Color Me a Kidlit Writer - Interviews, Blog Parties & More

Color Me a Kidlit Writer

COVER REVEAL for Mama's Chicken and Dumplings!

12/10/2023

I am super excited to share the cover for my upcoming novel for children, ages 8-12, entitled, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, which releases from Margaret Ferguson Books, an imprint of Holiday House Books for Young Readers, August 6, 2024!

I was thrilled when I found out the cover art would be done by the amazing kidlit creator, Vanessa Brantley Newton, who is the author and illustrator of one of my favorite picture books, GRANDMA'S PURSE. And she did not disappoint!

Look how Vanessa captures my main character's mischievousness--those eyes, that smirk! Can't you tell that there's a lot going on beneath those gorgeous braids? I also love the design done by Holiday House art director, Kerry Martin. There's such a vintage vibe going on. It perfectly captures my historical setting.

Thanks, Vanessa and Kerry, for giving my story such a gorgeous cover!

2024 KidLit Events: VA, MD, DC, and Beyond

12/9/2023

(c) Lauren Mann

2024 Kidlit Events
Virginia, Maryland, DC & Beyond

January

Roanoke Regional Writers Conference at Hollins University

February

SCBWI Winter Conference
Williamsburg Book Festival

March

CityLit Festival, Baltimore, MD
Virginia Festival of the Book, Charlottesville, VA
Virginia State Literacy Association Conference, Norfolk, VA
Washington DC Awesome Con, DC
Women’s Storytelling Festival, VA

April

Annapolis Book Festival at Key School, MD
Annapolis Comic-Con, MD
Color of Children’s Literature Conference
Black Child Book Fair, Charlotte, NC
Frostburg University Spring Children’s Literature Festival, MD
State of Maryland Literacy Association Conference
Royal Book Bash in the DMV, Woodbridge, VA
Sound of the Mountain Storytelling Festival, Fincastle, VA
YAVA Awards & Celebration, Richmond, VA

May

Baltimore Book Festival, MD
Gaithersburg Book Festival, Gaithersburg, MD
Maryland Librarian Association Conference
Tidewater Comicon

June

ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, San Diego
Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival
Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival
Hollins University Kidlit Summer Symposium
Shenandoah University Children’s Literature Conference

July

Kweli International Literary Festival

August

National Book Festival at the Library of Congress, DC

September

Baltimore Comic Con, MD
Capital Book Fest
Carolina Mountains Literary Festival, Burnsville, NC
Latinx Virtual Kidlit Book Festival
Literary Hill Book Fest, DC

October

Black Authors and Readers Rock Conference (BARR), MD
Children’s Africana Book Awards & Festival, DC
Fall for the Book, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
James River Writer's Conference, Richmond, VA
Old Dominion University Literary Festival, Norfolk, VA
Virginia Children’s Book Festival, Longwood University, Farmville VA
Virginia Literary Festival, Richmond VA
West Virginia Book Festival, Charleston, WV

November

Hampton Roads Writer’s Conference
NCTE Annual Convention, Boston, MA
Texas Book Festival
Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) Annual Conference
YALLFest Charleston, SC

Find a comprehensive list of Book Festivals compiled by Publishers Archive HERE.

Bookish-Gifts for a Book Launch Giveaway

11/4/2023

I know what you're thinking. Why on earth have I already put together my book launch giveaway basket for MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, my debut novel for young people, when it doesn't come out for nine more months? I've wondered the same thing! I guess it's nervous overplanning (or spending, one),

While it's true there is more happiness in giving than in receiving, there is a limit on what a girl should spend on a giveaway, yes? And so nervous planning aside, I've sealed up the wallet and stopped myself from purchasing any more items by tying up the basket in a bow.

Why am I writing this blog post, listing the items in my giveaway basket? For three reasons.

1. To share the cool bookish items I found with you, as you might want to purchase one or two for your book launch giveaway

2. To remind myself of what's in the gift basket in case I forget between now and August, and

3. To entice local folks to wear vintage when the time to attend my in-person book launch comes, as those doing so will be entered to win.

Total Value $200!

Yikes! Did I really spend that much on my gift basket--all the items, plus the basket, gift packaging, shipping, and taxes? Receipts don't lie! At least it's a tax deduction, right?

(C) Raissa Figueroa

I purchased this gorgeous 8 by 10 print by the amazing kidlit artist Raissa Figueroa through her Etsy store. I loved the bright colors, and the hopeful message Raissa's image displays. I have another print of Raissa's on the wall of my home office, and can't help but smile whenever I walk past it.

$19

I found these super fun book-lovers earrings sold by Tami, owner of the Etsy store called RumursRunWild. I was very tempted to keep them for myself!

$11

(C) Robyn Hood Black

The above two items, notecards and a bookmark, are the handiwork of Robyn Hood Black, a poet and children’s book author whose art celebrates letters, words, and poetry. I love the vintage vibe of all the items in Robyn's Etsy store, artsyletters.

$22

This hand-poured soy book lovers' candle by Frostbeard Studio is said to be "the only answer to dreary, drizzly days is to cozy up with a book, quilt, and hot cup of tea." Inside this Rainy Day Reads 2-oz. tin is the scent of fresh rain, ginger, and lavender. It smells so good!

$9

Instead of purchasing paper flowers made from old book pages on Etsy from BookHorde, I decided to make them! I used the easy-to-follow DIY instructions found HERE. For the stems and leaves, I used those from artificial flowers I purchased on clearance at Michaels. (Goodwill was fresh out.) I REALLY enjoyed making these while listening to Tiny Desk concerts on NPR.

$8

I know whoever wins my gift basket will enjoy sipping their favorite warm beverage from this handsome mug thrown at Blue Ridge Pottery, a quaint little shop located at the foot of the Shenandoah National Park. The wares of their artisans can also be purchased in shops like Noon Whistle Pottery, Mad Arts, and CVille Arts.

$30

These socks came from Out Of Print, a company that includes all thing lit. I had a hard time choosing which pair to purchase for my gift basket, and so ended up buying three! Aren't they fun?!

$36

These gold foil imprinted language pencils distributed by Fly Paper say "I love books" in five different languages--English, Spanish, French, Italian and German. Made in the USA, the pencils are wood case with #2 lead, certified non-toxic, and are latex-free synthetic erasers.

$8.95

Purchased from Target, I think this tweed fabric journal with lined pages and a vegan leather tie wrap with bead detail should make a great gift for aspiring creatives of all genders and ages. At least I hope!

$8.99

So, what do you think? Do you think the recipient of my book launch gift basket will enjoy the items I chose to include in it? Please, do share your thoughts in the comments. And I'd also love to hear what bookish items you've found book lovers in your life have enjoyed receiving as gifts.

Welcoming Kidlit Creator Lisa Mezoff

9/20/2023

(C) Lisa Bronson Mezoff, lisamezoff.com

Absolutely delighted to have you stop by, Lisa! Your work fills me with the happiness of sunshine after a gloomy day!

I’m so glad my work makes you smile!

It really does! Do tell. How did you find your way into becoming a kidlit illustrator?

It was a long journey! When I graduated college, I decided that as much as I loved illustration, the freelance life was not really for me. So, I chose to pursue a career as a designer and creative director. I did lots of illustrations in the context of my corporate design work, but it wasn’t until my kids left for college that I decided to finally focus on illustrating for children. I used evenings and weekends to take online courses to help build my portfolio and started going to SCBWI conferences and engaging with the kidlit community. It’s been a huge effort to pursue a second career, but it’s so rewarding!

(C) Lisa Bronson Mezoff, lisamezoff.com

SCBWI is a nurturing place for kidlit creatives! Now that you've arrived to the kidlit path, what do you love about illustrating children's books?

It’s actually a joy on multiple levels! First, I just really love to draw and paint—to imagine people and places and make them come to life. I’m also a truly passionate reader, so it’s a thrill to contribute to the world of books and use art to tell stories that are meaningful to kids. I have to say though, the biggest surprise has been how much I have enjoyed sharing my work on school visits. When Only My Dog Knows I Pick My Nose my debut picture book written by Lauren Tarshis came out, I did dozens of school visits with the author. We had conversations with kids not only about the story itself—its inspiration and meaning—but also about the creative process and our collaboration. The kids were so excited! They went on to draw their own pictures and tell their own stories. Often, teachers sent me the kids’ drawings and thank you notes later—that was amazing!

I can imagine it would be! So nice you were able to join with the author, too!

(C) Lisa Bronson Mezoff, lisamezoff.com

Why did you especially enjoy illustrating Only My Dog Knows I Pick My Nose that features a boy whose dog has nothing but unconditional love for his not-so-perfect human?

Most of the time, in the children’s book industry, a publisher buys a manuscript and then chooses an illustrator—the author and illustrator rarely even meet. This book was a little different. The author and I are good friends and we collaborated on the project from the beginning. Lauren came to me with just the title (which I love!) and we worked together as the story took shape. We often went back and forth, deciding which elements of the story really needed words, and which ideas could instead be conveyed visually. I feel so lucky to have had that experience—it was so much fun to work together, and I think our partnership made the book much better than it would have been if we had we worked separately.

