Some Other Things!

In 2009, I started Wellesley Underground , an alternative Wellesley Alumnae Blog that centers stories from BIPOC, queer trans/nonbinary, working class, neurodivergent, disabled & undocumented alums. WU just celebrated its 10 year anniversary in 2019.

Postpartum Care

Expecting a baby or know someone who is? Check out this Wellesley Underground crowd-sourced the self-care advice toolkit I helped developed to serve as a reminder to make sure that expecting parents take care of themselves.

#WeNeedDiverseBooks

I am a fan of #WeNeedDiverseBooks because kids deserve to see and read stories about kids like them.

Shelly’s Library

Check out some of my favorite books below! See a favorite book of yours missing from my library? Head over to my Goodreads and share your recommendations!

Picture Books

Matt de la Peña’s Last Stop on Market Street — Matt de la Peña’s *Last Stop on Market Street*

Matt de la Peña’s Carmela Full of Wishes — Matt de la Peña’s *Carmela Full of Wishes*

Vashti Harrison’s Dream Big, Little One — Vashti Harrison’s *Dream Big, Little One*

Vashti Harrison’s Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History — Vashti Harrison’s *Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History*

Isabel Quintero’s My Papi Has a Motorcycle — Isabel Quintero’s *My Papi Has a Motorcycle*

Richard Van Camp’s Little You — Richard Van Camp’s *Little You*

Richard Van Camp’s We Sang You Home — Richard Van Camp’s *We Sang You Home*

Aisha Saeed’s Bilal Cooks Daal — Aisha Saeed’s *Bilal Cooks Daal*

Junot Díaz’s Islandborn — Junot Díaz’s *Islandborn*

Jessica Love’s Julián Is a Mermaid — Jessica Love’s *Julián Is a Mermaid*

Sherman Alexie’s Thunder Boy Jr. — Sherman Alexie’s *Thunder Boy Jr.*

Yuyi Morales’s Dreamers — Yuyi Morales’s *Dreamers*

Sheetal Sheth’s Always Anjali — Sheetal Sheth’s *Always Anjali*

Jacqueline Woodson’s The Day You Begin — Jacqueline Woodson’s *The Day You Begin*

Vanessa Brantley-Newton’s *Grandma’s Purse*

Kyle Lukoff’s When Aidan Became a Brother — Kyle Lukoff’s *When Aidan Became a Brother*

Innosanto Nagara’s A is for Activist — Innosanto Nagara’s *A is for Activist*

Kate Schatz’s Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries Who Shaped Our History . . . and Our Future! — Kate Schatz’s *Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries Who Shaped Our History . . . and Our Future!*

Vashti Harrison and Matthew A Cherry’s Hair Love — Vashti Harrison and Matthew A Cherry’s *Hair Love*

Surishtha Sehgal and Kabir Sehgal’s Festival of Colors — Surishtha Sehgal and Kabir Sehgal’s *Festival of Colors*

Duncan Tonatiuh’s Undocumented: A Worker's Fight — Duncan Tonatiuh’s *Undocumented: A Worker's Fight*

Thrity Umrigar and Khoa Le’s Sugar in Milk

Mariame Kaba and Bria Royal’s Missing Daddy

Yamile Saied Méndez and Jaime Kim’s Where Are You From? — Yamile Saied Méndez and Jaime Kim’s *Where Are You From?*

Vivek Shraya and Rajni Perera’s The Boy & the Bindi — Vivek Shraya and Rajni Perera’s *The Boy & the Bindi*

Simran Jeet Singh and Baljinder Kaur’s Fauja Singh Keeps Going — Simran Jeet Singh and Baljinder Kaur’s *Fauja Singh Keeps Going*

Shelly Anand and Nomi Ellenson’s I Love My Body Because

Gloria Anzaldúa and Consuelo Mendez’s Amigos del Otro Lado/ Friends From The Other Side

Gloria Anzaldúa and Maya Gonzalez’s Prietita and the Ghost Woman

Saira Mir and Aaliya Jaleel’s Muslim Girls Rise: Inspirational Champions of Our Time

