About

Hi there! I’m Ellen MacInnis and I believe children’s books can change the world.

Kidlit & Caboodle started from an honest love of children’s lit from board books to middle grade and everything in between. Reading has been a tremendous part of my life and I’m so grateful to be in a profession where I can pass on that love to children and families every day. I’m a children’s librarian in New York City, where I’ve lived since 2016 and am married to a fellow librarian. While getting my MLIS from Rutgers, I volunteered at a local nature center’s early education department and had the remarkable experience of chasing school groups through woodlands and gardens in between storytime and snacktime.

I am passionate about fostering a love of reading in all children. Children’s literature can be revolutionary and I’m excited about growing trends in diversity and representation, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ identities and disability. I’m also invested in getting kids excited about the world around them, particularly through STEAM and nature education.

This is the part of the blog where I say that any and all content belongs to myself and represents only my own viewpoints, not those of my employer.

My pronouns are they/them. For example, you might say “I read their blog” (and hopefully “I liked their blog”!). If you’re unfamiliar with singular they/them, it can help to think of me as several ferrets in a trench coat instead of one adult-sized human.