Dionna L. Mann
Children's Book Author
Photo: Taylor Lynn Photography, LLC
I was born in Chicago, but grew up in its suburbs where my imagination placed me onto my bike and into the woods on all-day-make-believe adventures. I attended Bloom High School where I enjoyed learning the ropes of journalism as the features' editor of The Broadcaster, an award-winning student newspaper.
As a teen, I dreamed of becoming a trainer of dolphins or a journalist or a special ed. teacher or a speech pathologist, but gave up my four-year academic scholarship to pursue a Bible educational work. As a young woman, I called South Bend, Indiana, my home, and it was on the lawn of the University of Notre Dame where my husband proposed.
Since 1989 I have lived in rural Virginia with my family, and was blessed to have raised my three (most-talented!) children surrounded by Blue Ridge Mountains, friendly smiles, and howdy-dos.
For nearly twenty-five years, I worked within my children's school system first as a parent volunteer, then as substitute teacher, a high school office secretary, and as a special ed. instructional assistant. I was known as the oxymoron Mrs. Mann who got kids involved in creative writing.
My kidlit writing journey has included being a work-for-hire author who's published both fiction and nonfiction books with Scholastic Press, Lerner, Capstone, Little, Brown, and other educational publishers. My work has appeared inside Cricket, Ladybug, and Spider, children's magazines.
As an independent researcher, I especially love uncovering uplifting human-interest stories hidden within African American history in order to share their inspiration with children from all backgrounds.
Mama's Chicken and Dumplings, my debut middle-grade novel for children ages 8-12 that takes place in 1935 Charlottesville, Virginia, was published with Margaret Ferguson Books, an imprint of Holiday House, August 6, 2024!
I am represented by Kelly Dyksterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency.
As a teen, I dreamed of becoming a trainer of dolphins or a journalist or a special ed. teacher or a speech pathologist, but gave up my four-year academic scholarship to pursue a Bible educational work. As a young woman, I called South Bend, Indiana, my home, and it was on the lawn of the University of Notre Dame where my husband proposed.
Since 1989 I have lived in rural Virginia with my family, and was blessed to have raised my three (most-talented!) children surrounded by Blue Ridge Mountains, friendly smiles, and howdy-dos.
For nearly twenty-five years, I worked within my children's school system first as a parent volunteer, then as substitute teacher, a high school office secretary, and as a special ed. instructional assistant. I was known as the oxymoron Mrs. Mann who got kids involved in creative writing.
My kidlit writing journey has included being a work-for-hire author who's published both fiction and nonfiction books with Scholastic Press, Lerner, Capstone, Little, Brown, and other educational publishers. My work has appeared inside Cricket, Ladybug, and Spider, children's magazines.
As an independent researcher, I especially love uncovering uplifting human-interest stories hidden within African American history in order to share their inspiration with children from all backgrounds.
Mama's Chicken and Dumplings, my debut middle-grade novel for children ages 8-12 that takes place in 1935 Charlottesville, Virginia, was published with Margaret Ferguson Books, an imprint of Holiday House, August 6, 2024!
I am represented by Kelly Dyksterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency.
