Veronica Chambers has “written more than a dozen books for children, most recently Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa and the body confidence Y/A novel, Plus. Her teen series, Amigas, is a collaboration between Chambers, producer Jane Startz and Jennifer Lopez.”

From Ms. Chambers’ Web site:
“After two years of planning the hottest quineaneras in Miami and beyond, the girls of Amigas Incorporated are facing their biggest challenge yet—high school graduation. While Carmen and Jamie know exactly what they want, Alicia is on the fence. Should she go to the school of her dreams even if it means doing exactly what has always been expected of her? Or should she try something new? With so many decisions to make, Alicia is beginning to feel like choosing a school is like preparing for a quince—without any of the fun. On top of it all, the group has gotten a mysterious request from a young woman who wants to throw the most secret of quinceaneras. The girl wants it to be so secret that she won’t even tell them her name! Now the group must figure out how to throw the perfect party for a perfect stranger, nail the SATs, and figure out if there is anyone at the school willing and capable of taking on their business. Will it all work out? Or will the end of school mean the end of Amigas Incorporated?”

Read this review of AMIGAS from Ari at Reading in Color.

Ms.Chambers’ other works for children include Marisol and Magdalena. From the Scholastic Web site: “Chambers has a wonderful ease with her characters’ language, infusing Marisol’s first-person narrative with the vibrancy of her bilingual cultural background. Spanish words and phrases are an essential part of Marisol’s way of talking, but are presented in context, so that non-Spanish-speaking readers won’t feel lost or left out. Readers will learn about Marisol’s cultural identity along with her, and identify with her thoughts on friendship, her initial worries about her journey, and the triumph she feels as she discovers that she can make even far-off Panama feel like home.”

Educators can check out this
lesson plan from Scholastic for the book.

For more about Veronica Chambers and her work, visit her online!

Publishers Weekly called it a powerful debut. Booklist said it was hard-hitting and gave it a starred review. Brian F. Walker’s Black Boy, White School   (HarperCollins) has won praise for its gripping portrayal of a 14-year-old boy from East Cleveland navigating life in a predominantly white boarding school.

Walker found inspiration for his young adult novel close to home. He grew up in the same neighborhood. He left that world and had to find his way in the unfamiliar land of boarding school. Exploring issues of identity, race and class, Walker’s work will linger long after it’s read.

We are proud to celebrate Brian F. Walker on Day 8:

The Journey

I grew up in an all Black neighborhood, in a city and a state where the racial divide was wide and strong. There were days that I didn’t see a white person at all, unless it was a teacher or police officer. In the 9^th grade all of that changed for me. I was sent to a boarding school in the northeast, where I was one of very few students of color. There were good times and there were bad. The experience changed me, though; made me look out at the world through different eyes.

After college, and some time as a newspaper reporter, I returned to my old prep school as a teacher and coach, found still just a handful of black kids, facing the same problems that I had, years before. That’s when I decided to write the book, although the initial thought was a memoir. Over time the idea changed, though. I had left the position at my alma mater to teach at a different school, closer to a major city. Although there were more students of color, and some even commuted from home every day, I found that the kids struggled in the same familiar ways.  It made me realize that the story wasn’t just mine, nor did it belong solely to my alma mater or graduation year. It was a universal story. The memoir was gone, replaced by a work of fiction that borrows heavily from my experiences as a prep school student, teacher and coach

The Inspiration

As a kid, I read E.B. White, Edward Stratemeyer, and my favorite was a book called J.T., by Jane Wagner, mainly because it was about a black kid who lived in a city. Other than those, most of the stuff I read was for adults or older kids: Agatha Christie, Mario Puzo, Edgar Allan Poe, and a handful of pulp novels we had about Conan the Barbarian. In terms of today’s children’s literature, though, there is a lot more to choose from, and the stories are so much more compelling and real. Walter Dean Myers is absolutely fantastic.  They way he is able to give voice to today’s youth is inspiring. Monster, Game, and Dopesick are my favorites, so far. Sherman Alexie does a brilliant job of weaving humor into tales that otherwise might break the reader’s heart. My favorite so far is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, although Reservation Blues was amazing, too.

The Back Story

The book started out as a memoir but changed over time to a work of fiction. The first draft got me form letters of rejection, possibly even folded by human hands! The second draft garnered more of the same, although a few of the agents scribbled personal notes of encouragement and advice. By draft three I was more confident, having a better understanding of the market and what they were looking for. It was well received, and I chose an agent in California who really believed in the story. Jodie sent the manuscript to a publishing contact and we waited for a response. Days turned to weeks that felt like years. Then, on my birthday, just as I was getting ready to go to bed, I got a call from the west coast. HarperCollins wanted to publish the book. I could have flown from the room and kissed a star.

The Buzz

” . . . Over the course of his year at the academy, Ant’s intense exploration of his own identity leads to more questions than answers—for example, is he Ant, as he’s called in Cleveland, or Tony, a nickname given by white students? How can he live in two worlds and yet feel like he belongs in neither? Walker grapples with these questions of belonging and examines the subject of race relations with unflinching honesty. Both the Cleveland and Maine characters are authentically drawn, and, like Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007), this powerful novel is certain to spark thoughtful discussion.”

– Booklist, Starred Review

“An authentic, raw, honest, wise and thought-provoking exploration of race, of reaching for more even when you aren’t sure what that really looks like, and of how it feels to straddle your childhood and the person you think you’d like to become.”

– Young Adult Books Central

Find out more about Brian F. Walker here.

Brynne Barnes’ story of publication will leave you feeling inspired and wanting more.

Trust me, if you love books and write books or plan to write, her story will resonate with you.

28 Days Later proudly honors Brynne Barnes on Day 7.

The Journey

Some kids had teddy bears.  I had books.  I carried them underneath my arm, everywhere I went, since I can remember.  I have very early memories from the age of two, lugging around this very large yellow picture book with all of the fairy tales in one collection.  I was too young to read it, but I sat there, soaking in the illustrations, imagining the stories.  By the age of four, I was reading to my pre-school class during story time.  I loved books.  Always have.

When I was 9 or 10, I wrote the first piece of writing that I really enjoyed in school.  It was a paper about how I spent my summer vacation.  It’s my first memory of really “crafting” a piece of writing while creating a narrative.  I deliberated over finding the “right words” and the “right adjectives.”  But I didn’t think anything of it.  By the time I was 12, I started writing poetry.  A lot.  That’s when I realized that I loved writing as much as I loved reading.  I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I hadn’t planned to pursue it until later on in life.

I continued to write poetry, speeches, and perform spoken word throughout the rest of my schooling – even in college.  During my senior year at the University of Michigan, I volunteered with this program called the We Read Literacy Program.  It was a student-run program through The Detroit Project.  We volunteered at some grade schools in Detroit that didn’t offer creative writing.  Some of these schools also needed books, so we wrote stories for the children, had students from the art school illustrate them, and had them published by a local publisher to give to the students.   Then, we helped the students write their own books and illustrate them.  That’s when I knew that I wanted to be a children’s author and put my plans to attend medical school on hold – permanently.  I was twenty-two then.  By the age of twenty-three, I had written my third children’s book manuscript (the second of which was Colors of Me) and started researching publishers.

The Inspiration

There are so many authors that have shaped my voice and illustrators that have shaped my imagination that it’s difficult to pinpoint a select few.  I’m grateful to them all.   I was raised on Dr. Seuss, Madeline, The Snowy Day, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  I read everything I could get my hands on.  I first started writing poetry because I discovered Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni and Shakespeare.  In school, I read Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and haven’t been the same since.  Among my favorites in children’s book writers and illustrators include E.B. Lewis, Kadir Nelson, Carole Boston Weatherford, Ezra Jack Keats, Bryan Collier, Christopher Paul Curtis, Walter Dean Myers, for creating gripping illustrations and stories that won’t let go of me.  Of course, the list goes on beyond what I could list here.

