When I met with my publisher, Angus Yuen-Killick at Red Comet Press, we kicked around ideas to promote all the Red Comet Press authors in the Boston area, who are also friends of mine. It seemed too ambitious to set up Storytimes or Author Visits. Angus suggested that we contact bookstores in advance to see if they would like us to come in as a group to sign stock.
This seemed really manageable! We created a spreadsheet by geographic area and assigned each person the city in which they lived. They would be the point person to contact the bookstores; hopefully, they would know someone at the bookstore, which would make it easier!
Angus suggested that we go when the bookstore isn’t busy, like a Monday morning. Some bookstores aren’t open on Mondays, though. We picked a Wednesday morning. I happened to be texting Angus and mentioned that I was about to leave for our bookstore day in Cambridge that Alison Goldberg had organized. Angus told me to take a lot of photos, and he would try to get us in Publishers’ Weekly.
The bookstores were delighted to hear that we were trying to get press in Publishers’ Weekly, and they brought out the books to sign. It was really nice to meet the booksellers face-to-face. After we finished two bookstores in Harvard Square (plus Alison and I love romance books, so we also stopped by Lovestruck Books just to browse), we headed to Porter Square. Porter Square Books moved about a year ago, and the building has a small Japanese food court. We signed books, and the timing was perfect for udon noodles made right at the restaurant!
Our final stop was Narrative, near Alison’s house. Here’s our Red Comet Press Crawl, Cambridge version! Stay tuned for my turn to host, which will cover Newton, Brookline, Wellesley, Needham, and Belmont. Yes, it will be a full day!
And … it worked! We got a write-up in Publishers’ Weekly!
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My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
- ⭐ Starred review from Kirkus
- ⭐ Starred review from Publishers Weekly
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal
- Kirkus: The Most Anticipated Children’s Books of Spring 2026
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Gold Award
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
The Traveling Taco:
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Silver Award
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
- ALSC Notable Children’s Book
- 2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award Middle Level Honoree
- Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- 2024 Julia Ward Howe Prize for Children’s Literature Winner
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025
- Recommended Reading for the Social Justice Literature Award 2025 (International Literacy Association)
- Pennsylvania Mountain Laurel Book Award Nominee 2026-27
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bank Street College’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
