Dionna L. Mann
Children's Book Author
So glad you stopped by! In case you'd like to know a little more about me, here it is.
I was born in Chicago, but grew up in the Windy City’s south suburbs where my imagination placed me onto my bike and into the woods on all-day-make-believe adventures. (Thank you, Trudy and Kelly, for always tagging along!) I attended Bloom High School where I enjoyed learning the ropes of journalism as the features' editor of our newspaper, The Broadcaster. As a teen, I dreamed of becoming a journalist, a special ed. teacher, and a speech pathologist. As a young woman, I called South Bend, IN, my home, and it was on the lawn of the University of Notre Dame where my husband proposed.
Since then I have lived in rural Virginia with my family, delighted to have raised three (most-talented!) children surrounded by Blue Ridge Mountains, friendly smiles, and howdy-dos. For nearly twenty-five years, I worked within the local school system as a parent volunteer, a special ed. instructional assistant, and a substitute teacher.
As a work-for-hire author, I have published a dozen-plus fiction and nonfiction books with Scholastic Press, Lerner, Capstone, Little, Brown, and other educational publishers. My photo-supported book for 3rd to 5th graders, ORCAS, can be found in Scholastic Press's award-winning Nature's Children series. You'll also find my poems and nonfiction articles inside Ladybug, Cricket, and Spider. My debut middle-grade novel for children ages 8-12, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, will be released by Margaret Ferguson Books, an imprint of Holiday House come 2024! (More HERE.)
I was born in Chicago, but grew up in the Windy City’s south suburbs where my imagination placed me onto my bike and into the woods on all-day-make-believe adventures. (Thank you, Trudy and Kelly, for always tagging along!) I attended Bloom High School where I enjoyed learning the ropes of journalism as the features' editor of our newspaper, The Broadcaster. As a teen, I dreamed of becoming a journalist, a special ed. teacher, and a speech pathologist. As a young woman, I called South Bend, IN, my home, and it was on the lawn of the University of Notre Dame where my husband proposed.
Since then I have lived in rural Virginia with my family, delighted to have raised three (most-talented!) children surrounded by Blue Ridge Mountains, friendly smiles, and howdy-dos. For nearly twenty-five years, I worked within the local school system as a parent volunteer, a special ed. instructional assistant, and a substitute teacher.
As a work-for-hire author, I have published a dozen-plus fiction and nonfiction books with Scholastic Press, Lerner, Capstone, Little, Brown, and other educational publishers. My photo-supported book for 3rd to 5th graders, ORCAS, can be found in Scholastic Press's award-winning Nature's Children series. You'll also find my poems and nonfiction articles inside Ladybug, Cricket, and Spider. My debut middle-grade novel for children ages 8-12, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, will be released by Margaret Ferguson Books, an imprint of Holiday House come 2024! (More HERE.)
As a longtime SCBWI member, I curated the content for the Highlighter, the e-zine serving the Mid-Atlantic region, for five years. As a researcher, I love uncovering stories about lesser known individuals found within the margins of African-American history.
You'll find me celebrating all things kidlit on my blog, where I review books, interview authors, illustrators, editors, agents, art directors, and the like, and where I throw parties for children's books I love.
My friend of the pen and award-winning author, Kathryn Erskine, interviewed me after my middle-grade, FREEDOM PEN, was published in 2012. (Read it HERE.) And more recently, Lindsey McDivitt, my agency sister, interviewed me on her blog A is for Aging. (Read it HERE.)
I am jointly represented by Jacqui Lipton and Kelly Dyksterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency.
You'll find me celebrating all things kidlit on my blog, where I review books, interview authors, illustrators, editors, agents, art directors, and the like, and where I throw parties for children's books I love.
My friend of the pen and award-winning author, Kathryn Erskine, interviewed me after my middle-grade, FREEDOM PEN, was published in 2012. (Read it HERE.) And more recently, Lindsey McDivitt, my agency sister, interviewed me on her blog A is for Aging. (Read it HERE.)
I am jointly represented by Jacqui Lipton and Kelly Dyksterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency.