There are many stories that never get included in history textbooks and many others that should be part of the contemporary discourse but get overlooked. Political mayhem regardless, books for children have begun to take such stories on in fiction, nonfiction, and innovative combinations. Here are just a few:
Ticktock Banneker’s Clock by Shana Keller, illus. by David C. Gardner
No Crystal Stair by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illus. by R. Gregory Christie
Viva, Rose! by Susan Krawitz
Calling the Water Drum by LaTisha Redding, illus. by Aaron Bond
Cover art by Nidhi Chanani
Now, with the release of Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh, I’m honored to have been able to bring one of these untold narratives to the page. More on the book on Kitaab World, The Book Smugglers, Teen Vogue, Ms. Yingling Reads, and Cynsations. Thank you all!
Lee and Low, the diversity source for anyone who reads, is absolutely the perfect publisher for this book. They have staked out that very space in the children’s publishing market, after all, over so many years–the space of stories that don’t usually get told. Thanks as well to writer and educator Tami Charles who offers ways that teachers can use my book in the classroom.
At one time this book had a different title. It was only a working title, the sort you know won’t last, but it holds the story ahead of you in some mirage you keep on following. In that way, the working title keeps you working. At the outset, Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh was called “Summer’s Promise.”
At this moment, with this book out, summer promises to be a season of gratitude.
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