The pandemic has taken a lot from us and one of the ways I did self-care was to work on my Little Free Library project. I posted last year my reasons for wanting one and why I decided to make it focused on BIPOC authors and illustrators of children's literature. Now it is 2021 and the library is close to being ready! I wanted to give an update on the process I used to build this library.
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 Thank you to all who entered my giveaway in celebration of A COMB OF WISHES! More book news to come in 2021!
 My novel has a new title! DARK TIDE is actually my book’s third title since I began drafting in 2013, but its final name was chosen last week! In honor of this, I am sponsoring a giveaway featuring AMAZING KidLit titles by Black creators and featuring Black mermaids. FOUR LUCKY WINNERS will be chosen to receive ONE the following prizes full of Black Mermaid Magic: THE LITTLE MERMAID by Jerry Pinkney is a picture book reimagining of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale. RISE OF THE JUMBIES is the second book in Tracey Baptiste's middle grade JUMBIES trilogy. Like my book, it is set in the Caribbean and draws inspiration from West Indian and African folklore. A SONG BELOW WATER by Bethany C. Morrow is a young adult novel featuring Black sirens dealing with the challenges of school and family, as well as racism and sexism in our contemporary world. The last prize is a pair of "KITANA" EARRINGS from Afropolitan, a shop featuring handmade items created by African designers. "Kitana" means "comb" in Swahili, which hints at my book's new title! and the new title is... I think this title captures the themes and atmosphere of the book perfectly! I can't wait until it is available and in the hands of readers.
You can support me and my book by adding it on Goodreads and following me on social media. I'm @EngageReaders on Twitter and Instagram. Also, check out my wonderful author friends in KidLit in Color and the amazing #22Debuts.  It's November, which means one thing for many writers...time for NaNoWrimo!
NaNoWrimo, or National Novel Writing Month, is an annual event where thousands of writers attempt the heroic feat of writing a novel of at least 50,000 words in just 30 days. This is my ninth year participating in NaNoWriMo and over the years I have "won" twice. The following is a motivational letter I wrote for the NaNoWriMo Metrowest region (for writers living between Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts). I hope it encourages others to tackle the page with enthusiasm this month! Good luck, Wrimos!  Something I’ve wanted for a while was a Little Free Library. I've looked longingly at pictures of all kinds of Little Libraries on Pinterest. What I've noticed in many of those smiling pictures is something that mirrors the landscape of publishing. A lack of representation of Black and brown people. That is something I want to change.
Even before I knew what my actual library would look like, I started thinking about what I wanted in my theme and design. I LOVE the recent article about the Little Diverse Library in Arlington, MA and had always planned to have a diverse book theme with Kidlit, so my library will be in solidarity with that project. I've already come up with some creative ideas! This will be a continuing blog series documenting the story of my Little Free Kidlit Library. |
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