Hello, Everybody!

Welcome.

This is the maiden voyage of my newsletter/blog, which feels a bit like sending a paper boat out into the ocean and hoping it doesn’t immediately tip over.

If you’re reading this, thank you for being one of the brave and curious souls who signed up. (Truly.) There’s still plenty of room for more aboard the S.S. Hilary, though I promise not to resort to standing at a busy intersection with a sandwich board that says “Please read my newsletter! Here is the QR code.” (Although, never say never. I do love a good sandwich board.)

I’ll admit, I did have a moment of thinking, do I have enough to talk about to justify a newsletter? I mean, I know I have a predisposition for blabbing on about all kinds of things, but…

Then I remembered…I am a children’s book writer. I can make an entire story out of a single sock. So here we are, friends. Let’s get started, shall we?

By the way, I will resort to using cute animals to lure kind, unsuspecting readers to this blog. Case in point:

A Big Change on the Horizon

Perhaps the biggest piece of news from my writing desk is…(drumroll)…are you ready?

I’M MOVING TO CALIFORNIA IN APRIL!

(Even typing it still feels a little surreal.)

My husband and I had the chance to visit our new home of Thousand Oaks (a coastal area about an hour outside of Los Angeles) last month with our boys during their winter break from school, and it was very exciting. Though somehow, we managed to arrive during what locals insisted was a very cold week (temperatures in the 50s). I can assure you that after a harsh Boston winter, it still felt like an early spring day–something us Bostonians like to call “wicked wahm”.

We returned home to snow and ice, which made the visit feel even more like stepping briefly into another world.

Here are some fun snapshots from our trip:

We explored Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios in Burbank (I highly recommend it if you or your kids are into the games at all), spent time on a Malibu beach, and conducted some foodie research at In-N-Out. I will say–with full respect to my East Coast upbringing–In-N-Out wins. No contest!

We will miss the Boston area so much, and the incredible friends and family we’ve built our life around for the past 17 years. But I like to think of it this way: those strong Northeast roots will keep me coming back. Always and often, I promise!

I’m very excited for what this next chapter holds as I move closer to the release of my debut picture book in January of 2029. Opportunities to visit schools, attend book festivals, connect with young readers, and sign a whole bunch of books. I can’t wait!

A Visit to My Editor

And speaking of my debut picture book, just this past week, I had the chance to meet and have a lovely lunch with my amazingly talented editor. We share what I very fondly refer to as “the gift of gab.” (If you know, you know! And it is a gift.)

I was so, so fortunate to get a behind-the-scenes tour of their publishing office, and meet the other members of their fantastic team. I really wish I could share more…but for now, I will simply say: more to come! (Which feels very mysterious and author-like of me.)

Santa Barbara, Books, and a Very Good Excuse to Come Visit

Soon after our arrival in L.A. next month, I’m going to helping out with the Santa Barbara Literary Festival (SBLF), which takes place May 2nd-3rd in the ridiculously gorgeous city of–you guessed it–Santa Barbara, California.

This is the very first ever SBLF, which is pretty exciting. They have a really great lineup of events and speakers throughout the weekend, and I’ll be volunteering there.  So come visit, hang out, and discuss and celebrate books with us! Plenty of kidlit authors will be there! You can learn more about it here.

From their official website:

“The Santa Barbara Literary Festival brings together readers and writers of every genre for a two day celebration of storytelling and inspiration. Engaging panels, enlightening workshops, pop-up events, and welcoming social gatherings, bring together established authors, emerging writers, and passionate readers in a uniquely intimate setting that fosters community centered around a shared love of the literary arts.”

Honestly, getting to spend the weekend in such a beautiful city, celebrating books and reading amongst palm trees and ocean breezes? A win! Count me and my spf 100 in (I’m a redhead, I have to).

I’ll be sure to share pictures and highlights from the festival with you in my next newsletter!

Saying Goodbye to Winter

Back on the East Coast, we’ve all been saying goodbye to winter–which is always a mix of emotions for me.

I really loved following the Winter Olympics this year (it’s such a treat when it happens every four years), and cheering on the incredible athletes–particularly in women’s sports.

