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Sydney Dunlap

@sydneydunlapwrites

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Award-winning author
IT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY
RACING THE CLOUDS
BOTH SIDES OF GREYSTONE DRIVE (forthcoming Spring '28)
Rep: Ann Rose

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I’m so excited to announce @jollyfishpress has acquired @sydneydunlapwrites next project, a dual POV historical middle grade novel told in alternating prose and verse. Sydney is the expert when it comes to tackling tough themes in thoughtful, nuanced ways for a middle-grade audience, and her next book is no exception.

Set against the backdrop of the political and social changes taking place in Eastern Europe in the fall of 1989, BOTH SIDES OF GREYSTONE DRIVE explores themes of freedom, both within a family and within society; becoming the person you want to be, even if it means going against other people’s expectations; mental health; the power of friendship; and finding the courage to let someone know when things in your home are not okay.

Mark your calendars, because it’s coming out in Spring 2028!

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✨We’re so excited to announce the 2025 honorees in our annual WLT Book Awards contest.

First known as the Violet Crown Awards, with the later addition of the Teddy Awards to celebrate writers of children’s literature, the WLT has been recognizing the publishing accomplishments of Texas authors since the very first award ceremony in 1991.

This chance to shine a light on Texas authors means the world to us every year and we’re honored to announce this impressive list of books and authors who are each so deserving of this recognition.

Please join us in congratulating our 2025 WLT Book Award winners and finalists! ✨

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🤩💫🥳 I’m so very honored by the super exciting news that SPARKLES FOR SUNNY is the 2026 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Winner (Atlantic Division)! My heartfelt thanks to everyone who voted and a huge congrats to all the winners! *Thank you*!!! ✨💖🫶

2026 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Winners (CONGRATS!!!):

*SPARKLES FOR SUNNY: A Lunar New Year Story (Atlantic Division): @sylviaichen @thai.phuong.artwork @penguinkids

*I AM NOT HAPPY! (California & Hawaii Division): @carolinelperry @sydwiki @simonkids

*YOU CAN SIT WITH ME (Midsouth Division): @rachelkenyon1 @tatianakawkaw @mackidsbooks

*STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits (Midwest Division): @jpuglow @valerya.milov @bushelandpeckbooks

*CAT NAP (New England Division): @brianlies @greenwillowbooks

*THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES (New York Division): @katemessner @bloomsburybooksus

*THE BLUE JAYS THAT GREW A FOREST (Southeast Division): @lynnstreetbooks @annehunterillustration @holidayhousepeachtree

*THE MANY MISFORTUNES OF EUGENIA WANG (Southwest Division): @zombicatures @simonkids

*RACING THE CLOUDS (Texas & Oklahoma Division): @sydneydunlapwrites @northstareditions

*I AM WE: How Crows Come Together to Survive (West Division): @lesliebarnardbooth.books @scatterbee @chroniclekidsbooks

*GRANDMOTHER FROM THE EAST, GRANDMOTHER FROM THE WEST (Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Division): @jacintaliu @_fredachiu_ @hachettekidsanz

*THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES (Canada & North America Division): @stephanie_gibeault @davidhohnillo @sleepingbearpress

*SEVEN: A Most Remarkable Pigeon (Europe & Central, South and Latin America & Africa Division): @sandranickelbooks @aimeesicuro @candlewickpress

*UNDER PRESSURE: Freddie Mercury’s Countdown to Fame (Middle East and Asia Division): @shyamala.shanmugasundaram @saikiapankaj1990 @niyogibooks

*STREET PUPPY, MASJID CAT (United Kingdom & Ireland Division): @monizahossain @wastanahaikal @littlebeebooks

@scbwi @scbwi.nj #crystalkiteaward #scbwi26ck #atlanticdivision

#kidlit #kidlitart #kidsbookstagram #bookstagram #picturebooks #childrensbooks #teachers #teachersofinstagram #schoollibrarian #librarians #librariansofinstagram #SparklesforSunny #SparklesforSunnyBook

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Our Tobias authors had a great June and we are so excited to see these books!

#newdeals #publishersmarketplace #literaryagency #newbooks #bookstagram

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My final #midyearcelebrationtag created by @ktlee.writes featuring middle grade books! It was so hard to pick favorites. I changed a few of the categories to match my reading style. I cannot recommend these books enough.