You're right. An author and illustrator creating the book before it's acquired is not how it usually happens, but so cool that Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic did acquire it as a complete project! I just love the hilarity of the text and illustrations--a perfect picture-book blend!

Glad you enjoyed it! You can learn more about how I made the illustrations HERE in the blog post I wrote for Scholastic.

I'll check it out! Well, thanks oodles, Lisa, for stopping by and for sharing a little about yourself and your process. May Only My Dog Knows I Pick My Nose become a classic in the years to come!

Thanks, Dionna!

Lisa Bronson Mezoff loves to paint people and scenes that are filled with energy and joy. When she is not drawing and painting, Lisa is busy creating award-winning design projects as the creative director at Pappas MacDonnell, a marketing and communications agency. Besides painting, Lisa also loves to read and eat desserts. Only My Dog Knows I Pick My Nose, written by Lauren Tarshis a New York Times best-selling author, and published by Orchard Books, is Lisa's first illustrated children's book. Follow Lisa on Instagram @lisamezoff to see her latest work, and learn more about her HERE.

Purchase your copy today!

Mama's Chicken & Dumplings #NFPost No. 6

9/12/2023

Mary Jane ®

A Peanut Buttery Molasses Taffy Penny-Candy

(C) Atkinson Candy Company. Courtesy The Museum of Fictional Literary Artifacts

It was in 1914 when Charles N. Miller, a Boston, Massachusetts, European American candymaker, who cooked up the first batch of Mary Jane® penny candies. And it was his family's candy factory, the Charles N. Miller Candy Company that made the bite sized rectangular chewy bits of yum with its molasses taffy outside and peanut buttery inside a popular delight. The Mary Jane® penny candy is a favorite of Allie, my main character in Mama's Chicken & Dumplings, and whenever there's a penny in her dress pocket she runs down to Mr. Inge's store (seen below) to buy a few.

Photo courtesy George R. Inge

In 1989, Mr. Miller's company closed. But not so the production of the Mary Jane® candy. The recipe and rights for creating it moved into the hands of the Stark Candy Company, then the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO), and now the Atkinson Candy Company out of Texas.

"The new recipe," states Eric Atkinson on the company's website, "captures the flavor of Mary Janes, for it's the same components as it always was."

Atkinson Candy Company still packages the candy with that familiar yellow and red wrapper adorned with an adorable little girl dressed in a bonnet, the same wrapper Allie would have seen in 1935. I hope to bring this old timey candy treat along whenever I'm doing a school visit. Hopefully, they kids will love it as much as I did as a child.

(C) Atkinson Candy Company. Courtesy The Museum of Fictional Literary Artifacts

Bibliography

Atkinson, Sarah. "Atkinson Brings Back Mary Jane Candy!" Atkins.com, April 22, 2021.

Birrell, Alistair. "Dear America, We Invented All Your Candy. Love, Boston." Boston.com, October 22, 2014, accessed August 31, 2023.

Daily Progress. "Progress Past." June 13, 2018, accessed August 13, 2023.

Garner, Nicole. "The Revolutionary Story Behind Mary Jane Candies." Mental Floss, October 29, 2015.

Kurland, Ann Trieger. "Mary Jane Makes a Sweet Comeback." Boston Globe, October 13, 2020, accessed August 31, 2023.

Library of Congress. "Inge's Store, 331-333 West Main Street Charlottesville, VA." Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS No. VA-1015, accessed August 31, 2023.

Library of Congress. "New England Confectionery Company (NECCO)." Local Legacies: Celebrating Community Roots--Massachusetts, accessed August 31, 2023.

Noennig, Jordyn. "NECCO Wafers May No Longer Exist, Echoing the History of Pewaukee's Stark Candy Co." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 19, 2018, accessed August 31, 2023.

The Cambridge Historical Society. "NECCO: 254 Massachusetts Avenue (1847-present)." The History of Candymaking, accessed August 31, 2023.

The Museum of Fictional Literary Artifacts. "Mary Jane (Candy)." Accessed August 31, 2023.

Tucker, Aimee. "Mary Jane Candy--Favorite Old-Fashioned Candy." NewEngland.com, June 29, 2022, accessed August 31, 2023.

Mama's Chicken & Dumplings #NFPost No. 5

9/11/2023

Successful Business Owners

George Minor Carr

The photograph of the above storefront was taken on November 16, 1914. Peek inside and you will see George Minor Carr (1882-1933), shop owner and operator of George M. Carr & Company, just one of many businesses located in Vinegar Hill, a thriving African American residential and business district of Charlottesville, Virginia, that was razed in the 1960s.

True, Mr. Carr's establishment at 269 West Main Street was a second-hand clothing store. But as you can tell from the fine feathered hats for women in the storefront window, and the men's suits hanging inside that it was no rinky-dink establishment. It was someplace African American men and women of the era could purchase clothing to look their finest when walking about town. And how distinguished they looked when posing for a photograph at the Holsinger Portrait Studio!

We know from the J.F. Bell Funereal Home records that George Carr's father, David Carr, had been born in Africa, and that his mother Elnora Garland Carr was born in Virginia. We also discover that George's wife's name was Virginia May Carr. Mr. Carr passed away In 1933. Virginia Carr obviously kept the doors of her husband's business open after his death, for she was listed in the 1934 city director as operating a second-hand clothing store at 265 West Main Street.

Anthony and Eileen Buckner

On August 12, 1918, Anthony T. Buckner (1846-1923) commissioned the above portrait to be taken with his nine-year-old granddaughter Eileen Wood Buckner (1909-1985). When I learned Eileen's mother, Geneva Tonsler Buckner (1886-1919), would die from tuberculosis a year later on August 29, 1919, while being admitted to the Piedmont Sanitorium in Burkeville, Virginia, it made me wonder: Was Eileen's mother ill when this photo was taken? Was that the reason Mr. Buckner had the photograph made? Surely, an ailing mother would greatly appreciate having a copy of this lovely image.

Another thing I wondered was how, as a young man, Mr. Buckner endured physically, emotionally, and mentally while serving as an enslaved body servant to Mr. Fife, a Confederate soldier, during the Civil War. What I do know is he survived, and once Freedom came, after working just a few years at the University of Virginia, he had saved enough money to open up a successful general store and grocery at 904 West Main Street in Charlottesville--a fine establishment that remained open until his death in 1923.

How inspiring to see him standing there so tall, refined, and dignified, despite being a survivor of such enduring times!

"Buckner had made a host of friends for himself during his long sojourn in the community and was especially liked by the residents in the University section. Many had formed the custom of stopping in to converse with him as a token of their esteem and the high place he had won for himself." *

Mr. Buckner had five children with his wife, Louisa E. (1860-1909)--three girls and two boys. Unfortunately, all but two of them died when they were very young children. Only his son George Walker Buckner (1886-1928) lived well into adulthood.

George, Eileen's father, grew up in Charlottesville. He attended college, and obtained degrees from Hampton Institute and the Virginia Union University. He worked as a teacher, and economics and sociology instructor at the Tuskegee Institute. Later, he remarried and worked for the National League on Urban Conditions, and then served as the vice president and manager of the People's Finance Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri.

George caused quite a local stir when he wrote an opinion piece entitled "The New Negro" in the February 12, 1921 edition of The Charlottesville Messenger, an African American newspaper. In it he demanded better pay for African-American teachers and the desegregation of streetcars in Charlottesville, among other things. He wrote: "We are tax payers and law abiding citizens. We know our strength and will accept nothing short of justice."

Inge's Grocery

George P. Inge

In 1890, George Pinkney Inge (1859-1948) purchased the building and lot located at 331-333 West Main Street for $3,000, and in 1891 he opened his grocery store when West Main Street was nothing but a dirt road.

Despite being born into the institution of slavery, Mr. Inge graduated from Hampton Institute in 1879. For a few years, he taught at Jefferson School in Charlottesville.

Mr. Inge's grocery store was known throughout Charlottesville as a fine establishment. His patrons included the hospital of the University of Virginia, professors of the University, the Gleason Hotel, boarding houses, and fraternities. His store was the only supplier of fresh fish and oysters in the city, which were delivered by way of the C & O Railroad. Small game caught by local hunters; vegetables from the Inge's gardens, and eggs and poultry from their chickens were also sold there. Before the Model T came along, the Inges delivered their produce using a horse-and-buggy.

Children loved to purchase penny candy and five-cent ginger snaps from the glass jars sitting on the store's shelves. My main character's favorite thing to purchase at Mr. Inge's store is Mary Jane candies.

Inge's Grocery

Mr. Inge and his wife Kate Virginia (Ferguson) Inge (1864-1941) had nine children. They raised them in living quarters attached to the store and required them to pitch in and help run the business. Often, African American visitors to Charlottesville found lodging at the Inges' home. The children often spoke about their father's friend and former Hampton classmate, Booker T. Washington, who stayed with the family whenever the educator and speaker came through Charlottesville. He was one of the Inges' most famous guests.

The Inge children all had successful careers. Three of his daughters were teachers. His sons' occupations included: an educator and high school principal in Texas, a biology department head at Hampton Institute, a New Jersey State Senator, a realtor, and two physicians. Thomas Ferguson Inge, Sr. (1903-1993) ran the store until 1979 along with his son, Thomas Ferguson Inge, Jr.

