Hello everyone! I'm thrilled to announce I'll be visiting the Bowling Green Barnes and Noble, located at 1680 Campbell Ln, Bowling Green, Ky 42104 on Saturday, July 8th from 1 PM- 4 PM, for an author book signing. If you live locally and would like to stop by, I'd love to connect with you!
In addition to the book signing, I'll be bringing all sorts of fun giveaway prizes, freebies, and goody bags.
Freebies:
💙 lollipops
💙 word searches/spot the difference worksheets
💙 lesson plans grades k-3rd
💙 family resource packets with websites, book recommendations, and tips for neurodiverse families.
NO PURCHASES REQUIRED
Goody Bundles:
💜 Semigloss laminated bookmark
💜 Free author autograph
💜 Special edition "believe in yourself" stickers
💜 Special release ADHD AND ME coloring book
💜 Packet of crayons
FREE WITH THE PURCHASE OF BOOK ADHD AND ME, DAY OF SIGNING, AT BARNES AND NOBLE. SIMPLY BRING YOUR RECEIPT TO THE SIGNING TABLE TO CLAIM YOUR GOODY BUNDLE!
Prize Drawing:
Interested in winning prizes? Post a review of ADHD AND ME to Barnes & Noble website: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/adhd-and-me-chelsea-dicicco/1143058981?ean=9780997933413 (AND/OR post a picture of the book, ADHD AND ME to your Instagram, tagging @chelseasworldofbooks account), the day of the signing and claim your prize drawing slip from the signing table! The winner will be selected at random from the first 10 participants!
Please note: if your Instagram account is set to private, tagging will not work, so make sure to leave a review of the book to claim your drawing slip for a chance to win the giveaway prize!
First off, I'd like to thank the fabulous hosts, fellow librarian and kidlit Author Ciara O'Neal and Literary Agent Kaitlyn Sanchez for yet another amazing Kidlit opportunity to not only showcase our work but to just have fun with our community!
This has been such a terrific way to make friends, build relationships, and overall branch out with other writers. I speak for myself and my critique group partners when I say, we are all so grateful for events like these that help make this line of work even more enjoyable.
For most of us, writing can be very solitary work so fun events like these really add a breath of fresh air and get our creative juices flowing.
If you're not familiar with what the Spring Fling Kidlit Contest is, no worries! I'll be sure to include all the rules and details below.
So, what IS Spring Fling Kidlit?
Your challenge, should you accept it, is simple.
Find a gif and write a spring-inspired story. That's it!
Here are the official rules from Ciara's website:
1. Your story should be geared towards kids ages 12 or under.
2. Choose a gif to inspire your story. be sure to share where you found your wonderful gif. (The website or if you created it yourself!)
3. All gifs should be child appropriate and in no way be derogatory towards any faith, race, etc.
4. Now for the dreaded word count! You have 150 words. That’s it! No more but less is always welcome.
(Your title is not included in the word count.)
5. No illustration notes pretty please.
6. Your gif should be the only visual with your story.
7. The Spring Fling contest officially begins on Saturday April 1st and closes April 3rd, post your gif and story on your blog.
8. On April 1st, we will post a google form on this blog. (You can use the quicklink above titled "official rules" to get to the blog post.) Fill out the form, paste your blog website and story, and you my friend, will be entered!
9. Deadline for posting your story or the link to your story is April 3rd at 11:59pm CST.
10. Only one entry per contestant is permitted.
****If you don't have a blog, no worries, you can put your whole story on the google form. The form will open on April 1st. If you want others to read it too, feel free to post your story in the comments with the link to your gif.***
And that's it!
Now... the moment we've been waiting for; my entry for this year's 2023 Spring Kidlit Contest. This year I wanted to write a story that incorporated not only spring but sharing it with a beloved friend and who better to splash in puddles with than your dog?! So, without further ado, I give you my entry: WAKE UP, WORLD! IT'S SPRING!
Title: Wake up, World! It's Spring!
Written by: Chelsea DiCicco
Word Count: 121
Dewdrops dance on dainty petals.
Tweets and twitters fill the air.
This can only mean one thing…
“WAKE UP, WORLD! IT’S SPRING!”
Padding paws and racing feet.
Hurry, scurry; we can’t wait!
Nature’s calling- here we come!
“WAKE UP, WORLD! IT’S SPRING!”
Butterflies outstretch their wings.
Bees are buzzing off to work.
Mower’s roar, and flowers bloom.
"WAKE UP, WORLD! IT'S SPRING!"
Showers sprinkle in the sun.
Puddles are for everyone!
Happy slappy splashy feet.
"WAKE UP, WORLD! IT'S SPRING!"
Wagging tails and cheerful eyes.
Dirty paws and sun-kissed skin.
Shaking, quaking, laughs and barks.
"WAKE UP, WORLD! IT'S SPRING!"
Hoots and chatters fill the night.
Evening stars pierce the sky.
Look! There goes a firefly.
"Rest up, world. It's Spring."
This GIF was created by Chelsea DiCicco (me) on Canva for the purpose of being used for my 2023 entry for the Spring Fling Kidlit Contest.
Hey guys,
So, we've just started March, and so far, 2023 has been a busy year; full of activities in the writing community, like the amazing #PBPARTY *which I participated in* and the Twitter #PBPITCH event for picture book writers seeking representation, *which I also participated in.* Since the #PBPARTY entries take a few weeks to get results, I've been trying my best to stay busy. Because waiting is hard!
Ways I've stayed busy include: gardening, playing with my pets, doing research on writing projects, reading books, trying to write new stories *and finding my inspiration outdoors* -it's almost SPRING! Curling up in my hammock and getting sunshine. And of course, my library work. Planning new programs and events, working on new activities for my Homeschool Group and Crafternoon and family Nature Walks behind the library.
One of the things I've also done to stay busy is to participate in OTHER events, which brings me to my purpose for posting today.
This year, I participated in Vivian Kirkfield's Picture Book Contest, 50 precious words. This is my first year - hooray! And my wonderful critique partner is also participating with me. Another hooray!
I found out about this awesome event back toward the ending of last year, (2022) while watching a YouTube interview with Literary Agent, Kaitlyn Sanchez, hosted by Maria Dismondy, of Cardinal Rule Press.
After the interview, I visited her website where I found a whole list of great resources for writers. You can find it under her "RESOURCE" tab and click "CONTESTS." Or you can just click this link here and it will take you directly to her page.
So, without further ado, here is my entry for the 50 Precious Words Contest. I hope you enjoy this little sweet treat.
Monday Morning Cupcakes
By Chelsea DiCicco
IG @chelseasworldofbooks
50 words
I smell them from the kitchen.
Sweet, SUGARY goodness.
A treat for each hand.
There they are. A perfect baker’s dozen!
Oodles of sprinkles and colors. Frosting for days.
Yum!
A magical Monday miracle.
“CUPCAKES!”
Pack them, stack them, steal a taste.
Safe in my lunch box. I can’t wait!
If you'd like to view the original post on Vivian's Website, you can follow this link here.
Wow, wow, wow. What a year! I made a few posts on my social media accounts, but I wanted to share them here on my blog for anyone who may have missed the updates.
Here goes...
Whew. So that was my "sappy and a little cheesy" post. At the beginning of 2022, I decided I wanted to make a collage to help remember the journey. I think sometimes as writers we can feel a little bogged down or lost at times. Rejections can be disheartening. Waiting can be difficult. And let's face it, we all feel discouraged sometimes. So, I wanted to make sure that this year I wrote down all my accomplishments and saved them. That way, whenever I was having a day that I was dealing with imposter syndrome, I could go and look at my list of happy moments and achievements. Every step counts!
So, if you are a writer, pre-published or currently published, I encourage you to do the same! This made me feel so good and I wanted to share it with you.
Also, if you have done something like this or have a positive comment or achievement you reached this year, I would love to hear about it in the comments below! Feel free to link your website or social media as well so that others can take a peek.
I think the one thing that has truly benefited me more than anything this entire year is finding my writing community and fully emersing myself in it. It makes such a difference to have friends who can encourage you and understand what you're going through on this journey. We all learn and grow from eachother, so please please share anything you'd like below! I would love to hear from you.
P.S. Another thing I did this year that I heard from another writer in a conference, and I loved the idea so much, was I got myself a jar and labeled it "positive comments" and every time someone told me something positive about my writing, I wrote it down and placed it in the jar. That helped pick me up and motivate me so much throughout the year! If you can, I suggest doing this too!
And now, without further ado, *drum rolllllllll* Chelsea's 2022 stats and inspirational photo collage of tiny victories!
My 2022 stats:
Groups joined: 6
Conferences/workshops/webinars attended: 9
Events participated in: 21
Books written: 28
Revisions made: 63
Critiques given: 64
Submissions/queries sent: 55
Wonderful connections made: too many to count!
#writingcommunity #2022 #progress #endofyear
January-Februar
March-April
may-june
july-august
september-october
november-december
Moral of the story: "It's not the destination, it's the journey."
Enjoy your journey! Celebrate every small victory! Learn from every small setback.
And KEEP. ON. WRITING!
ARE YOU NEW TO WRITING?
If you are new to writing and looking for some great places to start making connections and building your craft, here is a list of just a *few* groups & events I recommend looking into.
