Atheneum Books for Young Readers will publish an anthology entitled Our Story Begins: Children’s Authors and Illustrators Share Fun, Inspiring, and Occasionally Ridiculous Things They Wrote and Drew as Kids. Elissa Brent Weissman served as the editor on this project.
In a conversation with Cheryl Holloway, Weissman shared this description for the project: “It contains stories children’s authors wrote when they were children, plus drawings illustrators did as children. I’ve got a phenomenal lineup of contributors—25 of today’s best authors and illustrators—and their childhood work is funny and sweet and fascinating to see.”
The full group of contributors include Kwame Alexander, Tom Angleberger, Kathi Appelt, Ashley Bryan, Tim Federle, Candace Fleming, Marla Frazee, Chris Gall, Alex Gino, Chris Grabenstein, Gordon Korman, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Thanhha Lai, Peter Lerangis, Gail Carson Levine, Grace Lin, Yuyi Morales, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, R.J. Palacio, Linda Sue Park, Eric Rohmann, Dan Santat, Brian Selznick, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Rita Garcia Williams. The release date has been scheduled for July 4, 2017. (via Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s Facebook page)