “Some days are serious. Others seem silly!” can seem vague at first glance, but once you glance over the illustrations of a child taking a test juxtaposed with the same child dressed up with a dinosaur mask dancing across the page, you realize what the author is doing.
They are giving us a new way to view our day. A different way to describe our experiences. And also a way to talk to kids about the difficult things.
Because some days, for example, “are tears.”
I love the way this book makes it okay to use whatever words you (or kids) have available in order to communicate.
Also, it would be a good addition to lesson plans about opposites.
There are a lot of great pages in this book, but one of the best (in my opinion) is this one. It matches the adjectives “sporty” and “frilly” with two different activities. Both are activities kids would be familiar with, and both are portrayed as fun and acceptable for all genders.
But I do hesitate to call the above picture my fave because this next one is also just so amazing. I love how the day is called “brave” and the illustration of a brave activity is centered around a child who is ready to dive off the high board – complete with a superhero cape.
But ALSO, it shows the bravery of the child on the ground who is taking that first step upwards. It shows how “brave” means facing a scary situation head on, whatever that situation is. Hungry lion or towering heights: whatever your fear is, there is acknowledgement of its validity.
There is a lot of white space on the page which makes the focus on the kids and on their expressions. The child on the board is at peace. They have met their fears and they are prepared.
What do you think?
Which page is your favorite? Vote here:
Thanks for voting!
And remember, the best ways to support your favorite authors and illustrators includes buying their books, leaving them reviews, marking them as “want to read” on Goodreads, checking their books out of the library, and sharing how much you love the books on social media. Here are some helpful links (some are affiliate links):
Welcome to my blog series Picking Pages: Picture Book Peeks where we pick our favorite Picture Book pages! Today we’re looking at GRAVITY IS BRINGING ME DOWN by author Wendelin Van Draanen and illustrator Cornelia Li. It was published by Alfred A. Knopt in 2024.
The klutz in me adores this story. This is a book that starts with our main character not just getting up on the wrong side of the bed – she falls out of the bed. Then she falls on the bus. And falls on the playground. And she drops things in class. And knocks things over at meals.
I feel this girl. I’ve lived this day.
She even bumps a book cart into a doorway while trying to get to the school library. Who here has run a full book cart into something?
*raises hand*
So, yeah. I get her frustration.
The book is great for any kids who feel a bit clumsy. And, to be honest, when you take growing pains into consideration, that’s most kids. She blames the clumsiness on gravity, and the best part of the story is when she gets to experience a type of anti-gravity at the Children’s Museum. She bounces and slides and climbs all around the space room in order to discover some freedom from gravity’s normal pull.
It’s a joyful story.
When it comes to a favorite pages, I picked out the museum page first. Because this one shows the excitement she has in the freedom of her movements when she’s in her special “happy place.” You can see the glum transform into glee.
And I picked the breakfast illustration because I love the absolute chaos of it. A simple slip of the hand and – whoosh! – cereal EVERYWHERE! This would, incidentally, make my dog very happy too.
So what do you think? Which page is your favorite?
Vote here:
Thanks for voting!
And remember, the best ways to support your favorite authors and illustrators includes buying their books, leaving them reviews, marking them as “want to read” on Goodreads, checking their books out of the library, and sharing how much you love the books on social media. Here are some helpful links:
The book birthday of AN AFRICAN ANIMAL ADVENTURE ACTIVITY BOOK is here!
This fun activity book is a companion to the recently released AN AFRICAN ANIMAL ADVENTURE, which is a tongue-twisting ABC tale. This book will feature handwriting practice, mazes, dot-to-dot, and more alongside the animals that children will recognize from the storybook.
We’re actually still cleaning up after our second major hurricane this month, and while I’ve been running around like crazy, I would hate to miss making this announcement. In keeping with SOME semblance of normality in these hectic, insane times of no power and no water and no gas and no school, It’s helpful to at least keep up with business-as-usual online.
I’ve been working really hard on making this series a fun and helpful resource for our Littles. Reviews have been coming in for the first book and it makes my heart soooo happy <3 Check out my Facebook page to see some of the reviews.
For the activity book, each letter of the alphabet gets 2 dedicated front-and-back pages (for a total of 4 pages each). Each letter has a variety of ways to practice both letter recognition and small motor functions like proper pencil control.
Plus the background has been minimized to create a focus on the letters themselves. Even the animals are supplementary. This brings the alphabet to the forefront, as you can see in the graphic above.
I love having an entire workbook dedicated to learning the alphabet that is so easily integrated with the storytelling of the picture book.
And there are more to come! Next one is – spoiler alert – about shapes!
Be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss any updates.
This month I’ve joined a special promo where you can download books for free AND enter to win a gift card!
It’s from a website called Book Cave that regularly offers free and discounted books. See the offer here.
The Back to School Reads contest includes three $10 gift card prizes that can be used at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.
There are a variety of books, including my about-to-launch AN AFRICAN ALPHABET ADVENTURE! The genres are pretty widespread, so check it out – you never know what will catch your eye.
Welcome to my blog series Picking Pages: Picture Book Peeks where we pick our favorite Picture Book pages! Today we’re looking at THE DRAMA LLAMA by author Rachel Morrisroe and illustrator Ella Okstad. It was published by the Jabberwocky imprint of Sourcebooks in 2024.
THE DRAMA LLAMA is the type of book that I would call more of a “teaching” book because it deals with social emotional learning is a very straightforward way. There is no beating-around-the-bush or allusions here. The main characters worries. A LOT. And his worries manifest as a gigantic pink llama.
“Teaching” books can sometimes be a bit heavy-handed, but what I like about this book is that it’s still just a really fun and adorable story. The peppy rhyme carries us through the main character’s life as his everyday activities are interrupted by this cumbersome llama, and then we learn along with him how to control our llama. Sorry – our worries.
The last page also includes Backmatter that gives kids tips on how to deal with their own worry and anxiety in a healthy way. Not only would I have liked to have this book when my own daughter was younger, but honestly I think the tips are great for adults too.
So, what about the peek at the pictures??
Okay. I THINK my fave page in this book is the bubble bath scene. How adorable and silly is this? Just imagine, you’re hanging out and relaxing with your favorite bubble bath scent and – suddenly – a giant llama materializes in the tub with you. I love how completely ridiculous of a situation it is.
But then there’s this page: one of the main character’s attempts at losing the llama is to leave it on a train. But – zip! – just like “llama-shaped elastic” is pings right back again. What a great analogy! Kinda makes me want to have a drawer full of llama-shaped rubber bands.
So what do you think?
Which page is your favorite? Vote here:
Thanks for voting!
And remember, the best ways to support your favorite authors and illustrators includes buying their books, leaving them reviews, marking them as “want to read” on Goodreads, checking their books out of the library, and sharing how much you love the books on social media. Here are some helpful links:
