KidLit Cares: Our Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort

People who write children’s books and work in this industry have a wide range of interests and talents. As authors, illustrators, agents, and editors, we do different jobs, and we love and create different kinds of books. But one thing we all tend to agree on is using your powers for good in the world.

We are heartbroken that Hurricane Harvey and related flooding is having such a devastating effect on those in the storm’s path. Today and in the weeks to come, relief organizations will be serving thousands of families displaced by Hurricane Harvey and related flooding. Those families include so many kids who read our books. We’d like to do what we can to help, and that’s what KidLit Cares is all about.

What is KidLit Cares?

It’s an online talent auction to benefit the Red Cross and Global Giving relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey & related flooding. Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to the Red Cross or Global Giving.

What kinds of things are included?

Manuscript critiques, in-person and Skype author visits, virtual writing workshops, school & library marketing consultations for authors… you name it. You can scroll down to see the list of auction items. Just click on any item to see the details, and bidding will be happening in the comments. To bid on an auction, check the current high bid in the comments, and place a higher bid by leaving your name and bid amount in a new comment, along with some way for me to contact you if you win (email, FB or Twitter…I’m not fussy.)

What happens if I win?

Winners will be notified when the auction ends and should be prepared to make an online donation directly to the Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Relief fund OR the Global Giving Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund in the amount of the high bid at that time. After you’ve made your donation, you’ll forward your receipt to me, and I’ll put you in touch with the person who donated the service you won so that the two of you can work out the details about how and when. All services will be provided at the convenience of both the person making the donation and the auction winner, but this should happen within three months of the auction’s end unless something else is agreed upon by both parties.Exceptions may be noted on some auction pages.

Okay…so who’s Kate Messner and is this fundraiser legit?

I’m Kate. I write books for kids (see the Books link, above, if you want to read about them after you’ve bid on your auction items). I’m also an educator and speaker, and I organized the KidLit Cares effort for Superstorm Sandy Relief in 2012. We raised over $35,000 then – you can read about that here – and this seemed like a good model for an effort help the people in Harvey’s path as well. So welcome! I hope you’ll find something in the KidLit Cares auction that you can’t live without and make a great donation to the Red Cross or Global Giving.

We’d love for EVERYONE to help out with a donation to the Red Cross or Global Giving, and you can do that, even if your favorite auction items aren’t within your budget. Everyone who donates at least $10 to the Red Cross or Global Giving using today through Monday 9/4 will be entered in a drawing to win a signed class set of my new novel for young readers, THE EXACT LOCATION OF HOME (36 hardcover copies!) and a 30-minute school Skype visit with me this fall.

Kirby “Zig” Zigonski lives for the world of simple circuits, light bulbs, buzzers, and motors. Electronics are, after all, much more predictable than most people–especially his father, who he hasn’t seen in over a year. When his dad’s latest visit is canceled with no explanation and his mom seems to be hiding something, Zig turns to his best friend Gianna and a new gizmo–a garage sale GPS unit–for help. Convinced that his dad is leaving clues in geocaches around town to explain his absence, Zig sets out to find him. Following one clue after another, logging mile after mile, Zig soon discovers that people aren’t always what they seem . . . and sometimes, there’s more than one set of coordinates for home. This book releases September 12th and has earned starred reviews from School Library Journal & Kirkus.

To enter this drawing & help out with the relief effort, make your $10 or more donation to the Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund or Global Giving Hurricane Harvey Relief fund by clicking on the appropriate link. Please send your receipt to kidlitcaresharvey at gmail dot com to be entered in the drawing. A winner will be announced on September 6th.

Now…on to the list of auction items! (Links will go live as the auctions are listed, so this is just a preview until then. I’ve been overwhelmed with donations. Thanks for your patience!)

A note about last-minute bidding: Please consider making your highest bid early instead of waiting. Two reasons for this… #1 – This isn’t Ebay. It’s a community auction hosted on an author’s blog. Websites can crash, especially in high traffic times, and if you wait, you may find that your bid doesn’t post before the end time. And #2 – Our end game here is raising money for people whose lives have been devastated. Early, robust bidding is the best way to do that. Thanks!

Another note: The links on the auction sites are for the Red Cross only; Global Giving was added as an option at the request of potential bidders, and there wasn’t time to update all 200+ auction sites. But you may donate your high bid to either of those two organizations if you win. Also, many thanks to Linda Sue Park for volunteering her time to handle the logistics of having another charity involved so that we’re able to offer this.

Please note that each auction’s closing date & time is listed on the page. After each auction ends, I’ll post a comment with the final results & directions for the winner to forward the receipt from their donation. Once that’s done, you’ll be put in touch with the person who donated the item, and you’ll work out the details from there. Happy bidding!

KidLit Cares: Our Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort

The Scariest Kitten in the World Coloring Pages

Teachers Write 2024 - Week 4: Back to the Drawing Board

Teachers Write, Week 3 - Word by Word: Fine Tuning Language As You Revise

Teachers Write 2024 - Week 2: The Power of Reading Aloud

Ready, Set, Revise! Teachers Write 2024, Week 1