Last week, Kelly Starling Lyons and I took the Brown Bookshelf on the road. We presented a program at the International Reading Association conference, Windows to the Past: Using Nonfiction and Historical Fiction Picture Books to Teach Black History. It was a bit hit. Kelly discussed her books and what inspires her stories. And she offered great tips for using picture [ Read the full article… ]
If you are at all familiar with the picture book genre, you’ve likely heard of Uncle Jed’s Barbershop, the much heralded, 1994 Coretta Scott King Honor Book. Margaree King Mitchell is the author of that still-popular title, as well as Granddaddy’s Gift (1996). Her latest book, When Grandmama Sings, was released last month to wonderful [ Read the full article… ]
Alice Faye Duncan is a National Board Certified Library Media Specialist with 19 years of school librarian experience. Surrounded by stacks and shelves of books, writing for children seemed like the next logical step in her career. And she certainly knows how to capture the attention of her readers. The award winning Memphis, TN native [ Read the full article… ]
Teresa E. Harris counts Katherine Paterson, Mildred Taylor, R.L. Stine and Judy Blume among her best loved children’s book authors. Now, she’s creating books destined to become favorites herself. With pointy high heels, a blazer and loads of sass, her elementary school character Summer Jackson struts out of the pages and into our hearts. In this interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith, Harris says that [ Read the full article… ]
If Sharon Robinson hasn’t done it all, she’s certainly made sizable progress. Robinson began with a 20-year career as a nurse midwife and educator, teaching at universities such as Howard, Yale, Columbia, and Georgetown. She directed the PUSH for Excellence program, founded by Jesse Jackson, from 1985 to 1990. She worked as a fund-raiser for [ Read the full article… ]
If you haven’t heard of Nikki Carter, this is your lucky day! With novels ranging from adult fiction to young adult drama, she’s proven her writing skills are top notch and we are thrilled to spotlight her during our 28 Days Program. Becoming Nikki Carter: The Journey When I started my writing journey, Nikki Carter [ Read the full article… ]
Contemporary realism with an abstract flair is how Charlotte Riley-Webb has described her art. Her rhythmic style with bright bold colors easily translates into the children’s books she illustrates. Today, Web-Riley blogs about her journey as a children’s book illustrator and fine artist. By Charlotte Riley-Webb For the final year of my college education I [ Read the full article… ]
Having authored over twenty picture books for children, Debbi Chocolate epitomizes the 28 Days Later Vanguard honoree. Her books include the CSK/John Steptoe Award-winning, The Piano Man; Parents’ Choice Award winner, Talk, Talk: An Ashanti Legend; and the highly acclaimed, El Barrio. Chocolate, a graduate of Spelman College and Brown University, is a former children’s [ Read the full article… ]