The Back Story

I re-wrote Colors of Me and changed its title countless times over four years time before Sleeping Bear Press ever saw it.  It changed so dramatically from the first draft that it took that process for me to figure out what it was supposed to be.  However, during the time that I was re-writing it, I obtained a copy of Children’s Writers & Illustrator’s Market and began to shop it at different publishers (two or three).  No one was biting, but I did get a friendly rejection letter or two.   Two different editors had complimented me on the manuscript by writing, “Really nice story” and “Great submission, but we’re looking for something different.”  I enrolled in Eastern Michigan University’s M.A. program in Creative Writing and pushed forward.  I attended my first SCBWI conference in the winter and received some invaluable advice in the one-on-one critique session.  “Change the first stanza and you might have something.”  I did.  In the meantime, during my last semester at EMU, I met one of my best friends.  After I graduated, she started interning at Sleeping Bear Press.  She emailed me, requesting that I send her my manuscript.  She wanted to shop it there, and Sleeping Bear is a closed house (which means they don’t accept blind submissions), so I happily sent it to her.  Several months later (and by several, I mean six or seven), I got the news — they offered me my first publishing contract.  I was twenty-six and elated.  Colors of Me was released one year and a half later.

The Buzz

Since its September 2011 release, Colors of Me was named:

• 2012 Gelett Burgess Award Winner for First Published Book
• 2012 Friends of American Writers Award Winner for Juvenile Literature

Award-Winning Finalist in the Hardcover Fiction Category of The USA “Best Books 2011″ Awards, sponsored by USA Book News

Learn more about this amazing author by visiting her website at www.brynnebarnes.com.

As a teenager, Alaya knew writing was in her future. From listening to her storytelling family to reading every issue of Writer’s Digest to writing a novel, she followed her dream. Her fans are happy that she stuck to those plans because now she is the accomplished author of The Summer Prince.

Today, the 3^rd day of our annual 28 Days Later Campaign, we’re honoring Alaya Dawn Johnson for her writing successes and her contributions to the world of children’s publishing.

The Journey

I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. My mom taught me to read, an experience that remains magical in my memory, and my dad loved to tell us stories from his childhood, of hunting dogs and playing hooky to go fishing in local swimming holes (he grew up in the small town of Lawrenceville, Virginia). Storytelling is important to my family, and it always felt natural and right for me to do it in words on paper. In high school, I subscribed to Writers Digest and read each issue cover to cover. I had this vague knowledge that publishing was a business, and I needed to figure it out in order to become a professional writer. Writers Digest is oriented at a very beginning level, but it taught me a lot about the wider world of writers and publishers. I clung to the writing advice and attempted to incorporate it in my short stories and novels, with varying degrees of success. I was lucky enough to have wonderful teachers who nurtured my ambition and encouraged me to write stories and submit my work. I got my very first rejection letter when I was fifteen. What’s funny in hindsight is how surprised I was! Even now, there aren’t very many published teenaged novelists, but I was vain enough to think I’d be an exception. The real turning point for me happened when I was 17 and 18. I finished my first real, plot-heavy novel and I knew that I finally had something that might one day get published. It didn’t (thank goodness!) but the effort of wrestling that book into somewhat decent shape taught me more about writing than everything I’d learned up until then. I learned that I could finish, even if it seemed impossible. I learned that it’s really not the best idea to use an adverb every time a character “says” something. I learned to think about my words critically, and then do that again and again until I could hardly stand to look at them anymore. The next book I wrote was my first published novel, so I guess it worked.