Nannie Cox Jackson

Viola Green Porter

For decades, Nannie Cox Jackson (1865-1953) was an inspiring domestic science (home economics) teacher at Jefferson School. She taught her students--boys and girls--how to cook, sew, crochet, and knit so they could live respectably and independently.

How proud Mrs. Jackson's students must have been to be able to design and sew their own dresses like the eighth-grade graduation dress Viola Green Porter (1898-1985) is seen wearing above.

Mrs. Jackson had a big and generous heart. She ensured that every child at Jefferson School had a hot meal for lunch. She even helped establish the first hot lunch program within the city's public schools. During segregation, Mrs. Jackson was a huge supporter of Jefferson School's football team. She helped them acquire uniforms and provided them with transportation to and from practice and away games using a truck owned by her family's business. After home games, she fed both teams, their coaches and doctors a hearty meal that began with soup. A favorite menu item on the dinner plate was Mrs. Jackson's homemade meatballs.

William E. "Billpost" Jackson, Jr.

Besides being known as an educator, Mrs. Jackson was known throughout Charlottesville as a landlord who took care of her property, and who rented at rates African American families just starting out could afford. According to some, at her death, her estate was worth a million dollars! Of course, that was mainly due to the value of her properties.

Mrs. Jackson's son William E. Jackson, Jr. (1888-1972), otherwise known as "Billpost" Jackson, along with his son Edward R. Jackson ran a family business--Jackson Poster Advertising. It was a home-based operation installing billboards all over the area, and it provided the family with a decent living. It was skillful work, placing paste on the back of huge lithograph printouts then putting them together like a puzzle on a board. But they did it, and well, too!

Photo Credits

1. "George Carr." Photo: Rufus W. Holsinger, 1914. Holsinger Studio Collection, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, VA, Call No. 9862, Image ID. 33256, accessed September 10, 2023.

2. "A. J. Buckner." Photo: Rufus W. Holsinger, 1918. Holsinger Studio Collection, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, VA, Call No. 9862, Image ID. 33148, accessed September 10, 2023.

3. "Inge's Store, 331-333 Main Street, Charlottesville, Independent City, VA." Drawing: Johnson W Pitt, 1933. Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress, Image 8, accessed September 10, 2023.

4. Photo of oil painting of George Pinkney Inge by unknown artist, found in Inge's Store, 331-333 West Main Street Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Virginia, compiled by Timothy L. Bishop, University of Virginia School of Architecture, 1979. Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia, Call No.: SVA: No. 49:1979, YX001 117 764. Used with permission from the Estate of George P. Inge.

5. Photo of the inside of Inge's Grocery, date unknown, reprint found in “Inge’s Store Has a Place in Main Street’s History and Future," by Ray McGrath, The Daily Progress, November 11, 1979, used with permission from the Estate of George P. Inge.

6. Nannie Cox Jackson. Found in "Nannie Cox Jackson," CVillepedia. Accessed September 10, 2023.

7. "Viola Green" Photo: Rufus W. Holsinger, 1916. Holsinger Studio Collection, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, VA, Call No. 9862, Image ID. 34283, accessed September 10, 2023.

8. William E. Jackson, Jr. Courtesy Teresa Walker Jackson Price.

9. Jackson Post Advertising Sign. Courtesy Teresa Walker Jackson Price.

While I have diligently sought to establish and contact the copyright owners of these images, I believe their inclusion here is within the confines of fair use, and/or that they are in the public domain.

Selected Bibliography

*"Buckner, Anthony T." Daughters of Zion Cemetery, accessed September 9, 2023.

"Buckner, Eileen Wood." Daughters of Zion Cemetery, accessed September 9, 2023.

"Buckner, Geneva J. Tonsler." Daughters of Zion Cemetery, accessed September 9, 2023.

"Buckner, Louisa E." Daughters of Zion Cemetery, accessed September 9, 2023.

Correcting the Narrative. "Why Name a School for Nannie Cox Jackson?" December 3, 2019, accessed September 10, 2023.

CVillepedia. "George P. Inge." Accessed September 10, 2023.

CVillepedia. "Nannie Cox Jackson." Accessed September 10, 2023.

Daily Progress. "Progress Past." June 13, 2018, accessed September 10, 2023.

George Minor Carr J. F. Bell Funeral Home Records Entry. Digitized by the Virginia Center for Digital History, University of Virginia, accessed September 9, 2923.

Getting Word. "Nancy Colbert Scott." Monitcello.org, accessed September 10, 2023.

Heritage Trail. "Nannie Cox Jackson (1864-1953), Teacher." Jefferson Heritage Center, accessed September 10, 2023.

"Inge's Store: 331-333 West Main Street, Charlottesville, Virginia." Historic American Buildings Survey: HABS No. VA-1015. Digitized by the Library of Congress, accessed September 10, 2023.

Interview with Mrs. Teresa Jackson Walker Price. September 23, 2023.

Mangione, Wilma T., Editor. “Recollections of Thomas Ferguson Inge, Sr.” From Porch Swings to Patios: An Oral History Project of Charlottesville Neighborhoods, 1914-1980. The City of Charlottesville, 1990, accessed September 8, 2023.

McGrath, Ray. "Inge's Store Has a Place in Main Street's History and Future." Daily Progress, November 11, 1979.

Munro, J.F. "Anthony T. Buckner." Holsinger Portrait Project, February 10, 2022, accessed September 9, 2023.

Munro, Julia F. "George Carr." Holsinger Portrait Project. University of Virginia, February 10, 2022, accessed September 10, 2023.

Mama's Chicken & Dumplings #NFPost No. 4

9/10/2023

HURRICANE!

Library of Congress

It happened in the middle of the night on September 2, 1935. It was Labor Day weekend, and little did the residents of the Florida Keys know that a category 5 hurricane was barreling toward them. But when the monstrous storm made landfall, everyone realized the danger. Waters rose. Biting rain pounded. Sustained winds battered at 185 mph!

On Metacumbe Key, a storm surge caused ocean waves to crest between 15-20-feet. Soon, every building, every tree, every living thing on the island was being ripped to shreds. On Lower Metacumbe Bay, 260 U.S. World War I veterans were surrounded by the storm. They'd been working on an overseas highway and hadn't been given ample warning or opportunity to evacuate. A train was sent to rescue them, but the storm surge pushed it off its tracks. Help was not on the way.

Tragically, all the men lost their lives.

By the time the storm subsided, the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane had claimed at least 485 victims.

Digitized by the Library of the University of Virginia

Allie, my main character in Mama's Chicken & Dumplings, overhears her mama talking about a hurricane brewing in the Atlantic, but that's the only mention I make of it in my work of historical fiction. If the storm had greatly impacted Charlottesville, Virginia, I would have included more. But by the time the storm moved inland it had weakened.

The local newspaper, the Daily Progress, however, did report on three days of heavy rains from the storm, which destroyed corn and apple crops. And it reported that the town of Scottsville, Virginia, located about 20 miles south of Charlottesville, had flooded when the the James River rose 23 feet above its normal level. No doubt, the overflowing waters of Mink Creek, which passed by the Methodist Church on Main Street, were also responsible for the town's streets being turned into waterways navigable only by rowboats.

(c) Photo: Edward L. Dorrier

I wondered if the residents of Vinegar Hill had a fundraiser for the African American family from Scottsville who lost everything when their two-story home was swept away by a flooded creek while the family was stuck inside. (Thankfully, the house floated and became lodged onto a bridge and the uninjured family was subsequently rescued.)

Following the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, the Weather Bureau determined to improve hurricane warnings and evacuation orders. Nowadays, the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use powerful tools like satellite imaging and supercomputers to sound hurricane warnings to give residents of coastal areas plenty of time to evacuate, thus minimizing loss of life.

Photo Credits

1. "Rescue Train Swept off the Tracks by the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane." Library of Congress, Control No. 2021670725, accessed September 8. 2023.

2. Front page of the Daily Progress. Charlottesville, VA, No. 16, 104, September 5, 1935, accessed September 8, 2023.

3. Dorrier, Edward L. Dorrier. "Sept. 6, 1935 Flood Photo of Main Street in Scottsville, VA." Irene and Edward L. Dorrier Collection, Scottsville Museum, Scottsville, VA, accessed September 8, 2023. Photo used with permission from Irene Dorrier and the Scottsville Museum.

Bibliography

Daily Progress, September 5, 1935, p. 1, digitized by the University of Virginia Library, accessed September 1, 2023.

Daily Progress, September 6, 1935, p. 1, digitized by the University of Virginia Library, accessed September 1, 2023.

HurricaneScience.org. "1935-Labor Day Hurricane." The University of Rhode Island, accessed September 1, 2023.

Library of Congress. "Rescue Train Swept off the Tracks by the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane." Item Description, accessed September 1, 2023.

McDonald, W. F. "The Hurricane of August 31 to September 6, 1935." Monthly Weather Review, 63, 269-271, accessed September 1, 2023.

National Weather Service. "NOAA Weather Radio in the Florida Keys." NOAA, accessed September 1, 2023.

Mama's Chicken & Dumplings #NFPost No. 3

9/9/2023

Doctors Serving the Vinegar Hill Community

Seated: Dr. George Franklin Johnson, Mrs. Peachie Carr Johnson, and Mr. Conley Greer
Standing: Mrs. Emma Carr Clorinda, Mrs. Mary Carr Greer, and Fannie Carr Washington

In 1935, when Mama's Chicken & Dumplings takes place, the medical needs of Vinegar Hill residents were cared for by five African American physicians and dentists whose home offices or joint practices were either within the neighborhood or located in nearby neighborhoods of Charlottesville, Virginia, like Starr Hill and Fifeville.

The 1934 Hill’s Charlottesville, Virginia, City Directory names them: George Johnson, Edward Stratton, Jr., Bernard Coles, John Jackson, and Edgar Long, Jr.

Dr. George Franklin Johnson (1876-1945) was born in Orange County. He was a 1911 Howard University medical school graduate who practiced at his home office at 123 4th St. NW in Charlotteville for 30 years. He married Peachie Suporah Carr (1889-1977), an Albemarle native, in 1914.

According to a participant at Family Photo Day held at the University of Virginia on March 9, 2019, the man in the photo below is that of Dr. Johnson. However, when I showed the image to Charlottesville native and longtime Jefferson School educator, Mrs. Teresa Walker Jackson Price, whose mind is as sharp as ever at 97 years, she said with certainty that it was not Dr. Johnson.

I also shared the photo with Peachie Carr's grandniece and her grandnephew's wife. Neither ladies recognized the man in the photo as Dr. Johnson. So I'm pretty sure the photo below has been misidentified, but wanted to include it here anyway. Above however, is the photo the Carr-Geer family shared with me, in which they identified Dr. Johnson as sitting next to his wife, Peachie.

Photo likely misidentified as George Franklin Johnson, M.D.

Peachie Carr Johnson (later Jackson) was a teacher in Orange County for two years then at Jefferson School in Charlottesville for decades. She graduated from Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute (now Virginia State College) with a teaching degree in 1912. In 1933, she obtained a bachelors of science degree from the same university. Later, Peachie did graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Dr. George F. Johnson in company with Mrs. Mary Greer motored to Virginia State College at Petersburg, to witness the Commencement exercises. Mrs. Peachie C. Johnson was a member of the graduating class." *

Besides being a teacher, Peachie Carr Johnson was a civic minded individual who was quite involved in various literary and social clubs as well as benevolent societies organized by Charlottesville's African American women. From 1954-58, she was the president of the Virginia Federation of Colored Women's Clubs. I'm sure you'll find the primary research that's been done by the Ivy Creek Foundation about Peachie's family, the Carr and Greer Families, quite fascinating. I certainly did! (Find it HERE.)

According to Peachie's obituary, Dr. Johnson died suddenly in 1945.

Howard University Dentistry Class, circa 1900

Seen below is Dr. John Andrew Jackson (1888-1956). According to the 1934 Hill's Directory he was living at 125 4th Street NW, next door to Dr. Johnson, and practicing dentistry at 406 Commerce Street NW, right across from Jefferson School. Dr. Jackson received his D.D.S. degree from Howard University in 1913.

Dr. Jackson's wife's name was Otelia Love (1889-1966). Otelia was actively involved in civic organizations serving the African American community of Charlottesville. The Jacksons had seven children--five sons and two daughters. Two of their sons Ellard "Punjab" Jackson and George Franklin Jackson became dentists like their father. The entire Jackson family was quite involved in volunteering with the National Association of Colored Dentists, now the National Dental Association, a professional organization founded in the 1900s by Dr. David Arthur Ferguson of Richmond, Virginia.

John Andrew Jackson, D.D.S.

In addition to their city property, the Jacksons owned 82 acres of farmland that was just outside the city. Dr. Jackson's father, Andrew W. Jackson, once had a working farm there. The land was located within a bustling, rural African American community called Hydraulic Mills-Union Ridge. During the summer months, Dr. Jackson, who was scoutmaster of Charlottesville's African American Troop No. 15, allowed his land in the country to be used by the local African American Boy Scouts who camped, gardened, competed, and swam there.

"Week before last, our city was host to the Old Dominion Dental Society. What an asset this convention was, to our city. If nothing else were enumerated, the inspiration allotted to our young people is really worthy of note. Without any attempt at exaggeration I have heard about ten young men and women express their desire to become dentists. Dr. J. A. Jackson and Dr. B.. A. Coles deserve great credit for their unselfishness in planning the public meeting. . ." **

Dr. Bernard A. Coles (1894-1971) a dentist, and Dr. Edgar A. Long, Jr., a physician, took care of the needs of their patients in an office located inside Vinegar Hill at 271½ West Main Street. Most likely, Dr. Long also visited infirm and ill patients in their homes. According to the 1934 Hill's Directory, Dr. Coles lived at 313 8th St. NW in Charlottesville with his wife Ruth, and Dr. Long, Jr. lived at 321 6th St. SW with his wife Marie. (The directory also lists another couple as living at the same home--Lloyd and Mary Tonsler.)

Dr. Coles along with Dr. Jackson awarded graduating seniors of Jefferson School who had maintained the highest average in English with a five dollar gold piece, and awarded a five dollar prize for the best essay written by a student in any class!

Edward W. Stratton, Jr., M.D.

Dr. Edward W. Stratton Jr. was listed in the directory as practicing at his home at 206 6th Street NW. His wife's name was Marguerite. As a volunteer in the 1930s, he served as the physician for Jefferson School's football team. On the left is an image of him cropped from a photo that was taken with the undefeated Jefferson School football team in 1935.

Just who was Dr. Edward W. Stratton, Jr.? More research needs to be done. But I wonder if he was the Edward W. Stratton who was the son of a Samuel Stratton, an African American clerk who built his family's home in Columbia, South Carolina in 1887. I also wonder if he was the young man with the same name who was listed in Howard University's 1933 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity roster.

I was truly delighted to discover from Mrs. Teresa Walker Jackson Price that I was correct in assuming that Dr. Edward W. Stratton, Jr. of Vinegar Hill was the same Dr. Edward W. Stratton, Jr. who was a prominent obstetrician in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 60s. And when I showed her a picture I found of that Dr. Stratton (HERE), she quickly said, yes, it's him! And she should know. Dr. Stratton was her "godfather" who saw his patients in a basement office located in her family's basement, and who ate supper with her family every night!

I really enjoyed finding out more about the physicians and dentists whose names were marked with a "C" in Hill's 1934 Directory (indicating their color). Learning even just a little about them, their wives, and families filled me with something akin to familial pride. And I felt it not just for them, but for all those back then who were professionals serving their communities--though they were born just a generation away from the Dark Days of Slavery.

As Charlottesville newspaper man T. J. Sellers, said: "They deported themselves with a decorum, born of culture and dignity."

It was my privilege to shine a small light on them by naming the doctor in Mama's Chicken & Dumplings Dr. Stratton.

Photo Credits

1. Carr-Greer Family Photo. Courtesy Helen Theodosia Lemons.

2. "Untitled" Photo: Ralph W. Holsinger. April 4, 1912. Holsinger Studio Collection, Albert and Shirley Small Collections Library, University of Virginia, Image ID 39856, neg. no. X00167A, accessed August 29, 2023.

3. Howard University Dentistry Class. Photo: William Edward Burghardt, circa 1900. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Control NO. 2002695672, accessed August 29, 2023.

4. John Andrew Jackson. Found in History of the American Negro & His Institutions: Virginia by A.B. Caldwell, January 1921: A.B. Caldwell Publishing, Atlanta, GA, p. 438, accessed August 29, 2023.

5. Edward W. Stratton Jr. Photo (cropped from 1935 Jefferson School Undefeated Football Team): Ralph W. Holsinger, 1935. Holsinger Studio Collection, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia, Image ID. 41491, neg. no. Y21177B2, accessed August 29, 2023.

6. Surgical Kit. Photo: Marjory Collins, February 1943. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Call No.LC-USW3- 017701-D, accessed August 30, 2023.

I have diligently sought to establish and contact the copyright owners of the images used in my #NFPosts. Those on this page, I believe, are used within the confines of fair use, and/or are in the public domain.

Bibliography

"A Spirit of No Boundaries." Dental Economics, February 2014, p. 14, accessed August 28, 2023.

African-American Genealogy Group. "About the J.F. Bell Funeral Home and Family." The Virginia Center for Digital History, accessed August 29, 2023.

Central Virginia History Researchers. "The Hydraulic Mills / Union Ridge Community." Accessed August 29, 2023.

CVillepedia. "B. A. Coles." Accessed August 29, 2023.

*"Dr. Geo. R. Ferguson." Journal of the National Medical Association. February 25, 1933, volume 1, pp. 36–37, accessed August 24, 2023.

Ezell, Ray. "Review of Black Boy Scouting in Central Virginia, 1915-1949." Central Virginia Boy Scouting Preservation Project, accessed August 29, 2023.

Heritage Trails, No. 3. "Dr. John A. Jackson Home & Office: 125 Fourth Street NW." accessed August 29, 2023.

Howard University. The Bison, 1933, p. 107, accessed August 29, 2023.

