Marketing your work can feel overwhelming and uncomfortable. But here's a liberating truth: people don't buy your book; they buy the experience it delivers. Understanding this shift changes everything. Author Bianca Schulze, founder of The Children’s Book Review, will share authentic marketing strategies that honor the deeper meaning of your work, while connecting with readers who truly value what you've created. If possible, bring a small snack to share.

When students don't feel a sense of belonging, they can't learn effectively. Yet creating genuine classroom belonging remains one of educators' most pressing challenges. When students feel disconnected, isolated, or unsafe, academic engagement and achievement suffer.

A 2023 Yale analysis of 424 studies involving over 500,000 K-12 students across 50+ countries found compelling results: students who participated in social-emotional learning programs demonstrated increased academic achievement, improved school functioning, including attendance and engagement, and enhanced social-emotional skills. Most significantly, the largest effect reported was students' increased perceptions of safety and inclusion at school—the foundation of belonging that unlocks learning.

This expert-led panel demonstrates how the intentional use of children's literature fosters classroom belonging and inspires academic success. Our literature-based approach integrates seamlessly into existing literacy instruction while building the social-emotional foundation students need to thrive. When students see themselves and their experiences reflected in books, explore authentic characters navigating friendship and conflict, and engage in structured discussions about belonging, they develop both the emotional skills and the classroom connections that enable learning.

Our panel of award-winning authors, with backgrounds in education and mental health, shares research-backed strategies. We show how picture books, chapter books, and middle grade books serve as springboards for discussions about friendship, emotion regulation, conflict resolution, and community building. Panelists model discussion protocols, share differentiation strategies for diverse learners, including neurodivergent students, and provide ready-to-implement activities integrating art, movement, writing, and dialogue.

Join the Composition Shop's new Summer Reading Book Club designed to introduce you to some great childrens authors and their amazing books, ranging from picture books to young adults.

Whether you're getting a head start on holiday shopping or just looking for your next great read, Bianca will be there sharing her favorite recommendations and helping you discover books that will light up young readers' faces.

Join Bianca Schulze, Host of The Growing Readers Podcast, as she moderates a panel with four picturebook authors discussing the themes of heritage, community, following dreams, and the power of one’s voice. Attendees will tap into these themes, hands-on activities and lesson plans that can be adapted to a variety of texts.