A gift guide and you should join your state library association

The eel report this Thanksgiving week is that eels were definitely a regular part of the early colonizer-pilgrim diet.

In my house we did not, nor have we ever had eel on Thanksgiving, but the pilgrims definitely ate their share of eel. You can watch a little NYT video about eels and thanksgiving, and read more about pilgrims eating eels.

Anyway, I’m thankful for how weird eels are, and grateful for all the eel news and images that people send my way. I definitely saw a publishers marketplace announcement for an eel book for kids that I am looking forward to in 2026! I didn’t write it, but it’s from one of my favorite children’s nonfiction writers, Nicholas Day, and I know he’ll do an amazing job. I loved both his books about the Mona Lisa theft and John Cage. Always looking forward to more eel books even if I have to wait.

I’m thankful for my local library and my book and writing communities, both online and irl. I’m thankful for my family and friends, and cozy sweats and warm gloves. I’m thankful that you’re here reading my random eel updates and supporting my book writing and author endeavors. Thank you!

Now onto the Eel Report Gift Guide (with zero eels this year)

I think my books would make nice gifts, but I also wanted to include two of my favorite picture books from this year, We are Definitely Human by X Fang and Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi (if you click this link there are also bonus books that would make nice gifts), they would make excellent gifts, or a sweatshirt to support the Boise-area Read Freely Project that gets challenged books into the hands of readers.

If this fall has you feeling stressed out and you’re looking for deeper meaning in your holiday celebrations, ordering a solstice circle bundle from my family-friend and bonus mom is a great way to have some open-hearted conversations. I always love to see how everyone decorates their solstice candles, what we share, and highly recommend a solstice bundle.

For gifting, I just like the color yellow. I like the way it feels all warm and cocoon-like. It feels like all the best things about home, so I think a gift to brighten someone’s day or home is always a good idea, like this corn cob candle, fisherman incense holder, fancy pants Bruce Lee tribute blackwing pencils, yellow good things happen sticker, yellow keyboard, and a yellow-roofed defend libraries sticker, and taco clip. Maybe you don’t like yellow, but I am a strong believer in its joy and strength and silly little gifts.

And of course, a gift guide would not be complete without a grumpy christmas tree frog. Share with friends who are also obsessed with the color yellow, libraries, and reading freely.

What is not pictured in this gift round-up is a library association membership. In this extended period of book banning and attacks on libraries and first amendment rights, a nice gift would be to buy a membership to your state library association— for me, in Idaho, that’s a membership to the Idaho Library Association. For Idaho, they have different price points and you don’t have to be a library employee to be a member. You can be a card carrying friend! I imagine whatever state you are in has ways to join and support your state library association.

Check with your state, but membership fees often go to support the advocacy work your state librarians are doing, and in Idaho where book ban laws have already gone into effect, fees also go to the legal defense fund for Idaho libraries. Plus, I got a sweet membership card, and laminating it is high on my weekend to-do list. Please enjoy this messy-hair-don’t-care-long-weekend-morning photo of me and my membership card:

A free thing that you can do if you’d like to give back to your community is attend library and school board meetings. I suggest adding every library and school board meeting to your calendar. It’ll take maybe ten minutes to throw those events on the calendar, but having them on your calendar is one step closer to attending, and letting both boards know that the ability to access information and read freely is important. I am bad at attending school board meetings, but I like to sit in on library board meetings when I can make it work with my schedule. Here’s to more advocacy to fight for the freedom to read in our public libraries and schools.

*Please imagine me delivering this next bit with like face paint and chain mail and from on top of a horse even though my horse skills are nonexistent.*

If you are here and are an author, illustrator, editor, bookmaker, etc. if you haven’t joined Authors Against Book Bans, please join us! It is free and supportive, and excellent community. The first time I attended an AABB zoom, I turned my camera off and cried because it was so nice to know we aren’t alone in this fight.

*This is the part where I’m still on a horse and still wearing chain mail, but my face paint is now tear-stained because we’re all on horses and holding hands together and crying. We are Matisse’s The Dance, but on horseback in chainmail and crying. Those are the vibes, but also angry and united and organized.*

That’s all! A record quick eel report! In brief writing news, I’ve been deep in some nonfiction research tunnels, my library holds, article requests, and book stacks are extremely out of control. Subscribe to stay up to date on my book and writing shenanigans:

I lied! One event update! I’ll be doing a banned book picture book story time at the Moscow Public Library on December 23rd from 6-7pm as part of the Moscow Banned Book Club. If you are local, come hear me read from challenged picture books! Follow the moscowbannedbookclub for details.

I’ll have more updates in 2025 on places I’ll be talking about books and being in community with writers in the new year, but for now, support local businesses, support your libraries and schools, and take care of your community.

I hope this holiday season is filled with great books, all the yellow cocoon-like feelings, and significantly more eel photos than eel dishes.

Cheers,

Eija