Nicola Yoon is a hopeless romantic. She says so on her website. As a matter of fact, Nicola shares many things in her bio that are…well…I’m just going to give you the address and encourage you to read one of the best bios ever! http://www.nicolayoon.com/bio/ She grew up in Jamaica (the island) and Brooklyn (part of Long [ Read the full article… ]
28 Days
Day 27: Aaron Philip
Have you ever felt your spirit soar just watching someone on screen? Aaron Philip’s infectious laugh, can-do attitude, talent and faith radiate and lift everyone he touches. Check out this video of him speaking to the folks at Tumblr for a bit of his magic. Fourteen-year-old Aaron has already won fans around the world with Aaronverse, his [ Read the full article… ]
DAY 26: NNEDI OKORAFOR
In reading her website, Nnedi Okorafor is a novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy and magical realism for both children and adults. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters. In a profile of Nnedi’s work titled, “Weapons of Mass [ Read the full article… ]
Day 25: Congressman John Lewis
Today our honoree is not only a children’s book author, he is a congressman representing Georgia’s 5th District. Along with writer Andrew Aydin and graphic artist Nate Powell, Mr. Lewis has written three books for young readers about his life in the Civil Rights movement: March Book One, March Book Two, and a third one, March Book [ Read the full article… ]
DAY 24: DANIELLE PAIGE
Danielle Paige is the New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must Die, its upcoming sequel The Wicked Will Rise, and the upcoming Stealing Snow series (Bloomsbury, 2016). In addition to writing young adult books, she works in the television industry, where she’s received a Writers Guild of America Award and was nominated for several Daytime Emmys. She is [ Read the full article… ]
Day 23: Christopher S. Ledbetter
Christopher S. Ledbetter was a reluctant reader as a child growing up in Durham. His understanding of what that’s like inspires the young adult novels he creates. On his website, he shares: “I continue to write because I see it as an avenue to inspire and uplift. And, because the stories refuse to stop springing into my [ Read the full article… ]
Day 22: Edwidge Danticat
In MAMA’S NIGHTINGALE, award-winning author Edwidge Danticat, who was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and grew up in New York, tells a timely and finely wrought tale in English and Kreyol of a daughter who is empowered to become an advocate on her mother’s behalf. From the publisher: “After Saya’s mother is sent to an immigration [ Read the full article… ]
Day 21: Shannon Gibney
Shannon Gibney was adopted as an infant in 1975, and grew up in a multiracial family. From her bio: “When she was 15, her father gave her James Baldwin’s Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone, a book that changed her life and made her see the possibilities of the written word. The novel [ Read the full article… ]