Hi, everyone! Thanks for joining us!

Raleigh, North Carolina

Seattle, WA

Lara Ivey- Richmond, Virginia! Sooooo excited to be here!!!

Redmond, WA

I’m Matthew. And I’m from Ellicott City, MD

San Francisco Bay Area

Congratulations, Ann!! We're joining from Boulder, CO.

Thrilled to be joining in from Cedar City, Utah!

Hello from Louisville, KY

So excited!! Lizzie in Atlanta, GA!

Burlington, VT

Hi from NJ!

Fredericksburg, VA

Hi, Matthew, Ann, and everyone from Arlington, MA!

hey! i'm from point of rocks,maryland

vermont

Here tonight from western Maine!

Hello from Jamaica Plain, MA!

Congratulations, Ann!!! Hello from Colorado.

Natalie Belli Grade 6 ELA/SS teacher in Marblehead, MA. Happy to be here!!

Hi! I'm from Brattleboro, Vermont-big fan.

Sylvie Valasis- Maltby- Brunswick, MD

Hi from CT! Congrats, Ann!!!

Anders family in Brattleboro, Vermont!

Hi everyone. Congratulations, Ann. I'm tuning in from Colorado, and so excited to be here.

That just brightened my day!Hi from Ossining, NY

Brattleboro vt

OMG!!!!!!!!i love her book soooooo much!! the story just so intriguing

Same I've read 2

Ann Braden, I love your book. It gives people different perspectives of others' lives!!

i love T, so little words, but so much in them.

This book is literally exactly what our kids need after whatever this year was!

I also love T!

exaclty

I love every single character!

Yay, love Amber!

I am reading "Flight of the puffin in class

I'm totally going to read more chapters more later

T is my favorite character. After that, Vincent.

Love Puffin! My fifth graders are reading it now in class. :)

Hello from WA

yeah same, all their perspectives are so different, but they all come together!! that is my favorite parts

I had my chat thing on all panelists instead of all panelists and attendees whoops lol

XD lol

haha yana!

Which character is nonbinary?

T

wait what!?!?!

sorry was that a spoiler

i didn't think it was T!

I love Amber's and Matthew's wall art! Ann, my copy should be arriving today.

Don't give spoilers!

Ya I am still reading in class

Sorry I didn't mean to I was just answering their question

also, i love that his books are color coded

lol it's ok

Wait, should students have their cameras off? I'm confused..

i cant even see if my camera is on

I like reading from all the different perspectives of the characters. Also this book showing all their struggles can be so relatable sometimes as many kids could be going through the same thing

Ya same

i only see them

Sylvie, everyone's cameras are hidden right now.

Ok thank you.

o i heard that in your Q and A video

are the mics automatically muted because I cant see if mine is or not

congratulations! looking forward to getting my copy tomorrow!

i totally agree, that is one of the reasons why i love this book sooo much

"At the level of the heart", I am going to use that.

Mics are automatically muted in this webinar. Thanks.

Your welcome

Libby is my favorite!

There will be a recording.

i love libby too, i love her personality and art like her

I love the character libby too :D

I love them all, I can't even decide. But I gotta say, I love the strength and courage Libby has?

. *

yeah

I also enjoy art like she does and I like her personality too

I can't even imagine the guilt Jack has about his brother Alex dying. He is still thriving how to be good, though.

yea, when are we doing questions because i have one

@Savannah feel free to leave it in the chat or we’ll do Q&A at end

ok!

thanks!

My Question: What else inspired you to write the story besides Kara? How does it impact you besides other people?

Please no Spoilers

My question for you is, what inspired you to write the book and what inspired you to become an author?

My Question #2: Does writing this book and knowing it impacted kids make you somewhat feel like a hero?

Thank you for recording this. I have a daughter with Autism who needs me to leave. I want to add that reading helps me relax and the expression of authors words mean a lot to me. Peace! :)

My ? Is do you like flight of the puffin or your other book (sorry, I forget the title.)

Thanks for talking about labels and respecting how others may wish to be identified. Such an important conversation.

Better

Fantastic point, Amber! Thank you!

Another question I have is, what advice would you give to people who might want to be authors in the future. (I find writing a lot of fun and being an author sounds like a lot of fun)

i totally agree, stereotypes are just not fair to those people, and even though i am not non binary or gay or lesbian, but i have friends who are non binary and i accept that, and i want everyone to be able to

My Question #3: If you happened to meet people who were like the kids in your book, what advice would you give them?