The Inspiration 

Growing up, my favorite writer was Diana Wynne Jones. Fire and Hemlock and Hexwood especially inspired me, because of their complex narrative styles that wrecked havoc on reader expectations. I also hugely admire Ursula K. Le Guin, who is of course famous for her Earthsea series (what I guess would now fall somewhere between middle grade and young adult). But it was her adult novel The Left Hand of Darkness that truly showed me the transformative possibilities of social science fiction. Le Guin made everything I did in The Summer Prince possible.

Her diverse future that questions many of the pieties of modern society made me understand the potential scope of science fiction. And finally, Kindred by Octavia Butler is also an adult novel, but one I had assigned by a particularly intrepid eighth grade English teacher.

Her use of speculative tropes to explore the legacy of slavery has resonated with me ever since.

The Back Story

The Summer Prince is truly the novel of my heart. I had a completely different book under contract and I really needed the money I would get for finishing it, but I could not get the story of June, Enki and Gil out of my head. It got so bad that I finally decided that I would drop everything for a month, redeem some Amtrak rail points I had building up and take a three day train journey across the country. I figured I would start writing on the train, continue writing in an apartment in Vancouver, and when the month was done, I’d go back to my life and be the responsible, deadline-meeting writer that I wanted to be. Instead, it became clear that I couldn’t finish enough to satisfy myself in just a month. Even though it seemed like a terrible plan, I decided to forget about the other book for however long it took me to finish The Summer Prince. No one thought this was a good idea.

Ironically, it turned out to be the best move I could have made for my career. When I finished that draft I was looking for a new agent, so I sent it to a good writer friend of mine. She put me in touch with her agent, who read and loved the book, and after revisions sold it within two weeks to Arthur A. Levine. I ended up with a better deal than I’ve had for any of my previous novels, and a fabulous publishing team who really gets my book and my writing. (And I did finish that other book, by the way. My editor was remarkably understanding, given that I turned it in nine months late!)

The Buzz 

I’m ecstatic to report that as of this writing, The Summer Prince has gotten two starred reviews, one from Publishers Weekly and the other from Kirkus. Kirkus called it “Luminous,” and Publishers Weekly said, “With its complicated history, founding myth, and political structure, Palmares Três is compelling, as is the triple bond between June, Enki, and Gil as they challenge their world’s injustices.”

It’s also a Junior Library Guild selection for the Spring.

Find out more about Alaya Dawn Johnson by visiting her website at alayadawnjohnson.com.

I’m not sure what to say about Christian Robinson other than: I love his artwork! It’s colorful, bold, vintage, kid-friendly, cool – what other adjectives can I insert?— Wonderful!

My first introduction to this talented artist was on the 7 Impossible Things website. I was mesmerized by the post. His art could be described as Ezra Jack Keats meets Eric Carle, yet Christian maintains his own unique style. No doubt this young man has a bright future. Here is Christian’s story in his own words:

By Christian Robinson

The Journey

Oh, I like this story.

I had just graduated college (CalArts’ character animation program) and was interning with Pixar Animation Studios in their consumer products department. Long story short: I found myself in a meeting with Pete Doctor, director of Disney Pixar’s Up. My internship mentor, Ben Butcher, had invited me to be a fly on the wall and observe how meetings with directors and the consumer product department go. Ben also asked me to prepare a few sketches and illustrations before the meeting, demonstrating how I might interpret the film’s characters in my own style.

Pete Doctor noticed my illustrations pinned to a board, placed off in some dark corner of the room. He turned to the film’s producer, Jonas Rivera, and said, “Wow, we should have this guy make a book for the film.” And, just like that, I received my first book-illustration gig. I think my mind just exploded in that moment. It was so unreal, the kind of stuff you’d daydream about happening to you — but couldn’t imagine it happening for real. 

The Inspiration

There are so many artists who inspire me, where do I begin? Roger Duvoisin, Bruno Munari, Ezra Jack-Keats, Abner Graboff,  Tomi Ungerer, Paul Rand I could keep going. What I love about each of these artist is their very distinct style and unique point of view. I’d also say they are unified in their ability to create work that I think is authentic and true to themselves. They inspire me to create work in which honesty and sincerity are my policy.

