One may be the loneliest number, but five is a party. We’re proud to announce our twenty-four authors and four illustrators spotlights marking our fifth annual 28 Days Later initiative, a month-long celebration of veteran and emerging children’s authors of color. There was a time when we considered doing something BIG to mark the fifth [ Read the full article… ]
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Celebrating Us: Children’s Books about Weddings
My picture book, Ellen’s Broom (G.P. Putnam’s Sons) debuted yesterday. Yay! It’s a Reconstruction-era story, illustrated by Daniel Minter and published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, that celebrates family, love and freedom. Right now, I’m on a 9-day blog tour. At each stop, there is something special like a review, interview or guest post. You can [ Read the full article… ]
Our Own Worst Enemy
Question: If enough folk turn their backs on Black History Month because they’re sick of it being the “only” time anyone pays attention to anything African-American related, will it actually make people pay more attention to us the other 11 months of the year? Answer: NO Fact: The contributions African Americans continue to make to [ Read the full article… ]
Brown Book Review: My Own Worst Frenemy
I’d ask where books like My Own Worst Frenemy were when I was a young reader, but I already know the answer – they didn’t exist. It’s why I started writing YA, in the first place. Reviewing books like Reid’s first in the Langdon Prep series is bittersweet for me. On one hand I feel [ Read the full article… ]
Fans Live Here
Witnessing the pure unadulterated love from fans for the authors and their work makes managing The Brown Bookshelf so much fun. Sometimes the joy of reading can be lost in the hand wringing about the industry. Seeing fans come out for authors and books they love keeps things in perspective. Well, over the years, we’ve [ Read the full article… ]
Dueling Wild Nights
Though I never had one myself, I think every teen deserves one adventurous wild night out, Ferris Bueller or Sleepover-style (for the Lindsey Lohan generation). For the uninitiated, the wild night out is pure unadulterated no parents, throw caution to the wind and live like there’s no tomorrow adventure. The theme is as old as [ Read the full article… ]
Character Chick To the Rescue
She flew the night skies seeking YA books that contained characters that looked like her, sounded like her and lived the life she lived wrapped in suburbia’s blanket – a warm, comforting sameness that belies the silent struggle that is the everyday existence of a person of color. Flowing effortlessly as the only or one [ Read the full article… ]
Thisclose To Being YA
The pastor of my church has invited the young adults of the church to sup with him, a special dinner for those ages…wait for it, 18-40. Really? 40? “Young” adults? So I’m literally thisclose to being considered a young adult in the eyes of God. Pah! While I may be considered young compared to someone [ Read the full article… ]