Books
middle-grade memoir
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round:
My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day
SCBWI Russell Freedom Award for Nonfiction for a Better World Finalist | Triple Crown Children’s Book Awards Lamplighter Finalist
Published by Versify (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
I was a high school senior in Memphis when I heard the news, “Dr. King has been killed.” That was the moment when I lost my childhood innocence.
Today, many people don't realize that creating a national holiday to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was an impassioned, fifteen-year, uphill struggle.
This picture book memoir is the deeply personal story of my role as a foot soldier during the height of the Civil Rights struggle. Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round weaves together the historical timeline - including the efforts of Congressman Conyers, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, and Stevie Wonder - with my own coming-of-age story.
Picture book
No Chickens in the House
Lucy’s family has lots of pets, but there’s none that Lucy loves more than… the chickens! And there’s nothing that would make her happier than having the chickens in the house.
That’s the problem. Her parents have one iron-clad rule: no chickens in the house.
Luckily, Lucy is a problem-solver. She tries one thing after another to smuggle the chickens inside: costumes, hiding spots, pulley systems, distractions, and more.
Young readers will be sitting at the edge of their seats waiting for Lucy and the chickens to succeed -- but sometimes you realize that you don’t really want what you think you want!