The Back Story

Let’s see, how far back should we go. So after my Pixar internship ended, I was just sort of wandering for a while. I knew I wanted to continue illustrating, just wasn’t sure how. I took on all sorts of small gigs to pay the bills, Including leading after school art workshops with kids. I also blogged about whatever I was creating, a habit I picked up in college. One day I get an email from a guy who had come across my blog asking if I had an agent and if  I did to just consider the message fan mail. His name was Steven Malk who is now my agent and friend. I credit Steve with helping me make my dreams come true. Soon after that life changing experience I received the manuscript for Harlem’s Little Blackbird. The name Florence Mills was completely foreign to me. Reading Renée’s beautifully written manuscript was like being a child discovering some lost treasure. Florence’s story is powerful she was a real hero. Immediately I felt very fortunate just being considered as a potential illustrator for this project. How could I not want to be apart of sharing this inspiring story with young readers?

The Buzz 

• NAACP Image award nomination for Literary work – Children

• New York Times says: “Robinson’s energetic, appealing illustrations allow [Florence’s] voice to be Watson’s charming and evocative biography, carefully pitched to younger readers, and Robinson’s energetic, appealing illustrations allow her voice to be heard.”

• Booklist, Starred Review, says: “Another element that will draw readers to the book is Robinson’s art. Simple collage shapes with a folk-art appeal capture everything from the warm relationship between Mills and her mother to her decision to forgo the Ziegfeld Follies for a show that introduced young black talent.”

• Kirkus says: “Robinson’s big-eyed portrayal of Florence and her work is terrific: jazzy, geometric and lively. The city scenes, stage moments and glimpses of Florence on- and offstage are sweetly retro; 20 blackbirds on stylized, blooming branches on both front and back endpapers add charm to the work overall.”

• Newsday features HARLEM’S LITTLE BLACKBIRD in a round-up of “Kids Stuff for Black History Month”

• EW.com reviews HARLEM’S LITTLE BLACKBIRD in a round-up of “10 Great New Historical Books for Kids”

“Watson’s lyrical prose is the real treat in this stunning children’s biography of Florence Mills.”

• HuffingtonPost.com has featured HARLEM’S LITTLE BLACKBIRD in a slideshow titled, “Mesmerizing Non-Fiction Children’s Books”

Here’s a look at HARLEM’S LITTLE BLACKBIRD:

Here’s a look at his next book, RAIN, written by Linda Ashman (Houghton Mifflin, 2013):

Here’s a look at his working space! And — shhh!– if you look closely at the art on the walls, you get a sneak peek at his forthcoming book, Josephine: The Story of Josephine Baker, fall, 2013.

And don’t forget, Christian visits schools.

–Interview by Don Tate

Stereotypes.  Caricatures.  That’s the face of black men children see in the media far too often. That’s if they see them at all. In 1953, Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man won the National Book Award. But in many ways, even with our nation being led by an African-American president, recurrent positive images of black men are still missing from literature and popular culture.

That’s why the stunning book, Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America (Disney/Jump at the Sun), written by editor and acclaimed author Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by her husband, award-winning artist Brian Pinkney, is so important. The book begins with a stirring poem whose words “Reaching . . . Pulling . . .”  set the tone for the stories of men who pushed for freedom, fought for justice and reached out to help others. In the preface, Pinkney shares how a circle of teens, “Brother Authors,” inspired her to create this poignant collection that salutes the lives of 10 visionaries and pioneers. “They were hungry for role models,” she wrote of the young men she met. “They wanted shoulders to stand on.” With Hand in Hand, she gave them and children everywhere an amazing gift.

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award, this is no ordinary assemblage of biographies. Laced with poems speaking to the power of each trailblazer’s hands and evocative paintings that honor their beautiful spirits, Hand in Hand is a celebration. Arranged chronologically, Pinkney creates a chain of hands that stretches from Benjamin Banneker to President Barack Obama. She shares their stories from childhood to adulthood, deftly exploring their challenges and triumphs.

As I read the story of each man – each a link in Pinkney’s great literary chain  -  I thought about a painting called He Ain’t Heavy by Gilbert Young. In it, Young depicts an African-American man reaching down to grasp the outstretched hand of another brother. The message in the picture and Pinkney’s book is clear: Each generation is pulled up by the one before.

Pinkney’s book is like a mighty hand reaching out to help young people rise and soar. Her words and her husband’s art will inspire readers of all backgrounds and ages to climb and give back as they soak in the stories of amazing black men who changed the nation through their faith, vision and hard work.

The Buzz on Hand in Hand

2013 Coretta Scott King Author Award

“Addressing the appetites of readers “hungry for role models,” this presents compellingly oratorical pictures of the lives and characters of 10 African-American men who exemplify a “birthright of excellence.””

– Kirkus, Starred Review (Best of 2012)

“Ten influential black men—including Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King Jr.—are profiled in this husband-and-wife team’s vibrant collaboration. Andrea Davis Pinkney introduces her subjects with powerful poems, before moving into image-rich, introspective, and candid descriptions of each man’s influence on civil rights, culture, art, or politics . . .”

– Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

In just a few days, the African American Children’s Book Fair will celebrate its 21^st anniversary. Founded by literary publicist and advocate Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati, the important festival has grown from a small event at a local department store in Philadelphia to one of the oldest and largest African-American children’s book fairs in the country. Each year, more than 3500 people attend.

Drawing children, parents, caregivers, educators and kidlit lovers from around the country, the fair will take place 1-3 p.m. on February 9 in the gymnasium of the Community College of Philadelphia. Want to attend? Try to get there early. Every year, people line up before the doors open for the annual celebration featuring some of the top talents in the children’s book industry.

As always, there will be plenty of books to buy and authors and illustrators on hand to sign them. There are special giveaways too. It’s a magical day that puts African-American book creators in the spotlight and brings them together with kids.

We talk to Vanesse about her book fair turning 21, her mission and dreams:

What does that milestone mean to you?

Twenty-one is a significant hallmark in one’s life. In real life, it is the official age of adulthood. But in the literary world, it is a major milestone, because most book fairs don’t last more than five years.

I attended a seminar this summer in New York and in the conference packet was a timeline of significant events in African-American literary history.  It went all the way back to the 1800’s listing the first African-American children’s book published and people like Langston Hughes who contributed to the movement.  One of the entries of significant events was THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN’S BOOK FAIR established in 1992.  Wow.

How has the book fair changed over the years?

When the book fair was created, it was a traditional book fair with authors/illustrators just signing books. The focus then was to promote and preserve African-American children’s literature.  Our mission was to get people reading, but also buying books. There is no African-American children’s book store in the region and retailers that do carry children’s literature have limited amount of shelf space, so our books are in short supply.

The longer the book fair was held, the larger the attendance. The demand increased because the need was greater in the community.  Many schools and libraries don’t have the financial resources to provide the most up-to-date children’s literature.  Parents also understand that when you tell a child to cut off the electronics you’ve got to offer them an alternative.

Another thing that has changed for me is a better understanding of the consumer base.  In general parents and caregivers, no matter what their social economic level is, all want their children to succeed.  The attendees come from all sectors, but making sure their children have books in the home that reflect positive images of themselves is a common goal.

As the years went by, I recognized that my skills as a literary publicist (I’ve produced literary campaigns for a number of New York Times-bestselling authors of books for adults) was beneficial for the book fair, but also for many of the authors/illustrators who participated. So I set up media opportunities in television, print and radio. That exposure gave this pool of exceptional literary talent a broader platform to promote their works. It also gave the consumer a more personal look at the creativity in the African-American children’s literary community.