Obituary of Dr. George Franklin Jackson, D.D.S. Dignity Memorial, accessed August 29, 2023.

Jet, December 17, 1973, page 14, accessed August 29, 2023.

Kessler, Bryan S. "David Arthur Ferguson (1875–1935)." Dictionary of Virginia Biography, Library of Virginia, 2015, accessed August 29, 2023.

Miller, Ed. "Excluded Elsewhere: UVA’s First Black Students Found Community of their Own." The UVA Magazine, Summer 2021, p. 47, accessed August 29, 2023.

Monroe, Bruce, Orange County historian. Email Correspondence, September 21, 2023.

Munro, Julia F. "Dr. Johnson." Holsinger Portrait Project. University of Virginia, February 17, 2022, accessed August 23, 2023.

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. "Waverly Historic District." National Park Service, November 16, 1989, accessed August 29, 2023.

** Sellers, Thomas. "Old Dominion Dental Society." Reflector, April 21, 1934, issue no. 37, p. 4, col. 1, accessed August 29, 2023.

Yager, Jordy. "Black Land, Black Schools & Eminent Domain." Mapping Albemarle/Mapping CVille, January 19, 2021, accessed August 29, 2023.

Mama's Chicken & Dumplings #NF Post No. 2

9/1/2023

Jefferson School, Charlottesville, Virginia

Left to right, (front row) Margaret L. Terry, Maude M. Gamble (principal) and Cora B. Duke; (second row) Ella J. Banks, Rebecca Fuller McGinness, Peachie Carr Johnson, Mary Kathleen Chisholm, Carrie W. Michie, and Gertrude Inge; (third row) Nannie Cox Jackson, Marion B. Wyatt, Jane C. Johnson, and Helen E. Jackson.

I love the above picture so much! It's of the faculty of Jefferson School in Charlottesville, Virginia, during the era of segregation, taken as best I could figure during the 1926-7 school year. To me, the image is absolutely beautiful for many reasons. For one, I love the dignity, confidence, and determination these women project on camera. And it's no illusion! They were dignified, confident, and determined on many levels, despite the harsh racial conditions of the times. I found it easy to imagine the African American men of the local area tipping their hats in courtesy as these ladies walked by. My imaginings made me want to write a scene in my middle-grade Mama's Chicken & Dumplings where a gentleman of Vinegar Hill tips his hat out of respect for Allie's best friend, Jewel, while she walks by pretending to be as sophisticated as the ladies in the above image, despite Jewel being only ten years old.

Isabella Gibbons

The history of Jefferson School in Charlottesville stretches back to right after the Civil War ended and all those with African descent were freed from the institution of slavery. Anna Gardner, an educator with European decent from Nantucket, an island in Massachusetts, arrived in Charlottesville around 1867. She opened a New England Aid Society's Normal School, which prepared men and women for the task of teaching the newly freed citizens of the area. Later, the school became a Freedmen’s School under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau. Anna named her group of students the Jefferson School.

One of the first teachers of color at Jefferson School was Isabella Gibbons who had once been enslaved at the University of Virginia. Despite the law of the times, Gibbons had learned to read and write beautifully, and had taught her daughter Bella to do the same. Isabella's husband William Gibbons could also read and write. He became a well-respected Baptist minister after Freedom came.

Jefferson School became a public school of the City of Charlottesville in 1871. Benjamin E. Tonsler was one of the school's earliest principals. He was a beloved member of the community. Many graduates from Jefferson School attended historically Black colleges and universities like Hampton University, and obtained degrees in all types of disciplines, including those in medicine, engineering, and science, even though they had to complete their high school studies outside of Charlottesville since Jefferson School graduated students after the eighth grade.

Rebecca Fuller McGinness

The name I chose for Allie's fifth grade teacher was Mrs. McGinness. I chose it out of respect for Rebecca Fuller McGinness, a tireless educator who spent decades teaching at Jefferson School. If you examine the oral histories of those who attended Jefferson School as students, the name Mrs. McGinness often comes up. They mention her as a teacher who inspired them to achieve their personal best. Mrs. McGinness was a graduate of Jefferson School before there was a high school. She finished her studies at Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, now Hampton University, graduating from there with her teaching certification in 1915, and later a bachelor's degree. When she was 100, Hampton gave her an honorary doctorate degree. Mrs. McGinness lived to the ripe age of 107.

Cora [Murray Brown] Duke

While I named Allie's principal Mr. Duncan, the real Mr. Duncan--Owen Duncan-- was the principal of Jefferson High School in the 1940s. In 1935, the year Mama's Chicken & Dumplings takes place, Cora B. Duke was the principal of the "Old" Jefferson School--the one that housed grades one through five. Mrs. Duke was known as a woman who put the students' needs ahead of her own. When she retired, the school community threw her a grand celebration thanking her for her educational leadership and community involvement. Doesn't she look grand in her feathered hat in the photo taken in 1915 at the Holsinger Portrait Studio located in Charlottesville? Indeed!

After the building to house Jefferson's junior and high school grades opened on the same campus as the older building in 1927, extracurricular activities for the African-American youth of Charlottesville began to thrive. There was a debate team, science club, marching band, literary clubs, a choir, a dramatic club, and more. For years, Jefferson School's after-school groups were well-known throughout the state as being top performing. They competed against other African American schools located throughout Virginia. Below is the undefeated "Red Devils" football team of 1935.

I really enjoyed imagining Allie playing the flute in the Jefferson School band, vying for first chair.

From left to right, (front row) Charles L. Jackson, Lloyd Quarterman, Billy "Goat" Lewis, John Locket, William "Shortie" Brown, Carter "Red" Wicks, Earl "Cap" Fortune, Alfred Bynum, Bernard Dabney; (second row) DuBois Johnson, Raleigh Kelly, William Cox Jackson, Charles "Chink" Lee, Grover Henderson, Carl Johnson, Phillip Sellers, Carol Allen; (third row) Nannie Henderson, Thomas Martin, Edward McCreavy, Beverly "Pep" Thomas; and (standing) Team Physician Edward W. Stratton and Coach James "Wop" Edgar.

The African American community of Charlottesville supported Jefferson School's extra curricular activities by hosting fundraisers, purchasing transportation, and by donating their time and resources. Nannie Cox Jackson was a huge supporter of the football team.

The education and edification of the young ones growing up in the neighborhood was obviously important to the adults living in the once thriving African American community of Charlottesville during the unfair days of Jim Crow. It was my privilege to share that spirit of togetherness while writing Mama's Chicken & Dumplings.

Photo Credits

1. Jefferson School yearbook photo. Found in Pride Overcomes Prejudice: A History of Charlottesville’s African American School. Charlottesville, VA: Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, 2013, p. 75.

2. Isabella Gibbons. Found in "Isabella Gibbons." Cvillepedia, accessed August 14, 2023.

3. Rebecca Fuller McGinness 1915 Hampton yearbook photo from the collection of the Hampton University Archives, Hampton, VA. Found in Elizabeth Howard Papers, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.

4. Cora Murray Duke. Photo: Rufus W. Holsinger, 1915. Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia, Rufus W. Holsinger Studio Collection: MSS Call No. 9862, Image ID: 35479, Negative No., X02970A, accessed August 13. 2023.

5. Jefferson [High] School 1935 Undefeated Football Team Photograph. Photo: Rufus W. Holsinger, 1935. Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library Holsinger Collection, UVA Library ID: Y21177BB2, accessed March 13, 2023.

While I have diligently sought to establish and contact the copyright owners of these images, I believe their inclusion is within the confines of fair use, and/or that they are in the public domain.

Selected Bibliography

Bryant, Florence Coleman. Rebecca Fuller McGinness: A Lifetime, 1892-2000. Charlottesville, VA: Van Doren Company, 2001.

CVillepedia. “Cora Murray Duke.” Accessed August 13, 2023.

Daughters of Zion Cemetery. "Tonsler, Benjamin E." Accessed August 13, 2023.

Discovery Virginia. “In the Fullness of Time.” Elizabeth Howard Productions. Narrated by Rita Dove. Virginia Humanities Digital Archive, 2004, accessed December 25, 2022.

Douglas, Andrea, editor. Pride Overcomes Prejudice: A History of Charlottesville’s African American School. Charlottesville, VA: Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, 2013.

Douglas, Andrea and Vincent Musi. “The Jefferson School, a Modern American Story.” LOOK3 2015 Charlottesville Festival of the Photograph presentation, accessed July 31, 2023.

Finger, Jascin Leonardo. “Anna Gardner (1816-1901): Teacher, Abolitionist, Women’s Rights Advocate, Author.” Nantucket Historical Society, accessed March 14, 2023.

"Funeral of Rev. William Gibbons." National Republican, July 2, 1886, Newspapers.com, accessed August 20, 2023.

Jefferson High School Football Team Item Details. Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library Holsinger Collection, UVA, accessed August 13, 2023.

Jefferson School City Center. “Jefferson School History.” Accessed March 15, 2023.

Jefferson School Oral History Project: Interview Transcripts, Volume One. Albemarle County Historical Society, October 2004, accessed December 25, 2022.

Jefferson School Oral History Project: Interview Transcripts, Volume Two. Albemarle County Historical Society, October 2004, accessed December 25, 2022.