Events & Contests
Zidlit Zombie WeekFall Writing FrenzyStorystormKidLitPitKidlit411
Groups & Community
Julie Hedlund's 12x12 Challenge (membership fee)
SCBWI (membership fee)
IBPA (membership fee)
Storyteller Academy (membership fee)
Children's Book Academy (membership fee)
Remember, you don't have to join every group and participating doesn't always cost money. You can be a writer on a budget. Just make sure you stay active and find your community! Personally, my favorite group has been Julie Hedlund's 12x12 group. It's PACKED with resources, webinars, videoes, links to upcoming events *many contests that are free* and it's a great community! And it's where I met my amazing critique partners, who have been invaluable to my growth!
By the way... one of my amazing critique partners, Terri Clemmons, has her debut picture book coming out in Spring of 2024, Mara Hears in Style. You can find out more on her website.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you found this helpful! Don't forget to share your positive achievements below. Or, just some goals you might have for 2023!
If you live in Hendersonville, TN, or a surrounding area, we warmly welcome you to attend our upcoming mental health event! This event will be held on November 20th, 2021, from 10:00, am- 12:00 pm.
Join us on Saturday, November 20th, 2021, at the Hendersonville TN Public Library in celebrating our differences and supporting those around us in the community who are dealing with mental health problems.
Our speakers will be sharing a little bit of hope, comfort, and understanding, as well as providing resources to help aid children and families.
Local children’s book authors Chelsea Radojcic-DiCicco and Mary Elizabeth Jackson will be sharing topics on how to empower your children today as well as how to help children in school and within the family.
Chelsea’s picture book entitled ADHD and Me follows eight-year-old Malory, who has ADHD and shows life through her eyes. It describes her daily interactions with her family and tells her perceptions of school life from the teachers, students, and herself. Throughout the story, Malory shared her observations of others around her while also navigating her own feelings.
Mary’s *newly released* middle-grade book, Cheers From Heaven, navigates the emotions of five students who bullied a boy with cancer. After his death, the five students befriend one another and journey to find the boy’s notes that he left behind. This story handles grief, forgiveness, and healing.
Crisis Counselor Jason Scruggs will be addressing the acknowledgment, assessment, and addressing of your child’s emotional well-being.
And Cary Massey, President of Next-Level Consulting, will be discussing how to build healthy relationships. If you’re in the area, stop by! We would love to have you.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
GUEST SPEAKERS & DISCUSSION TITLES:
Mary Elizabeth Jackson
Empowering Our Kids Today
Chelsea Radojcic-DiCicco
Helping Children at School and Within the Family
Jason Scruggs
Acknowledging, Assessing, & Addressing the Emotional Well-Being of Your Child
The presenters’ common goal in joining together today was to provide mental health aid and support to the community, families, children, and educators. Despite the heavy rains, the group was able to band together and find creative ways to reach their audiences at home. Thanks to Mary’s quick thinking and resourcefulness, she was able to get ahold of her co-host of her Special Needs TV show, and Bridgetti, the show producer, was gracious enough to bring us on live to share our message with viewers.
The rainclouds were filled with silver linings today! Thank you to everyone who came out to support the effort, and if you weren’t able to make it out, you can see our our interviews on Facebook > Special Needs TV > Mental Health Awareness EXPO > posted 09/18/2021.
This event theme will be surrounding children’s education, empowerment, mental health and well-being.
Join us for our special Children’s Learning Event in Gallatin Public Library! Guest speakers in attendance: Children’s Book Author, Chelsea Radojcic-Dicicco, Author and Autism Advocate, Mary Elizabeth Jackson, and Children’s Crisis Counselor, Jason Scruggs.
Event Topics:
10 AM : “Neurodiverse Learning” (given by guest speaker, Chelsea Radojcic-DiCicco)
11 AM : “Acknowledging, Assessing and Addressing the Emotional Well-Being of Your Child” (given by guest speaker, Jason Scruggs)
12 PM : “Empowering Our Kids Today” (given by guest speaker, Mary Jackson)
This event will be hosted at no charge, and open to the public. We encourage parents, and educators to come in and visit! We have lots of fun freebies and resources to offer, so if you’re in the area, stop by and say hello. We look forward to seeing you there!
Who is this event for?
Parents
Children
Educators
Family
Friends
If you are a #elementaryschoolteacher PLEASE stop by and pick up your FREE LESSON PLANS, GRADES K-3RD GRADE.
You don’t live local? No problem! Download your free pdf interactive lesson plans (that correspond with ADHD and Me) on my website under the free lesson plan tab, or simply follow the link in text.
The first guest speaker, Children’s Literature Author, Ms. Chelsea Radojcic-DiCicco, will be discussing the topic ‘NEURODIVERSE LEARNING’ at 10:00 AM. Afterward, she will be participating in an author signing of her book, ADHD and Me. (Available for purchase on Amazon, iTunes, Lulu Bookstore, and Kindle.)