As sponsors came on board, I was able get them to support buying books of the authors/illustrators. So we now have corporate sponsors like NBC10 (the local NBC affiliate),  PECO an Exelon Company, McDonalds, Comcast, and Health Partners, who as a part of their sponsorship purchase books of our participants to give away to children attending the event. So the authors/illustrators come into the book fair pre-selling their books.

But there is a brisk business in the book fair area.  Consumers wait in long lines with an armful of books to purchase.  They’ve come to buy. Our organization is one of the top sellers in the country of African-American children’s books. We have one of the widest selections of African-American children’s books for preschool to young adult. As one woman said to me there are two times a year she waits in lines – Black Friday and the African American Children’s Book Fair.

What are some of the highlights of this year’s event?

Our sponsor pre-purchase book event is one of the hallmarks of the event. We are on a mission to get books back in the home. Giving a child a book that reflects their image is a great way to get them on the path to a lifelong journey of reading for pleasure. It starts the process of buying books. It’s like you get a sample of something delicious and keep going back for more. That sample leads to purchasing the item.

We are getting corporate America directly involved in the literary movement. There aren’t many book fairs that focus on African-American children’s book authors and illustrators.  But we take it to the next level.

Our educators’ resource area provides consumers with the latest catalogs from children’s book publishers.  These are the same catalogs that are used by booksellers.  This enlightens the consumer.

The NBC10 Reading Circle is an established book giveaway program. It is two-fold – a child gets to meet the person who wrote/illustrated the book.  We know as an adult that an autograph book is treasured.  We create that same experience for the children who attend the event.  The second part is the ownership. This encourages the reading process.

Here are more highlights:

PECO, HEALTH PARTNERS and COMCAST will give away books of select authors/illustrators to educators for use in the classrooms.

Syndicated cartoonist Jerry Craft will offer a cartoon workshop sponsored by PECO an Exelon Company.  Each child will receive a free book.

David Miller, author of Khahil’s Way, will lead a bullying workshop.

Regina Brooks, author of Writing Great Books for Young Adults: Everything You Need to Know, from Crafting the Idea to Landing a Publishing Deal, will host a teen seminar.

Cheryl Wadlington, author of The DivaGirl’s Guide To Style and Self-Respect, will host a self-esteem workshop.

Why is it so important to shine a spotlight on these children’s book creators?

Our mantra is PRESERVE A LEGACY, BUY A BOOK. This may be unsettling to some, but the only way great books continue to be published is if consumers buy them. The demand dictates the supply.

What do you hope visitors to the book fair gain from attending?

First and foremost, I want children at an early age to enjoy reading……………..make reading for pleasure a daily part of their lives. Another goal is to make consumers understand the African-American literary marketplace and the importance of buying children’s books.  Our vast selection gets the consumer on the road to establishing a home library.  My life has been empowered and enriched through African-American children’s books.

What’s your favorite part of the fair?

The excitement of a child receiving a book and finding a corner to read on the spot. Sometimes the media paints a picture of doom and gloom about the children in our communities, but come to our book fair and see the future of our nation. Uplifting.   I have no doubt we will be alright.  Just keep them reading.

What gives you the most joy?

• The great literary movement in this country.  When you attend my book fair, it refutes the idea that African-Americans do not buy books for their children. Our attendees start lining up at 10 a.m. for entrance into an event whose doors open at 1 p.m.

• Adults who attended as children are now bringing their children. People who came as parents are now bringing their grandchildren.  Time after time, I meet people who tell me stories about how the books they found at our book fair transformed their lives.

• The talented authors/illustrators who make my work possible.  They are true stars in our community.

Learn more about the book fair and find out which authors and illustrators will be there at http://theafricanamericanchildrensbookproject.org/.

