The original conversation with Marguerite Abouet happened back in 2010 — and in French! In any language, she is as thoughtful and delightful as her work. Marguerite Abouet was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in 1971, and sent to study in France at the age of 12, under the care of a great uncle. She [ Read the full article… ]
28 Days
Day 23 Throwback: Malaika Rose Stanley
We first featured Malaika Rose Stanley in 2013, and she was a joy. Ms. Stanley passed away in 2019. “My friend Malaika Rose Stanley, who has died of cancer aged 65, was a pioneering children’s author, educator and activist. Ros, as she was known to her family, was forthright, funny and fierce, and she made [ Read the full article… ]
Day 22 Throwback: Malorie Blackman
“I spent so long, especially as a child and a teen, being told that either I had no voice or nobody wanted to hear my voice that by the time I hit my twenties and I was writing I thought, ‘No’. That’s why it is called Just Sayin’ because I’m going to speak loud and [ Read the full article… ]
Day 21 Throwback: VANESSA BRANTLEY NEWTON
If you know me, you know how I feel about Vanessa Brantley Newton. If you don’t know, read this. In summary, she is my sister and she is brilliant. She is a generous friend of The Brown Bookshelf, and has gifted us permission to use her gorgeous illustrations on more than one occasion. She is [ Read the full article… ]
Day 20 Throwback: RENÉE WATSON
Renée Watson was the debut author of two children’s books–a picture book and a middle grade novel, both published in 2010–when we featured her during 28 Days Later in 2011. She is now a Coretta Scott King Award and Newbery Honor winning kidlit superstar whose books have sold over 1 million copies. Though her notoriety [ Read the full article… ]
Day 19 Throwback: DANIEL MINTER
Daniel Minter’s art is bold, brilliant, and singular. Every book, every sculpture, every painting, every postage stamp…all are testaments to the compelling nature of his creative genius. In 2020, Minter was awarded a Caldecott Honor Award for Going Down Home With Daddy, his second award-winning collaboration with BBS member, Kelly Starling Lyons. Their first was [ Read the full article… ]
Day 18 Throwback: JERDINE NOLEN
When I interviewed author Jerdine Nolen in 2010, during my first year with The Brown Bookshelf, I was a bit star struck. Two of her books were in our family’s regular reading rotation (In My Momma’s Kitchen and Raising Dragons), and we had checked out several others from the library (shout outs to Harvey Potter’s [ Read the full article… ]
Day 17 Throwback: ALICE FAYE DUNCAN
When Alice Faye Duncan was selected as one of our 28 Days Later honorees, her most recent book was Honey Baby Sugar Child. Since then, the award-winning author has gone on to publish: Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks Just Like a Mama Evicted! The Struggle for the Right to Vote [ Read the full article… ]