2026 Olympic speed skating competitor Erin Jackson (look at that power!)

Ski racing, in particular, holds a special place in my heart. Especially since I became a downhill skier, myself, in my forties (proof that it is never too late to try something new…or to discover just how much discipline and drive you still have inside of you).

There’s so much technique that is involved, which keeps me constantly learning new things about it. And it’s frankly just a lot of fun to get out and learn something alongside your kids. It’s rare that we get those opportunities as adults, so I embrace it.

That’s not to say I don’t still fall on my behind/keister/dupa every once in a while. But it builds character, and I think my kids find it entertaining, too! Ha!

Conversations with the Kidlit Community

One of the things I love most about being part of the kidlit world is the chance to talk with people who do incredibly meaningful, creative work.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing, for the Writers’ Rumpus Blog, two very inspiring and talented women who write narrative nonfiction picture books–a genre I love and write, myself. I invite you to click the links below to read those interviews:

What happens when a tiny seed grows into a lesson about generosity, patience, and food insecurity? I talk with Karen M. Greenwald about her new picture book The Cabbage Seed’s Colossal Secret—and the joy of helping kids see what’s possible. We also talk about Karen’s active service and philanthropy within the children’s book community. It’s fascinating!

Planting Seeds of Change: Karen M. Greenwald on Food Insecurity, Generosity, and The Cabbage Seed’s Colossal Secret

Both conversations explore how stories can grow, shape, and inspire the way children see themselves and the world. If you haven’t had a chance to read them yet, I hope you’ll take a look and enjoy them.

Author-Illustrator Janice Hechter: On Art, Persistence, and The Power of Her Paintbrush

A Project Close to My Heart

This spring, I’m so excited to once again be partnering with fellow kidlit authors Nancy Churnin and Karen M. Greenwald for our annual #BookHero book drive. Our goal this year? To help an elementary school in Rhode Island build its very first school library. They need to fill the shelves with brand new books for their students, and we’re going to help them!

We’re working with Reader to Reader, a wonderful nonprofit organization that helps bring books to communities with limited access. The drive will take place during the month of May, alongside Children’s Book Week–a national celebration of reading organized by Every Child a Reader.

To the left is a picture from our #BookHero book drive last year, where we were able to get Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Revere, Massachusetts off to a wonderful start with their first school library. So many members of the kidlit community donated beautiful books that they had written, or simply loved and wanted to share with children who needed them.

I lived about a half hour away, so I was able to hand-deliver a lot of the books! That’s me in the library with Principal Cassie Sermon and many of our wonderful donations.

There’s something especially meaningful about helping create a space where children can discover books–maybe for the first time–and begin to see themselves as readers. Do you remember picking out your first book at your school library? I do. I have a lot of wonderful memories of my childhood libraries.

School libraries are especially important because they make books and reading for fun and pleasure accessible to children that might not otherwise have that (not everyone gets to make trips to the public library). And having a library at school has been shown to impact academic performance in school and standardized test scores, which opens doors and opportunities for kids farther on down the road.

I hope you’ll join us in this worthy cause and donate a new children’s book (anything for elementary aged kids is fine). Please stay tuned for more info!

A Cozy Reading Surprise

To celebrate the launch of my blog, I’d like to send a little something out to someone! (Note: I LOVE giveaways. Expect a lot of them in the future.)

One subscriber will receive a Cozy Reading Surprise–a small, mystery bundle of bookish comforts.

It might include:

• a cozy mug
• tea or hot chocolate
• chocolate (that’s right, that’s what I said)
• a bookmark
• a notebook
• a few other reading-friendly suprises

Everyone subscribed is automatically entered. So if you’re already getting this newsletter emailed to you, you can relax. If you aren’t…well, what are you waiting for? Sign up already! (No pressure, though.)

I’ll choose a winner at the end of April.

And truly–while there will technically be one “winner,” anyone who makes time for books and reading is already doing pretty well, right? We are rich in knowledge and experiences that leap right off of the page and into our minds and hearts.

Thank you for being here for this very first issue. It means more than you might think.

And if you know someone who might enjoy a peek behind the scenes of the kidlit world, feel free to pass this along to them.

I promise I’ll keep the metaphorical sandwich board to a minimum!

Thanks so much for stopping by my writing desk.

With Love,

Hilary