Middle Grade / Young Adult

Alex Gino’s George — Alex Gino’s *George*

Veera Heernandani’s The Night Diary — Veera Heernandani’s *The Night Diary*

Aisha Saeed’s Amal Unbound — Aisha Saeed’s *Amal Unbound*

Erika Sanchez’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter — Erika Sanchez’s *I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter*

Isabel Quintero’s Gabi, A Girl in Pieces — Isabel Quintero’s *Gabi, A Girl in Pieces*

Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X — Elizabeth Acevedo’s *The Poet X*

Randy Ribay’s Patron Saint of Nothing — Randy Ribay’s *Patron Saint of Nothing*

Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming — Jacqueline Woodson’s *Brown Girl Dreaming*

David Yoon’s Frankly in Love — David Yoon’s *Frankly in Love*

Sabina Khan’s The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali — Sabina Khan’s *The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali*

Lisa Fipps’ Starfish

Tae Keller’s The Science of Breakable Things

Shing Yin Khor’s The Legend of Auntie Po

Huda Fahmy’s Huda F Are You?

Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Crystal Maldonado’s Fat Chance, Charlie Vega

Maulik Pancholy’s The Best at It

Romance

Jane Igharo’s Ties That Tether

Abby Jimenez’s Life's Too Short

Talia Hibbert’s ACT Your Age, Eve Brown

Abby Jimenez’s The Happy Ever After Playlist

Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop

Rachel Lynn Solomon’s The Ex Talk

Christina Lauren’s The Unhoneymooners

Sarah Echavarre Smith’s On Location

Abby Jimenez’s The Friend Zone

Sarah Echavarre Smith’s Simmer Down

Abby Jimenez’s Part of Your World

Sarah Echavarre Smith’s Faker

Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date — Jasmine Guillory’s *The Wedding Date*

Jasmine Guillory’s The Proposal — Jasmine Guillory’s
*The Proposal*

Helen Huong’s The Kiss Quotient — Helen Huong’s *The Kiss Quotient*

Evie Dunmore’s Bringing Down the Duke — Evie Dunmore’s *Bringing Down the Duke*

Talia Hibbert’s Get A Life Chloe Brown — Talia Hibbert’s *Get A Life Chloe Brown*

Alisha Rai’s The Right Swipe — Alisha Rai’s *The Right Swipe*

Uzma Jalaluddin’s Ayesha At Last — Uzma Jalaluddin’s *Ayesha At Last*

Casey McQuiston’s Red, White, and Royal Blue — Casey McQuiston’s *Red, White, and Royal Blue*

Alexa Martin’s Intercepted — Alexa Martin’s *Intercepted*

Talia Hibbert’s Take a Hint, Dani Brown — Talia Hibbert’s *Take a Hint, Dani Brown*

Evie Dunmore’s A Rogue of One's Own

Abbi Waxman’s The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

So You Want to Write a Children’s Book?

First of all—welcome! If you’re here, you probably have a story you’re excited to tell, and I’m so glad you're considering writing for children. I get this question often, so I wanted to share a few of my favorite tips and resources for anyone just getting started.

1. Read Widely

One of the best ways to learn how to write picture books is to read them—lots of them! Pay attention to the structure, rhythm, pacing, and how emotion or humor is conveyed in just a few words. Visit your local library or bookstore and start exploring.

2. Write, Revise, Repeat

Your first draft probably won’t be perfect—and that’s totally normal. Writing for children is an art that takes practice. Let yourself play, explore different ideas, and most importantly, revise. That’s where your story really comes to life.

3. Join a Writing Community

Getting feedback from other writers can make a huge difference. Consider joining a critique group or an organization like SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), which offers events, resources, and a supportive network for writers at every stage.

4. Learn the Industry

Take time to research how publishing works. There are many paths—traditional publishing, self-publishing, hybrid models—and it’s helpful to understand your options. A great place to start is:

Josh Funk’s Guide to Writing Picture Books
Aisha Saeed’s Publishing Resources

Remember:

Your voice matters. The world needs diverse stories told with heart, humor, and honesty. Writing for kids is both joyful and challenging—and totally worth it.

I’m cheering you on!

— Shelly