NEWS + Mentions

2024

• CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL 2024 K-2 Top Ten Teacher Favorites List, April ‘24 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• ALA ASSOCIATION FOR LIBRARY SERVICE TO CHILDREN (ALSC) 2024 Summer Reading List K-2 Selection (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• PW CHILDREN’S BOOKSHELF In Brief: “All for Free Expression,” March ‘24 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• MAINE ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES 2024-25 Chickadee Award Nominee for Children’s Choice Award, March ‘24 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Rainbow Round Table’s 2024 Rainbow Book List, Feb ‘24 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

2023

• NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children Recommended Book List, Nov ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• ONTARIO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 2023 Top 10 Picture Books “Best Bets” List, Jan. ‘24 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• CENTER FOR READING RECOVERY & LITERACY COLLABORATIVE of Lesley University Blog: “New Diverse Titles to Add to Your Classroom Library,” Feb. ‘24 (Molly’s Tuxedo).

• CHICAGO REVIEW OF BOOKS “61 Notable Debuts by Trans, Nonbinary and Gender-nonconforming Authors” Dec ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• MONTCLAIR LOCAL “Giving Between the Lines: Books as Gifts!” Dec ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• DC NEWS NOW (video) “Bookshop in West Virginia leads way to battle book bans” Oct ’23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• AUTOSTRADDLE “10 Picture Books To Teach Little Ones About Gender Expression” Oct' ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE “Roxane Gay, Tim O’Brien Join Texas Book Festival Lineup: Full author roster revealed for November fest” Sept ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• SHELF AWARENESS PRO Image of the Day Sept ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• STATISTICS CANADA (English)+ STATISTIQUE CANADA (French) “I got 99 Problems, But Being Misgendered on the Census Ain’t One” August ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• PUBLISHERS WEEKLY “2023 San Diego Comic-Con in Photos” July ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• NPR “How to celebrate Pride Month around the D.C. region” June ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• BOOK RIOT “12 of the Best New Children’s Books Out June 2023” June ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• WASHINGTON POST “The D.C. Area’s Best Family-friendly LGBTQ+ Pride Events” June ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• WV LIVING magazine “Your Summer is Booked!” June ‘23

• LAMBDA LITERARY REVIEW “June’s Most Anticipated LGBTQIA+ Books” May ‘23

• THE SHEPHERDSTOWN CHRONICLE “Shepherdstown Book Festival to bring famous authors, book-related events” Sept ‘23

• VISIT HARRISONBURG “Storytime and Signing” Aug ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• WQED-FM “Cultural Calendar: Alphabet City Kids” July ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• KIDSBURGH “12 Pittsburgh Weekend Events On Tap” July ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• PITTSBURGH NEXT “The Top 11 Events in July for Pittsburgh Families Who Love Adventure and New Experiences” July ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• WASHINGTON POST “The 35 Best Things to Do in DC This Weekend” June ‘23 (MoCA and Awesome Con with Molly’s Tuxedo)

• DCist “How to Celebrate Pride Month Around the DC Region” June ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• BOOKLIST: REVIEW June ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: REVIEW May ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• PW: PRIDE AND JOY - LGBTQ VOICES IN PUBLISHING MAY ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• SMITH COLLEGE MAGAZINE (SAQ) Spring ‘23 Smithies Create. APR ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• GLAAD and LITTLE BEE BOOKS About Our Publishing Partnership.

• RAINBOW READS Book Releases: 2023 Middle Grade & Picture Books. FEB ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo)

• LIT REACTOR’s 2023 Kidlit Debuts To Keep An Eye Out For. JAN ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo).

• LITERACIOUS 2023 Debut Picture Book Author TBR list! JAN ‘23 (Molly’s Tuxedo).

2022

• GLAAD hosts cover reveal NOV ‘22 (Molly’s Tuxedo).

• 2022 LAMBDA LITERARY WRITER’S RETREAT FOR EMERGING LGBTQ+ VOICES, Fellowship selectee, YA COHORT. JUN ‘22.

• PW SPRING 2023 SNEAK PREVIEWS. JUN ‘22 (Molly’s Tuxedo).

• LGBTQ READS October Deal Announcements. OCT ‘22. (Molly’s Tuxedo).

2021

• PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Rights Report Week of October 18, 2021: OCT ‘21. (Molly’s Tuxedo).

 INTERVIEWS + ESSAYS

2024

• DECATUR CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL “Meet DCBF picture book author Vicki Johnson!” interview Apr ‘24

• ROOSEVELT HOUSE PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE AT HUNTER COLLEGE “Banned Books — Censorship, Free Expression, and LGBTQ Identity” panel (YouTube) Feb ‘24

2023

• CHICAGO TRIBUNE Op Ed: “A canceled school visit over my new book taught me a lesson in soft censorship” Oct ‘23 (no-paywall version below)

• PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE Op Ed “It’s not soft censorship when your book is canceled” Oct ‘23

• WBNG CHANNEL 12 NEWS interview “Libraries Celebrate National Banned Books Week as Censorship Increases” Oct ‘ 23

• PRIDE AND LESS PREJUDICE interview. August ‘23

• THE ADVOCATE mag interview (video 4:30) June ‘23

• LGBTQ READS Authors in Conversation with Harry Woodgate. June ‘23

• GLAAD blog interview. May ‘23

• FORWARD RADIO Louisville WFMP 106.5. June ‘23

• PERKS OF BEING A BOOKLOVER podcast. June ‘23

• SIX QUESTIONS blog interview. June ‘23

• ILLOCHAT podcast/Youtube joint interview with Vicki and illustrator Gillian Reid about their collaboration on Molly’s Tuxedo. May ‘23

• GEEKS OUT interview on debut project and writing craft. APR ‘23

• CABIN READS project on nature and creativity, essay. JAN ‘23.

• LEGIT KIDLIT YouTube Series, guest. Episode 120. JAN ’23.

2022

• BE A BETTER ALLY podcast guest. NOV ‘22.

• JO’S BOYS podcast guest. SEP ‘ 22.

• JUST FEMME & DANDY, photo essay. VOL 3: SUSTAIN issue. JUL‘22.

• PRIDE AND LESS PREJUDICE, guest blogger. JAN ‘22.