Dana Alison Levy (she/her)

black cat by an ancient corinthian column

three kittens playing with a piece of grass

orange cat bread loafed in front of a monastery in Meteora

orange and white cat licking its paw with the Aegean sea behind

In fact, here! Part of my disappearance is that I was in Greece for almost a month (more on that later) but there were So. Many. Good. Cats. Enjoy:

Poster with kidlit art reading Newton Children's Book Festival: Growing Readers in the Garden City. Meet 60+ children's book authors and illustrators! Sunday November 16th, 2025 11:00 am to 3:00 pm New Art Center 61 Washington Park in Newtonville, MA www.newtonchildrensbookfest.com

Friends! I know I have been terrible about updating here, but for #boston area #kidlit pals, please stop by THIS SUNDAY at the Newton Children's Book Fest! I will be so glad to see you!

(Also I will post photos of my cats soon)

TOMORROW!!!!!
If you are in Cambridge tomorrow evening join us!

So excited for this event next week at @portersqbooks.bsky.social! Let's get together and work for the freedom to read!

Authors, illustrators, anthology editors, translators: Have you joined @authorsabb.bsky.social yet? I can't think of a better time to do so.

AuthorsAgainstBookBans.com

For the morning crowd! My next #nonfiction #kidlit #stem book will be out next year, and it’s all about FOXES.

Sometimes this job is the best.

Announcement with a blue background and graphics of foxes that reads “Della Farrell at Holiday House has bought, in an exclusive submission, Sly Foxes: Tales of Cunning, Curiosity, and Courage by Dana Alison Levy. This illustrated middle grade book provides a nonfiction overview of the science, folklore, and pop culture obsession with these clever canids. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.”

Book News!! I get to write a book about foxes!!! I’m the luckiest!!! #kidlit

Dr. Susan Monarez: “I could have stayed silent, agreed to the demands, and no one would have known. What the public would have seen were scientists dismissed without cause and vaccine protections quietly eroded…I would have lost the one thing that cannot be replaced: My integrity.”

The funny thing is that I thought your response was to my post before the ghost ship one, and was like “Excellent! That’s the feedback I need”

Yeah now is not the time, folks. Come on.

The problem with knowing I'll feel better if I reduce sugar is that I also know I'll feel better if I eat a bag of dark chocolate sea salt caramels.
The duality of humankind is really messing with me rn

Me lying surrounded by three cats: one on my shoulder, one in my lap, and one on the cushion next to me

Given the state of things I think this is an entirely reasonable way to spend the night. Or the foreseeable future.

I didn’t want it to end!

Book cover with the title Legendary Frybread Drive-In. With illustrated artwork with different people eating, talking, and two women in front holding a plate of frybread

I cannot begin to talk about what’s happening all around us so instead I will say that I just finished @cynleitichsmith.bsky.social and fam’s LEGENDARY FRYBREAD DRIVE-IN and it was a joy.

Good medicine indeed. #kidlit

Deeply proud to be a masshole

When we fight, we win.

The vast majority of ALL Americans disagree with book banning. So grateful to be a part of @authorsabb.bsky.social (and esp @massaabb.bsky.social) so that we can fight for everyone's right to read freely!

I can’t speak to the efficacy of the strategy but it’s pretty damn funny.
(Unless you start thinking about the level of discourse our felon in chief is actually spouting unironically. Then it’s just another reason to start hyperventilating)

So much frantic energy. So much effort. So many millions and millions of dollars. All to take away rights and cause harm.
It’s almost like — and I’m just spitballing here — it was never about the price of groceries.

How we doing, Bluesky fam? Are my #kidlit pals writing? Are folks still making art? Gotta admit that everything feels So. Damn. Heavy. these days, but I’m finding pockets of joy (and maybe attempting a murder-y new WIP) and hey! We have sungold tomatoes and local corn and full moons.
Onward.

Stonewall Book Award-winning author @alexgino.bsky.social speaks about why they support Massachusetts' Freedom to Read legislation: because books gave them "language to describe who I was, and knowledge that there were other people like me." #MassFreedomToRead

On Tuesdays we wear black and fight for the freedom to read!!!
Glad to be repping @massaabb.bsky.social and #MassFreedomToRead on Beacon Hill this week!

blue, white and red illustration of a non-binary patriot in a tricorn hat and uniform, reading a book, and the words Mass Freedom to Read

So #massachusetts #kidlit loving pals, whether you're a librarian, educator, author, illustrator, parent, auntie, godparent, reader, or just a human who believes in free expression, let's go!
Join Mass Freedom to Read and let's get this done! instagram.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...

Today a crew from @massaabb.bsky.social will be in Boston at the Statehouse, in support of bills H.3594 and S.2328, both titled An Act Regarding Free Expression.

This is about the freedom to create, read, and share freely.

We cannot do everything, but must try to do SOMETHING.

this should be an essay in the new yorker like asap, tbh

DREAM TEAM!!

Follow these accounts, sign up at the link in my last post, and jump in with us! Let's do this!

If you support freedom of expression and the freedom to read, join us in supporting the passage of An Act Regarding Free Expression (H.3594/S.2328) by signing up at eepurl.com/ji3oJw

LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Follow, sign up for updates, and get involved!

Fat bumblebee inside a pink beach rose

Hope the Bluesky #kidlit fam is hanging in there. These are hard days indeed, and yet the world needs our stories more than ever. Keep going.

Two people - Dana Alison Levy and Lisa Stringfellow -standing holding copies of their middle grade novels and the folded zine about Authors Against Book Bans while standing at an event table with Authors Against Book Bans flyers and QR codes

Random Question™ Time
If you're an author or illustrator of any sort (#kidlit, adult, nonfiction, self-pubbed, academic, comic, etc) are you a member of Authors Against Book Bans?

If so, drop a 👍🏽 in the comments! If not...WHY NOT?
@authorsabb.bsky.social @engagereaders.bsky.social