Yesterday The American Library Association announced its 2013 book award winners, which left us at the Brown Bookshelf happy dancing all over the place. Ellen’s Broom, written by Kelly Starling Lyons, one of the Brown Bookshelf’s founding members, received a Coretta Scott King Illustration Honor. Daniel Minter, featured next month during our 2013 28 Days Later campaign, is the brilliant illustrator of the book. While we are happy for every book that was honored yesterday, we are especially happy and proud for Ellen’s Broom. Join me in congratulating Daniel and Kelly for a job well done.

Below is a complete list of winners, congratulations to all:

Author Book Award 

“Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America,” written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney, published by Disney/Jump at the Sun Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

Author Honor Books

“Each Kindness” by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis, published by Nancy Paulsen Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

“No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller” by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, published by Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
Illustrator Book Award

“I, Too, Am America,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, text by Langston Hughes, published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

Illustrator Honor Books

“H. O. R. S. E.,” illustrated and written by Christopher Myers, published by Egmont USA; “Ellen’s Broom,” illustrated by Daniel Minter, written by Kelly Starling Lyons and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group; and “I Have a Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr.” illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Martin Luther King, Jr. and published by Schwartz &Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Today, we are proud to announce the honorees for our sixth annual 28 Days Later campaign, a Black History Month celebration of emerging and established children’s book creators of color. As is tradition, a stand-out author or illustrator will be saluted each day during February.

“This is my second year working with the 28 Days Later campaign and I’m just as excited as the first year,” said team member Gwendolyn Hooks. “Researching authors that I wasn’t familiar with and showcasing them so others will know of their spectacular work is a dream job. When I read their books, take note of their awards, and follow their path to publication, I’m swept along in the flow of their achievements. I can’t wait to share them with our readers.

The month-long submissions window for our campaign opened in October. Wonderful suggestions from librarians, teachers, publishers and kidlit lovers flowed in. We considered those names along with internal nominations and nominees from past years, keeping focused on our mission to “push awareness of the myriad of African American voices writing for young readers.”

We will honor 28 children’s book creators in all – 24 authors and four illustrators.

“Due to busy and conflicting schedules, we considered ending our 28 Days Later campaign,” said team member Don Tate. “I’m sure happy we didn’t. I am inspired by this year’s honorees more than ever.

The authors and the day they will be featured are as follows:

Vanguard authors in bold.

Illustrators in italics.

Feb. 1 – Malaika Rose Stanley (MG)

Feb. 2 – Christian Robinson– (Illustrator)

Feb. 3 – Alaya Dawn Johnson – (YA)

Feb. 4 – Glenda Armand – (PB)

Feb. 5 – Glennette Tilley Turner – (MG)

Feb. 6 – Traci L. Jones – (YA)

Feb. 7 – Brynne Barnes – (PB)

Feb. 8 – Brian F. Walker – (YA)

Feb. 9 – Veronica Chambers – (MG)

Feb. 10 – B.A. Binns (YA)

Feb. 11 – Donna Washington – (PB)

Feb. 12 – Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams – (MG)

Feb. 13 – Octavia Butler – (YA )

Feb. 14 – Ann Tanksley – (Illustrator)

Feb. 15 – Lyah Beth LeFlore – (YA)

Feb. 16 – Tololwa M. Mollel – (PB)

Feb. 17 – Arna Bontemps – (MG)

Feb. 18 – Jasmine Richards – (MG)

Feb. 19 – James Ransome – (PB)

Feb. 20 – Ashley Bryan – (Illustrator)

Feb. 21 – Nalo Hopkinson – (YA)

Feb. 22- Daniel Minter – (Illustrator)

Feb. 23 – Angela Shelf Medearis – (PB)

Feb. 24 – Linda Tarrant-Reid – (MG)

Feb. 25 – Willie Perdomo – (PB)

Feb. 26 – Chudney Ross – (MG)

Feb. 27 – Becky Birtha – (PB)

Feb. 28 – Jaime Reed – (YA)