Jefferson School Student Handbook. Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia, Call No.: LD7501.C4J39.

Mangione, Wilma T., Editor. “Recollections of Rebecca McGinness.” From Porch Swings to Patios: An Oral History Project of Charlottesville Neighborhoods, 1914-1980. The City of Charlottesville, 1990, accessed December 25, 2022.

Munro, Julia F. “Cora Murray.” Holsinger Portrait Project, University of Virginia, February 25, 2022, accessed August 13, 2023.

Mama's Chicken & Dumplings #NFPost No. 1

9/1/2023

Sampson's Happy Pals

Below are pictured the members of Sampsons' Happy Pals, a band that performed live jazz and swing numbers during the 1930 and ’40s throughout Charlottesville, Virginia, and surrounding counties. When this picture was taken, the members included: (left to right) Earl Sampson (tenor sax), George Jones (guitar), T. J. Sellers (drums), Theodore “Duke” Chisholm (piano), Kermit Jones (alto sax), George Bowles (trumpet), Percy Sampson (trombone), and Clarence Bryant (bass).

Photo courtesy the family of Elmer "Sonny" Sampson, found in Charlottesville: The African-American Community by Agnes Cross-White (Dover, NH: Arcadia Publishing, 1998).

While on her West Main Street quest in Charlottesville to find her mama a husband who loves to sing, 10-year-old Allie, the main character in MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS my forthcoming novel for young readers that takes place in 1935 Vinegar Hill, asks Mr. Journey, a fictional character who owns a sewing machine shop. . .

"I’m wondering, Mr. Journey,” I say. “I mean, it’s obvious you know a thing or two about fixing things . . . but can you sing?”

Mr. Journey stops dusting and looks at Jewel and me like we’re a math equation he’s trying to figure. “Every now and again, I sing with Sampson’s Happy Pals.”

It was pretty cool to find mention of the band in The Reflector, "Charlottesville's Only Negro Weekly," which was published by T. J. Sellers from 1933-1936. For example, there was this lighthearted inclusion in the "Around Town" society news column with C.S. Kelly in the number 3 issue that came out on August 26, 1933:

"Rumor has it that Jerry Bowles is practising with 'Sampson's Happy Pals'. What's that? Did I hear some one say that he likes suspense? Here's a bit. We are not telling you where Mr. Bowles bought the instrument, or what kind it is or how much it cost, but we will say that we expect him to make his debut soon. If you do not wish to miss this treat, you had better follow 'Sampson's Happy Pals' around the town."

Orange County News, Volume 11, Number 47, 16 March 1933.

A more sobering mention was found on the front page of the June 9, 1934, issue of The Reflector. It said:

"Readers of this issue of 'The Reflector' will notice an announcement concerning the John Stratton Benefit Dance, to be held next Thursday, June 14th.

This entertainment, to be staged at the Odd Fellows Hall, will represent an effort, on the part of Sampson's Happy Pals, to assist a former member of their orchestra in the securing of medical attention that has been advised for him.

Stratton, as Charlottesville knows, was the little man "behind the drums" in Sampson's Happy Pals. Several months ago, he became ill and has been confined to his bed ever since. In these economically topsy-turvy times, when even well men find the going tough, it is not difficult to understand why it is a worthwhile movement on the part of the orchestra to provide their former orchestra member with financial assistance.

The intentions of the band are commendable, but unless the public catches the spirit and supports this movement, these intentions will amount to very little in a material way. Negro citizens of Charlottesville should keep this fact in mind and make arrangements to help make his movement a successful one because such a splendid display of brotherhood on the part of these ten musicians should be encouraged."

Despite his band mates' efforts to get him needed care, Mr. Stratton sadly passed away on August 27, 1934, at just 28 years of age.

Photo courtesy Chris Farina and Rosalia Films. From West Main Street, https://vimeo.com/273521741, accessed April 27, 2023.

Above is Elmer "Sonny" Sampson. He's seated in front of the home he was born in, located on 6th Street SW. Sonny played for a short while with his older brother Percy in Sampson's Happy Pals. Sonny was an accomplished trombone player who played with well-known musicians like Lena Horne. Sonny was one of the first two African Americans invited to join Charlottesville's Municipal Band in 1968 after Jim Crow laws lifted.

I sure wish I could find a recording of Sampson's Happy Pals!

Bibliography:

Cross-White, Agnes. Charlottesville: The African-American Community. Dover, NH: Arcadia Publishing, 1998.

Cvilleband.org. "African Americans and the Band," accessed July 29, 2023.

J.F. Bell Funeral Records. John Stratton. Virginia Center for Digital History, University of Virginia, accessed July 29, 2023.

Kelly, C.S. The Reflector (Charlottesville, VA), Number 3, 26 Aug. 1933, p. 3.

Orange County News (VA), Volume 11, Number 39, 19 January 1933, accessed July 28, 2023.

Orange County News (VA), Volume 11, Number 47, 16 March 1933, accessed July 29, 2023.

Sellers, T. J., ed. The Reflector (Charlottesville, VA), Number 7, 16 Sept. 1933, p. 3.

Sellers, T. J., ed. The Reflector (Charlottesville, VA), Number 44, 9 June 1934, p. 1.

West Main Street. Produced by Chris Farina and Reid Oechslin. Rosalia Films: 1995, accessed April 27, 2023.

Welcome, Sarah Whang, Kidlit Creator!

8/17/2023

Interviewing Sarah Whang
Member of Kelly Dyksterhouse's Kidlit Crew

(C) Illustration: Sarah Wang

Welcome to my blog, Sarah, and to Kelly's kidlit crew of clients!

Hello, Dionna! Thanks for inviting me!

My pleasure! I'm wondering, did you love illustrating and making comics as a kid?

I did! Though I was painfully shy, art was the one thing I always felt confident in. I’ve been drawing as long as I could remember, and I had a fondness for writing as well. I spent most of my day at school in the library, reading everything that I found interesting. The most memorable finds were intricately illustrated picture books by Robert Munsch, Jan Brett, Beatrix Potter and others. As a child, I would read and write little picture books for myself.

When I grew older, I sent out a printed book to my relatives as gifts that I assembled with my home scanner, a stapler, and PowerPoint. I wrote comics as well, sometimes in collaboration with my brother who would draw the panels. Comics were harder to come by, but to this day I read my hand-me-down Archie comics and manga as much as possible.

I'm sure your family enjoyed those gifts more than store bought ones! What types of books for children would you like to create as an author/illustrator or comic book author?

Though my art aligned with kidlit very well, I thought that children’s books could only be written by people with rosy childhoods. My children’s books professor in art school changed my perspective. More often than not, children are smart enough to know about the sad, scary, and unfair aspects of the world. I would love to create work that acknowledges these tough subjects with kindness and help kids understand them as my favourite childhood books have done for me.

Those types of topics are needed in this sad, scary, and unfair world. Is there anything in particular that inspires your art?

Not to be cliché, but nature is my greatest inspiration. At the onset of the Pandemic lockdown, I reevaluated my unhealthy relationship to art and took a long break. I would go on multiple walks a day with my dad who I moved back in with briefly. Being from Vancouver, British Columbia, there was no shortage of natural beauty to draw from. But aside from mountains and oceans, I found joy in the curious sights of everyday life, like the flowers that survived through an unusually warm winter, or an owl perching snugly on a stop sign.

I forced myself only to create with the old paint and coloured pencils in my childhood home. I fell back in love with making art. Most of my work features nature, especially flowers. My family was in the flower business for years and I grew up surrounded by blooms, and I worked as a florist for them occasionally. It’s great to be able to draw so many different kinds of flowers from memory!

(C) Illustration: Sarah Wang

I love flowers, too! Please describe your process.

My process really depends on the project, but recently, I really like to get as much worked out in the early stages as possible. It’s a rather structured process, which I’ve developed from a hectic schedule during school days and working full time. I start with research of course, making a board of reference photos. The Notion app has been my recent obsession for keeping track of information and files.

In my first book, which I am currently working on, I kept a sketchbook full of all the research and sketches pertaining to the story. Then, I did a close read of the manuscript and sketched out scenes and pages. I made a template for thumbnails with the right ratio and rough text placement and filled this in using Photoshop since they get revised over and over. Working digitally saves time.

I took each thumbnail, enlarged it to make a tighter sketch, and chose a colour palette for the page. (I stole this step from my partner who is a fantastic artist. He finishes an entire painting digitally first, and then paints it on canvas.) This type of precise groundwork gives the final artwork a clean, purposeful look instead of being overworked or having to restart many times. Next, I printed out the sketch, transferred it to watercolour paper for the final mixed media painting, which I like to do completely traditionally as I love the warm look and soothing process.

Wow! Sounds like a labor intensive process, but one that pays off in the end! Last question, how did Kelly discover you and why are you glad to be represented by her?

Kelly and I actually found each other after a good friend had joined The Tobias Literary Agency as a client. He kept telling me how his agent was great to work with, so I asked him for more info. Though my friend's agent wasn’t taking on any new clients, she referred me to Kelly, her colleague at TLA.

