28 Days Year: 2013

My daughter was immediately enchanted by The Diary of B.B. Bright, Possible Princess, big time. From the moment she saw the luminous cover to her nonstop read of the lyrical, lovely tale, she was hooked. And no wonder. This mother-daughter team packs a powerhouse punch. At Vanderbilt University Alice Randall teaches Bedtime in the Briarpatch: [ Read the full article… ]

Children’s book author Donna Washington grew up with storytelling all around her. At the dinner table, her  father would share mesmerizing tales that sent Donna’s imagination soaring. In college, she studied speech and theater and learned she had a gift for storytelling too. Donna has won many awards and accolades for her work. Her recordings of “Live and [ Read the full article… ]

B. A. Binns is a Chicago Area author who writes stories about “real boys growing into real men,” and finds writing the perfect follow-up to life as an adoptive parent and a cancer survivor. She has authored three realistic, YA books exploring multicultural themes: PULL (2010), DIE TRYING AND OTHER STORIES (2012) and BEING GOD [ Read the full article… ]

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 [ Read the full article… ]

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 [ Read the full article… ]

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 [ Read the full article… ]

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” That’s a truth that Traci L. Jones knows first hand. It was the harshly delivered criticism of a college professor that nearly destroyed the lifelong love Traci had held for the written word as long as she could remember.  Nearly. It’s also true that life [ Read the full article… ]

“When you grow up, you must write this down!”  Those are the powerful words from Glennette Tilley Turner’s father, and we are so thankful that she listened. Glennette Tilley Turner was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on November 23, 1933.  Blessed with strong, educated parents, she graduated high school, and in 1955, went on to earn her B.A. at [ Read the full article… ]