Resources, Free Stuff, and Merchandise
Informative banner will be displayed at the booth, featuring the topics: SUPPORT SYSTEM, LEARNING DIFFERENCES, and MESSAGE TO PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND EDUCATORS.
There will also be:
Promotional bookmarks
Spiral-lined “embrace your differences” school notebooks
Inspirational Stickers
And last but certainly not least, there will be:
FREE INTERACTIVE LESSON PLANS
Lesson plans will be made available for educators or homeschoolers in attendance, grades K-3rd. The curriculum includes games, projects, and learning examples designed for a group or in the classroom. Hurry in and get your free copies while supplies last!
For anyone interested in author interviews, having an in-person or virtual reading, or Q&A with the author, there will be a signup sheet provided at her booth.
Our next guest speaker, Children’s Crisis Counselor, Mr. Jason Scruggs, will be delivering his discourse on the topic ‘ACKNOWLEDGING, ASSESSING, AND ADDRESSING THE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF YOUR CHILD’ at 11:00 AM. Mr. Scruggs’s wealth of experience and knowledge is invaluable, and we look forward with great anticipation to his presentation! He will also have a table set up with information for families and will be available to meet and greet patrons and answer questions throughout the day. Scruggs is an educator, professor, and counselor with two Master’s Degrees and works for the Children’s Crisis Stabilization Unit in Bowling Green, KY.
Our final guest speaker, Special Needs Advocate, Author, and Autism Ambassador, Ms. Mary Jackson, will be delivering her talk on ‘EMPOWERING OUR KIDS TODAY’ at 12:00 PM. Ms. Jackson will also be participating in a book signing at her booth and will have other resources and pamphlets from local branches from our learning community with her as well.
Ms. Jackson is the co-author of Poolicious book series, as well as the co-founder and co-host of The Writers Corner Live TV Show and the Special Needs TV Show on Facebook and YouTube. To find out more about Ms. Jackson, please visit her website at www.maryejackson.com. We are looking forward with deep enthusiasm to seeing you all!
Calling all local Sumner County TN residents! Are you a parent or educator? Visit us on September 18th at the Gallatin Public Library.
We’ll be discussing special needs in education, neurodiverse learning differences and how to build healthy support systems within the family unit and tackling how to identify and assess problems and acknowledge and validate your child’s emotions.
If you’re elementary school teacher, PLEASE stop by and pick up your FREE LESSON PLANS, GRADES K-3RD GRADE (or simply download them HERE.)
Don’t live local? No problem! Download your free interactive lesson plans, worksheets, color pages, spot the difference sheets and other fun freebies and resources under the TEACHER CORNER tab of my website.
Faces shined Saturday morning as we gathered into the Hendersonville Public Library of Sumner county for a special event: The Awareness and Support Expo “for families and friends caring for individuals with special concerns.”
Children and parents cozied up in the warmth of this charming library as the piano played in the background. Around the library, were community members there on a mission to spread awareness, education, and resources with families with special needs- covering all areas of disability.
Also hosted in the Hendersonville Public Library on May 8th was the Friends of the Library book sale. Usually the Friends book sale is held semi-annually, however, due to covid precautions and safety guidelines for the state and protection of patrons, the library had held off on hosting over the past year. Both these events were arranged by the Director of the Library, Diane Johnson, and Library staff members.
sPECIAL GUESTS VISITING THE HENDERSONVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY TODAY:
Borderless Arts Tennessee is a non-profit organization run by the state of Tennessee, committed to presenting programs for individuals with disabilities. Through the aids it provides, it adds to the enjoyment and empowerment of the community. For more information, visit their website here or find them on social media here.
Autism Tn aDVOCATE AND cHILDREN’S bOOK aUTHOR, Mary Elizabeth Jackson
Mary Elizabeth Jackson is an Advocate for Autism Tennessee and a independently published Children’s Book author local to the Hendersonville area. She’s also the co-host of an Amazon LIVE show called Bridgetti.Live, hosted by Bridgetti Lim Bana, located in South Africa. During the course of the day, the participants were featured on the show via live stream- Books: Meet the Author.
Rainbow Mosho is a twelve-year-old artist and author with Autism, working her way towards empowering other children and families with special needs through her inspirational work. Her goal is to “give hope to all the kids in the world” with her book and words. Discover her indie books and custom pieces of artwork on her Facebook page.
Neurodivergent Children’s Author & Blogger, Chelsea DiCicco
Chelsea DiCicco is a neurodiverse local kidlit author living outside of Nashville, TN. Her book, ADHD and Me, was inspired by events in her own childhood and deals with the day-to-day challenges and triumphs as seen through the eyes of an eight-year-old little girl named Malory, who had ADHD.
To find out more about this author or her books, you can visit the ABOUT THE AUTHOR tab of this website or MY BOOKS.
Check out these Neurodivergent author’s and their books for kids!