Exactly

I have friends who are lgbt as well and I bet they would agree

Yes, Savannah. Stereotypes is just a wrong way of labeling people. Some people just see the world how to want to see it or feel comfortable seeing it.

kids are amazing

a question i have for amber is, you said you new your weren't straight in middle school, were you bullied for being the way you are and/or how did you work through that.

Yeah, and how did you know?

right now!

We are reading it right now! Ella Baker Elementary in Redmond, WA. <3

i was actually going to make cards after this!

Same Savannah!

I actually made one, and I'm gonna make more.

I'll definitely make some cards too

There are times when I feel mixed messages about labels. On one hand, I try to break down labels—I think of Morgan Freeman’s 60 minutes interview with Mike Wallace—On the other hand, I feel that labels are constantly being added. Reading The 57 Bus, opened my eyes to the importance of understanding labels. However, I feel that my habitual language is a challenge. Example: “Hey Guys!” I like the statement from Amber that practice and making mistakes will happen, but I need to keep practicing to create the normative.

your a great 42 i must say

I'm so glad to see more tv shows showing lgbt representation bc it makes me feel like we've made progress about showing its normal and that there is no reason for stereotypes.

https://gendercool.org/

that is horrible

Amber, how did you know that liking a female wasn't just a phase at such a young age?

Thank you so much for talking about this topic! My teen is nonbinary and we’re in a state that has great resources for gender affirming care, but it’s alarming to see all the bills all over the US.

Amber, yes, SO important!

trevorproject.org

my friend is non bi,and we always say we love each other and things like that, but we dont feel like we like like each other, we feel like we are siblings and i just love our relationship!

Well, that's awesome.

i just feel horrible for those people who won't let their child be who they want to be

Amber, how did you know that liking a female wasn't just a phase at such a young age?

Savannah, same

I would feel horrible too

it is just wrong to tell people how to feel

yesh

yeah

*

*clap clap clap*

vitual clapping*

virtual*

my sister just said she liked the phrase to XD

*Clap, clap, clap*

too*

my sister and I are loving this zoom meet :)

Can someone please put those titles and authors in the chat

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff https://bookshop.org/books/too-bright-to-see/9780593111154

i love how this is all about awareness! because it is so important to be aware

same Savannah

The Fabulous Zed Watson! By Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester https://bookshop.org/books/the-fabulous-zed-watson/9781443460910

:D

My new postcard/index card: “I see you; you matter to me.”

Thank you Matthew. Ordering from my local indy bookstore Page 158 in Wake Forest NC

Oh my gosh, I have an idea. I could leave anonymous postcards like Libby.

That’s amazing!

https://annbradenbooks.com/puffinsunite/

My class made and mailed postcards . . . Also, made index cards to make someone’s day better—left at random places around town.

empowering readers to change the world!

Great idea

A Room of One’s Own

is it just my internet, or is she breaking up

Octopus, puffin, . . . what’s your next metaphor for students to consider? The Flight and Benefits of . . .

It’s just your internet, Savannah :.)

Love T’s chapters—short but super powerful! Totally grabs my students. Also, chapter 21 Libby was a WOW!!

Great advice, Ann.

i feel the same way!

thanks for answering my question and giving advice :)

most of my recent stories I've been writing contains lgbt representation through characters

i am writing a book and need some help, what did you do when you had writers block, and how were you able to continue writing?

I post my stories on schoology in my schools writers club group for other students to read

:)

You did it so well, Ann!

We are doing comma rules in my fifth grade class next week. LOL

The sign in front of my class: Welcome to Mrs. belli’s class. Comfortable conversations about uncomfortable topics. Important to create safe places to discuss hard and sensitive topics

I love Ann's laugh. I will hear it in my head when I think of her now. ;-)

her laugh makes me smile I find it cheerful

this book is definitely what I need right now going through tough times during this quarantine

Love the cats tail in your last read— Road kill has some great lessons when crossing the road . . .

Matthew, I feel so fortunate to have been here for this, to see you in your space after listening to The Children’s Book Podcast (recommended to me by Ann). Thanks for the work you do.

Amber, thank you for the work you do, too. I walk away with more courage and strategy for helping the trans community around me.

Great conversation. Thank you!!

Ann, you rock!

Thank you, Ann, Matthew and Amber!

Thank you!

Thanks and congrats!!

Thankyou all!

Bye Ann!

thanks so much

Thank you so much

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!

:D

Have a good night!