Best book you’ve read so far: Birdy by N. West Moss

Book that made you laugh: Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

Book that made you cry: A Scar Like a River by Lisa Graff

Favorite new character: Every Shiny Thing by Cordelia Jensen & Laurie Morrison

Favorite new to you author: Racing the Clouds by Sydney Dunlap

Favorite fantasy: Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera

Favorite historical fiction: The Lions’ Run by Sara Pennypacker

Biggest surprise: Where Only Storms Grow by Alyssa Colman

Favorite contemporary: When You’re Brave Enough by Rebecca Bendheim

New release you haven’t read but want to: Sisters Alone by Shifa Saltagi Safadi

Book you want to read by the end of the year: Where the Light Shines In by Jenny Mattern

Most beautiful book you acquired this year: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

What’s your best book of the year so far? Tell me below!

#kidlit
#midyear
#middlegradebooks
#favorite

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Thanks to my @book.cheer peep, @nicolefictionaddiction for making this cool graphic! If you're a fan of MG books, you know what to do: vote for our books in our respective regions if you're an @scbwi member, and if you're not, you can get a free membership to vote with a bit more limited member benefits. SCBWI Crystal Kites 2026 Final Round
Middle Grade Finalists!
Midwest Division: The Song of Orphan Gardens by Nicole M. Hewitt
New York Division: New York Bestselling Author Kate Messner: The Trouble with Heroes
Southwest Division: The Many MIsfortunes of Eugenia Wang, words and pictures by Stan Yan
TX and OK Division: Award-winning author of It Happened on Saturday Sydney Dunlap: Racing the Clouds
Canada & NA Division: Emily Deibert: Bea Mullins Takes a Shot

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Join us SATURDAY 5/30 from 1PM-3PM for a very special author event! 📚✨

Local author Sydney Dunlap (@sydneydunlapwrites) will be here signing her latest book “Racing the Clouds” ☁️

Stop by this Saturday and grab a personalized copy of her book!

We can’t wait to see you there! 📚🫶🏼

#barnesandnoble #bnkaty #bnkatytx #bnhouston

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I had a really awesome time at Teen Bookfest by the Bay in Corpus a few weeks ago. Wonderful people put on this event, and the authors are friendly and cool. They even made us cookies with our book covers! ⁠
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I can't say enough about the amount of work the organizers did to put this on. So many hours volunteering to make this a great event for local teens. And I had so many great conversations with authors from all over. Can't wait to go back.⁠
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#bookish #reader #instabook #booklover #booksbooksbooks #reading #read #kidsbooks #book #writing #bookworm #booklovers #bookaddict #bookcommunity #booklove #childrensbooks #instabooks #authorsofinstagram #tbfbay2026 #teensread #teenbookfest

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My haul from the @htxbookcrawl 😍 I didn’t make it to the 15 stores needed to enter the raffle but I still had a great time exploring Houston and finding so many cool bookstores! I love supporting indie stores, and our bookstores here do some great events and support so many local authors. I can’t wait to read these new books 😄

Look at the special edition of The Sun and the Starmaker 😍😍 and the blind date with a book?? With a description like that I had to get it 😂

I got to meet Sydney Dunlap, who writes middle grade books, so check her out if you’re looking for that age group. And Kristen Kiesling, whose new YA graphic novel, The Harrowing, is about a girl who can see murders before they happen which sounds incredibly interesting and I love the art style!

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📚Happy Independent Bookstore Day!! Spent a fun morning at @brazosbookstore selling books and hanging out with author friends @sydneydunlapwrites and @kieslingbooks! We all sold out and had a great time interacting with customers and Houston Independent Bookstore Crawlers. Thanks so much @brazosbookstore for including us in your fun event for the second year. 🤗📚❤️

@scbwi_houston #independentbookstores #independentbookstoreday #indiebookstores #houstonindependentbookstorecrawl

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We love sharing the Indie Bookstore Day love with our neighbors @murderbooks - over the years it’s gotten bigger and bigger so this year we’ve gotten together to hire a crossing guard at Morningside! No more playing Frogger or having to hunt down a new spot 🐸

We’d like to spread the love to all of our neighbors who are so gracious when our events accidentally take up all the street parking for two blocks - so we’ve pulled together a list of some of our favorites in hopes that while you’re hanging out on Bissonnet this Saturday you maybe check them out! Grab a snack or a drink, shop some local art, get a sweet new look from one of the resale shops, or even get your nails done - this block is full of amazing local businesses and we want to say thank you to them all for being the best neighbors!

As for what’s happening in store?
Snag some coffee from our besties @cavocoffee
Catch story time with local @authorsanyu
Get book recs from some @scbwi_houston authors
Shop some fantastically fruity crochet goods with @littlelemonstitches

Swipe for more details!

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#Fundraising #Auction live! Featuring:

-Virtual #SchoolVisit with Sydney Dunlap
-Virtual School Visit and...
-Virtual #AMA with Tasha Haight
-Your Own Personal #WritingGroup Feedback with Chris Tebbetts et al

Bid & Browse: https://www.32auctions.com/ndkidlit26

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