Thanks to Minny, the bold and loveable character played by Octavia Spencer in The Help, I’m now suspicious of all homemade chocolate pies! Many of us know Ms. Spencer as an amazing actress in movies stemming from A Time to Kill, to her unforgettable role in The Help. But many of you may not be familiar with her accomplishments as a children’s book author.
On this 3rd day of February, The Brown Bookshelf proudly highlights the beautiful actress, and now debut author, Octavia Spencer
According to her biography on Biography.Com, Ms. Spencer was born and raised in Alabama, and is the second youngest of seven children. She graduated from Auburn University where she studied English and Theater Arts. Ms. Spencer has always loved reading. She emphasizes her love for literacy, and the inspiration behind her debut novel, NINJA DETECTIVES, in this YouTube clip:
Reviews have been extremely favorable for NINJA DETECTIVES:
Kirkus review
A quick read about a girl sleuth whose fiery determination will leave readers wanting Book 2.
Publisher’s Weekly
Academy Award–winning actor Spencer debuts with an assured, entertaining whodunit that launches the Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective series.
Thank you, Ms. Spencer, for your contribution to the world of children’s books.
Photo of Ms. Spencer courtesy of Blog.Chron.com
…huh. Well, I hope this series does really well. Color me surprised!
I’m a big fan of Ms. Spencer and am curious to read this series. It looks fun. I’m curious how Randi came to be white (at least that’s how she appears on the cover, though she may not be). Did Spencer originally envision her that way or did it develop over the course of writing? I ask because there is such a lack of great black main characters in children’s lit, and it would be great to see more of them.