Kelly had a great list of artists and seemed very experienced, so I reached out, and she promptly responded. She led me through the agenting process and the contract step by step. I became intrigued by the idea of being in a community of other children’s book artists. Luckily, soon after we signed, our first project that went out on submission was acquired! It’s only been a little while since we’ve worked together, but I’m excited to see where Kelly and I will go.

Kelly is awesome, and I'm excited to see where your work will go too! Well, thanks for chatting with us, Sarah, and do stop by again!

You're welcome, and I will!

Sarah Whang is a Korean-Canadian illustrator and comic artist based in Toronto. She graduated from the Illustration program at Sheridan College with a strong focus on picture books and graphic novels. She loves to mix texture, light, and color to create magical yet cozy scenes. She is available for graphic novels, picture books, covers, and licensing. She can be found online at sunhawhang.com, on Instagram and on Twitter. Sarah is represented by Kelly Dyklsterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency.

An Exclamation Point Interview with Amanda Vacharat!

7/14/2023

(c) Amanda Vacharat, amandavacharat.com

Amanda Vacharat: Artist, Author &
Member of Kelly Dyksterhouse's Kidlit Crew

Welcome to my blog, Amanda! What a delight to have you here!

Thank you for inviting me.

The pleasure is all mine! Do tell. How did you find your way into the kidlit world, and why do you love it?

Oh, there are so many pathways that all led here! But, the simplest (shortest) one is that I encountered M.T. Anderson’s YA Novel FEED, and it opened my eyes to the opportunities there are in kidlit to be weird and genre-less and playful, even if darkly so. I love that it gives us (the authors) that freedom to write for readers that don’t have formed expectations of what literature should or shouldn’t look like yet. We get to show them how expansive that definition could be.

FEED also helped me see that kidlit can focus on asking questions rather than giving answers. Because you are engaging with readers who are encountering concepts and themes, often for the first time, they are open to questioning the ideas behind them, and perhaps come up with their own thoughts and opinions in response. I like to think I’m creating those types of books—the kind that asks the reader questions, and asks the reader to ask questions—but even if not, I’m glad I get to try.

Very intriguing reply! It's so cool that you enjoy writing books for young readers that include dashes of science, plus technology, along with a helping of whimsy. Why is that combination a good fit for you as a writer?

Ah, well, thanks for thinking it’s cool! I have a science and tech background, and I’m a programmer for my day job, so tech stuff is rather constantly on my mind. But science and tech can get a bit serious (*cough*, AI), and I think when you get too serious in storytelling, you can lose people; they will check out before they understand. Perhaps that assumption is wrong, but to me, it seems as if when stories get too serious, the audience starts to become more restricted to the people who already agree or understand. I don’t know. Maybe I just like making things a little playfully weird!

Can you give us an example, please, of something whimsical you're working on?

An example: I’m currently revising a YA novel about government-led psychiatric experimentation, which has some borderline silly and unrealistic locations and settings. And often my illustrations have cute animals doing silly things with industrial or technological props. Actually, I’ve been wondering lately whether “whimsical” is the right word for this kind of story; if instead I should be saying “absurdity.” But there’s overlap there, right? Both are breaks from logic or reality, a sense of being off kilter, though with slightly different overtones.

It sounds like your books will be wonderfully weird, absurdly abstract, and fantastical fictional yarns that young adults will love to read!

Haha! Thanks, I think.

(c) Amanda Vacharat, amandavacharat.com

So how would you say your characters speak to the younger you?

On the simplest level, I’m writing books which feature characters who have one Asian parent, and characters who are autistic, whether or not they are labeled as such. There weren’t characters like this in books or movies growing up, and we’ve come a long way with representation, but we aren’t there yet. Having books with these characters would have helped validate my own ways of thinking and existing, and I hope seeing characters like this will resonate with others still missing themselves in current media.

On a more complex level, many of my characters are a little hopelessly in love with the world. They also tend to want to restore relationships and find their place with friends or family. I’ve been told that desire is quintessentially middle grade (and not YA), but I disagree, partially because of my own experience as a teen, and even adult. And so I’ve stubbornly kept on with it.

Those are themes that resonate with folks of all ages, I think. As an illustrator, what are your favorite subjects to draw, and why.

Oh dear, illustrating. Even though at the very start of this journey, I wanted to be an illustrator, I’ve gotten totally derailed by writing (see answer number 1.) I’m just now getting back into illustrating, and at the very beginning of defining what types of subjects I want to focus on. What’s remained consistent for me is I love drawing almost any types of animals. I’ve always loved animals. Almost all creatures. Except stink bugs.

I'm with you on the stink bugs! Anything else you like to draw?

I once had an art director question why so many of my illustrations feature children who are afraid. So, I guess I like drawing terrified kids? I’m not sure what this says about me.

Haha! Not sure about that one. Last questions: What medium do you enjoy using in your art? And what's your process like?

My go-to medium used to be pencil with scanned wallpaper and photographs, which I would paint over digitally. That process was extremely time consuming, so lately I’ve been playing around with what I can manage digitally to recreate the same sort of look.

Well, Amanda. This has proved to be a most interesting interview, and I foresee some very unique illustrated young-adult novels on the horizon--those inside a genre created by you!

Perhaps so!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Pop in anytime!

Will do!

Amanda Vacharat holds an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA). Her books include elements of science, technology, and usually at least a little whimsy. She includes characters that her child-self yearned to see and portrays worlds beyond those most often seen. She is represented by Kelly Dyksterhouse at The Tobias Literary Agency. Find Amanda's website and portfolio at amandavacharat.com, her tweeting @AmandaVacharat, and her make-you-smile doodles on Instagram @quillypig.

POTTY PARTY! Launches Today!

6/13/2023

(C) Olivia Duchess and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2023

Let the POTTY PARTY! Begin!

I'm super excited to share that POTTY PARTY!, my board book published by LB Kids, an imprint of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, comes out today, June 13, 2023! I'm thrilled at how fun, unique, and colorful this work-for-hire book turned out, and I hope it will help many little ones become Potty Training Graduates.

Parents can easily turn the fun, rhythmic text into a chant or song to encourage the milestone. Little ones can imagine the Potty Queen ready to admit them to the party so they can pass under the plunger and exchange diapers for underwear. And surely, when little ones find a potty trainer who looks like them drawn inside the vibrant illustrations of Olivia Duchess they'll be ready to flush some poo like big kids do!

To win a free copy of POTTY PARTY! (along with several other books published by fellow members of The 24/7s, my middle-grade debut group), pop on over to The 24/7s Blog, and enter our Six-Month Anniversary Giveaway by leaving a comment during the month of June on any one of our interviews.

Order a copy of POTTY PARTY! for your little trainers HERE.

Craft Tips Learned from Watching Chopped

5/19/2023

(c) Cynthia Cliff, cynthiacliff.com

I love watching Chopped, a reality Food Network show that invites four chefs to prepare an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, each within a limited amount of time and by using a basket with mystery ingredients. A panel of judges rates each dish based on creativity, taste, and presentation. At the end of each round, the chef with the weakest palatal delight is placed on the proverbial chopping block, leaving a Chopped champion by dessert’s end.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking—Dionna, why are you wasting your writing time watching the veg-tube? My reply? This is writing research, not time wasted! I’ve gleaned a lot about the writing process by watching Chopped. Really.

For example:

Don’t forget the salt

We all know how important it is to add the right amount of salt to a dish, right? But I’ve seen many an episode when a classically trained chef forgets the essential dash, leaving the food, while beautiful, full of blah. Writing lesson learned? Don’t forget to add sensory delight to every scene by engaging all five senses, including taste!

Transform the ingredients

Chefs on Chopped are often given the strangest of mystery ingredients. Sometimes, I’m like, really? Artificial spray cheese? But a skilled chef can do it! He can turn that gloopy yellow goo into yum. How? Creativity combined with freshness. (FYI: artificial spray cheese makes delicious creamed kale.) My takeaway? Writers can spin original plot lines into something new by being creative.

Add some fat

I’ve seen quite a few chefs rise to the challenge when the basket is inherently lean, like say there are Rocky Mountain oysters in there. (Can you believe people actually eat bull testicles? Ewww!) A chef will slice them thin and deep fry them in sizzling oil. Readers like the taste of “fat,” too. They want stories full of emotion. Fat is where it’s at in a good way, at least when it comes to writing.

Sauce it together

I’ve seen chefs on the show rise to the top by using the unique flavor profile of an ingredient, like preserved rice juice, to create a delicious sauce that ties their dessert together. Writing lesson? We can tie our scenes together with a “sauce,” a theme, a setting, a mood.

Use the pantry wisely

Besides the basket ingredients, chefs on the show are encouraged to use fresh ingredients from the Chopped pantry in their dish. But if they add too many—say, a whole lot of chocolate to mask the taste of durian—the judges will ding them. They actually want to be able to taste the ingredients found in the basket, even if it’s a foul-smelling Asian fruit. Lesson: as writers, we should remind ourselves not to overwhelm a scene or dialogue with unnecessary details or description. Less is more basket.

Be true to yourself

Chopped champions are often those who stay true to their own style of cooking, like the one who borrowed his babcia’s chrusciki recipe, or the one who created her naani’s curry blend. The recipe for success as writers? Take a lesson from Granny. Mine from your culture, your homeplace, your language, your ancestry to create stories uniquely your own.

