“On my first day as an editorial assistant with Harcourt Children’s Books, the managing editor walked me down the hall to view an art show of newly arrived paintings for a picture book then in production. I stood among a bustling crowd of editors, designers, production people, marketing gurus, and inventory, financial, legal, and support staff—all of whom had dedicated their careers and personal passions to creating entertaining and enlightening books for children—and it hit me: I’d found my people. I discovered that day what I’ve come to love about the writers and producers of children’s books: They are a true community that cheers, collaborates, and works its knuckles to the bones in support of literature for young readers.”

That’s how I described my first day in children’s publishing for my acknowledgments in Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies. That pivotal day was twenty yours ago this month. Thank you for celebrating this milestone with me.