Charlesbridge and TERC are seeking new picture books for our Storytelling Math series.
ABOUT STORYTELLING MATH
Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them. Joyful stories and hands-on activities make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
We’re seeking engaging and emotionally resonant stories full of heart and humor. We want to see characters we care about, a plot that makes us eagerly turn the page, and math that feels organic and authentic. We’ve found that manuscripts under 500 words work best for this series.
We are open to a wide range of math appropriate for children ages 3–6. There are many math topics that could work. For instance, we would be interested in stories that involve mapping, logic, and probability (likely/unlikely). The most important thing is that the math genuinely reflects what young children do in their lives. We are not interested in stories about counting, arithmetic, or basic shapes.
Storytelling Math books star BIPOC children who use mathematical thinking in their daily lives. To complement the existing books, we are especially interested in #ownvoices manuscripts featuring Black, Indigenous, and Latinx characters.
SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES
Please submit your complete manuscript to storytellingmath@charlesbridge.com by August 1, 2021. Include “Storytelling Math” in the subject line. We will respond to all submissions within two to three months of receipt.
IMPORTANT NOTES
• We strongly encourage you to submit a draft manuscript well before the August 1 due date. We will provide feedback and further guidance on the most promising submissions.
• We are interested only in realistic, contemporary fiction featuring human characters of color. We are especially interested in #ownvoices manuscripts by BIPOC authors.
• We are not interested in counting, arithmetic, or shape books.
• Please familiarize yourself with existing Storytelling Math picture books to see how the authors incorporate math into their stories. Author Ana Crespo describes the process in her video “Q&A with Ana Crespo” on the Storytelling Math website:
https://www.charlesbridge.com/pages/storytellingmath.