It's a little quiet on the events front this month as everyone recuperates from the hectic holidays — and tries to stay warm! Still, there are plenty of upcoming author appearances (and opportunities to workshop that manuscript you resolved to finish). Be sure to check our calendar for more information.

Tonight, Wednesday, January 8th, at 7:00 pm, Lesley University welcomes Newbery Medalist and Boston Globe–Horn Book Fiction Award winner Rebecca Stead for a reading from Liar & Spy.

The Writers’ Loft’s monthly picture book manuscript critique group meets Thursday, January 9th, at 7:00 pm. Manuscripts for critique should be submitted by the Monday prior to the meeting.

Anna Staniszewski, Simmons instructor and author of the My Very UnFairy Tale Life series, will read from and sign her latest novel The Dirt Diary at Brookline Booksmith at 2:00 pm on Sunday, January 12th.

Porter Square Books will host the YA Guys Tour, featuring authors Brendan Kiely, John Corey Whaley, Jason Reynolds, and Chris Lynch, at 7:00 pm on Monday, January 13th.

Learn about The Carle’s joint MA and MFA programs in children’s literature with Simmons College’s Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at an informational session on Tuesday, January 14th, at 12:30 pm.

Writers interested in breaking into nonfiction freelancing work or critiquing a nonfiction manuscript are welcome at the Writers' Loft's new Nonfiction Think Tank. This month's session meets on Tuesday the 14th at 7:00 pm.

The Massachusetts chapter of the national kidlit book club Chapter & Verse will meet in the Stevens Memorial Library at 6:30 pm on Thursday, January 16th. This month, author Anne Broyles and librarian Marina Salenikas will facilitate discussion of three contenders for the Caldecott (Doug Unplugged by Dan Yaccarino; On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Vladimir Rudunsky; Bluebird by Bob Staake), Newbery (Al Capone Does My Homework by Gennifer Choldenko; Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K. G. Campbell; The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes), and Printz (Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell; Winger by Andrew Smith; Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys).

At 2:00 pm on Saturday, January 25th, at The Writers' Loft, authors Kristine Carlson Asselin, Brendan Halpin, and Ansha Kotyk discuss various paths to publication and the advent of the "hybrid author."

The next N. Metro West Boston Kidlit Meet Up Night, a bimonthly social event, will be held at Burtons Grill on Tuesday, January 28th, at 7:30. Authors, illustrators, librarians, booksellers, agents, editors, etc., welcome for this casual conversation about writing, illustrating, and publishing.

Do you have the inside scoop on more upcoming Boston area children’s book–related events? Let us know in the comments!