May 17

May 17 Episode #198: Chop Suey: Scholastic, colors, and what makes a book stand out!

Grace and Alvina talk about the Scholastic censorship controversy, what they think certain colors taste like, and what makes a book stand out in the market.

200th Special Episode!

We'd love to do an "Ask Us Anything" as part of the episode, so if you have any questions, whether about publishing or life and everything in-between, post your question here or send us a message to http://bookfriendsforever.com!

Also, if you join our patreon, you'll have the opportunity to hear us record our 200th episode live and ask questions live in the chat. THIS Friday, May 19th at 5:15 ET! Become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1

Pre-Order Chinese Menu!

Educators! Pre-order Chinese Menu for the Carle Museum and receive a FREE virtual classroom visit with Grace to celebrate the Moon Festival on Sept 29th!

Not an educator? Want something different? Pre-order Chinese Menu from Porter Square Book and receive an enamel dragon pin (perfect for the upcoming Year of the Dragon)!

Find all of the pre-order info here: https://gracelin.com/news-events/

“How have you been?”

Grace has been busy! Hazel had her birthday party at a roller skating rink and now they are getting ready to travel to Portland, OR to see Where the Mountain Meets the Moon musical! Alvina caught an Opening Act show that moved her to tears and is busy getting ready for the sales conference next week for work.

Chop Suey Random Topics

Scholastic Sensorship Controversy: Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall. Grace and Alvina talk about how they feel about it from different angles and professional standpoints.
What would colors taste like to you? Inspired by the podcast, The Illustration Department with special guest Melissa Sweet.
What we think makes a book stand out in the market? with Alison Morris from First Books.

Other Media Mentioned in this Episode:

Thank you for tuning in!

If you’re a patron, don’t forget to check out this week’s Random Questions feed! Authors Hena Khan and Grace Lin answer the random question: Which would you prefer to have as your room-mate--A goat or a bird? Click here to listen! If you’re not a patron already, join today!

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, and Alex at Pacyworks Studio for producing and editing this podcast. Be sure to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and tell a friend about us. (Use the hashtag #bookfriendsforever.)