Tantalize the taste buds

I love it when chefs on Chopped create something so yummy, so scrumptious, that it leaves the judges saying, “I can’t stop eating this.” As writers, shouldn’t we try to do the same—leave our readers not just satisfied by the story’s end, but wishing for a sequel?

Remember all the ingredients

To avoid leaving a mystery ingredient off the plate, I’ve seen many a chef on Chopped count their ingredients before Ted, the host, says, “Please, step back.” (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been left holding my breath, hoping that chef won’t forget those caramelized hot dogs hiding beneath their station!) As writers, we should enumerate, too. Have we included all that makes a story a story? Do we have a main character wanting something and doing something to get it; does he have an obstacle in his way and something at stake if he doesn’t obtain it?

Count.

Taste your food

Tasting as you go along is a secret to success in any kitchen. Writers should also “taste” their words as they go along by reading them out loud.

There are many more writing lessons from Chopped begging to be shared.

Writers cookbook, anyone?

Images, used with permission of the illustrator, Cynthia Cliff.

Heather Brockman Lee, Illustrator of A Poem Grows Inside You, Shares Her Process

2/4/2023

(c) Heather Brockman Lee, heatherbrockmanlee.com

Welcome, Heather! So excited to have you here to talk about the making of your gorgeous picture book, A Poem Grows Inside You, written by Kattie Hawes!

Thanks for the invite!

Your illustrations inside A Poem Grows Inside You are so colorful and full of joy! I just LOVE them! Will you please share a little about the book's illustration-journey?

Of course! Every book has a story, the story that happens before the story. Actually several stories because everyone involved in making a book has their own story for how they came to be part of it. My story for this book begins with--it was the first time a traditional publisher offered me a picture book to illustrate. This was HUGE! Something I had been working towards for a few years, and the theme and manuscript and publisher were all so appealing to me, I could not have been happier.

That is huge! But wait a minute, if A Poem Grows Inside You, which was published by The Innovative Press in October 2022, was your first book with a traditional publisher, what about Hattie Hates Hugs? Wasn't it published by Beaming Books in April 2022?

Interesting, right? That timing situation came about because, for one thing, publishing can be like that; but in my case, it happened because of the pandemic. Let me explain.

I got the offer for A Poem Grows Inside You in March of 2020...

Yup. I remember standing outside the elementary school while my dog and I waited to walk my daughter home from school, I had just gotten off the phone with my agent, and was looking forward to spring break with my kids…. which ended up lasting a year and a half. Because of those Uncertain Times. (Remember when every sentence started with “In these uncertain times”?) The Innovation Press decided to delay the book for a year, which made perfect sense as absolutely no one knew what was coming at us.

How well Uncertain Times, all caps, fits the Pandemic. Was it hard to wait for the publishing train for A Poem Grows Inside You to get back on track?

It was hard to wait, but also everything was hard and I was very busy doing things like buying too much spaghetti squash because what if the stores ran out of spaghetti squash. And it gave me a long time to think, and to experiment with different mediums. And without that time, I doubt I would have discovered the process I used for this book. Above is an early style guide I made once I decided on a medium, to show the publisher the technique I had in mind and the character design. We made a few tweaks, including the color of the raincoat.

I notice your thumbnails in the above image. Is that how you start the illustration process for a picture book?

For me, everything starts with thumbnails, which is probably the hardest part of the process--lots of talking to myself and tugging on my hair and making cups of tea I never finish. But once they are done, I feel like I have a roadmap to follow. I get lost really easily, so I love maps. Now, for that technique I mentioned. I really don’t know if I would have discovered this without the pandemic keeping us all at home and giving me so much time to experiment. I would trade not knowing this for COVID never having happened, but here we are.

What's the technique? Do tell!

It starts with sanded paper--the kind usually used for pastels. I am not a pastel artist, so I can’t even remember where I got it. It’s literally sandpaper, very fine white sand glued to a paper backing. When I painted on it with acrylic gouache, it would behave like watercolor or gouache depending on how much water I added, and going over that with colored pencils created a rich, bold line and a texture I fell in love with.

It is a gorgeous technique!

So once you got the thumbnails sketched out, the character designed, and the technique chosen, how did you begin putting the book all together?

Some books start with the cover, and with others the cover comes last. It all depends on the publisher and their marketing schedules. This book came cover-first, and I decided to paint the background and character separately so things could be tweaked and nudged in photoshop. I have done this for all my book covers so far. You really get the benefit and security of working in layers while still using traditional media. Above are a few more process-images.

Did you enjoy illustrating Katey Howe's lyrical words?

I really loved painting this book! Katey’s words are just wonderful and I would find her phrases repeating in my head as I painted various spreads. And the Innovation Press has been such a fantastic publisher to work with, with great taste in books I might add!

The making of beautiful picture books like A Poem Grows Inside You is a collaborative effort to be sure! And now it's out in the world!

It's wonderful. and I hope many creatives, young and old alike, will enjoy reading it and sharing it with others as much as I did illustrating it!

I'm sure they will!

Heather Brockman Lee grew up lost in her imagination, and has been an artist ever since. After spending her childhood underfoot in her father’s painting studio and earning a BA in Fine Art, Heather worked in several design industries including glass art and textiles. She has since shown her fine art in galleries, shows, and publications. She fell in love with visual storytelling while reading to her children and embraced children’s illustration as an invaluable opportunity to use her passion and skills to make a positive impact on the world. If you can’t find Heather at the drawing table or on her iPad, you will find her spending time with her family and dog, hiking the beautiful Rocky Mountain foothills near her home in Colorado, or hanging out with the bees in her garden. Learn more about her at heatherbrockmanlee.com

There's something wonderful inside you. It's waiting for the rhythm of the rainfall, the courage of the sun. It's there in the dark, ready to root, to grow, to sprout, to bloom. Written by Katey Howes, illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee, and published by The Innovation Press, A Poem Grows Inside You is sure to encourage creatives of all ages to nurture their talents and boldly share them with the world.

Purchase your copy today!

Heather's interview is based on a post first published on her blog, Paper View. Images are used with Heather and her publisher's permission.

Introducing Elliott Smith, Author of 50+ WFH Kidlit Projects

1/19/2023

©2023 Subi Bosa, subibosa.net. Used with permission from Lerner Publishing Group,

Welcome, Elliott!

So glad you stopped by! Do tell, how did you find your way into becoming a work-for-hire author for kids?

I kind of stumbled into becoming a WFH author. As a freelance writer, I was always looking for new work/clients and in late 2018, I saw on Twitter a call by Capstone for authors of color to work on children’s books. I reached out and got started with a six-book series on extreme sports, and things just took off from there.

That's cool! What do you love about working with your editors when developing a new series like the ones you've done for Capstone, and now, your latest Bo at the Buzz books being published by Lerner?

The editors that I’ve worked with have been great because they’ve always given me the latitude to come up with my own ideas or inclusions. This was true in the Bo series as well. The idea for the Bo series was developed by the librarian Cecily Lewis, who created the Read Woke program and book line. They had a skeleton of what they wanted to do with the series but left it up to me to flesh out the characters and come up with the storylines. You kind of have a whole world to play with, so it was fun to put our hero into these different situations.

Do tell a little more about your hero, Bo, and the challenges he overcomes.

The great thing about Bo is that he’s just a regular kid, living life in the city with his friends and grandpa. One of the ideas around the series was to showcase the idea of “Black joy,” meaning that these characters weren’t constantly dealing with serious trauma or life-altering drama. That’s not the only way that we can present Black youth, you know? Bo is like any other kid--he’s enjoying life while also learning some valuable lessons as he deals with issues that a lot of children can identify with.

I totally get that! Did you have fun bringing Bo's adventures to life throughout your first six books?

I did have fun writing these Bo books because the themes are universal. Who hasn’t worried about public speaking or writing a poem? Who hasn’t discovered that maybe you’re not as good as you thought at one thing but find your path down another road? Who hasn’t told a small lie that isn’t quite so small? Bo’s a curious kid, and fortunately, he’s got a lot of voices in his life from the unique customers who come to his grandfather’s barber shop, The Buzz.

Love that setting!

©2023 Subi Bosa, subibosa.net. Used with permission from Lerner Publishing Group,

From one WFH author to another, I must ask: How did you juggle writing SIX titles for the Bo at the Buzz series, all releasing in 2023!? (And don't you also have other upcoming projects being released this year by Lerner and Capstone as well?)

That’s a good question! I think for the Bo series, we had gone through a process of outlining the books and coming up with some solid storylines, so once those were set, it was easy to write them. As far as my other books, I guess I consider myself to be a fast writer, so once I get into a groove, I’m able to really get productive. I consider that a remnant of my time as a newspaper reporter when I had to produce accurate, informative copy on a tight deadline.

Handy ability when deadlines are looming! So, when you received your Bo at the Buzz author copies, what did you love about the final product? Anything about Subi Bosa's illustrations make you smile?

I thought the final product was great! I love the barber pole alongside the spine of the book! And Subi’s artwork is both colorful and warm. I thought he did a fantastic job of bringing Bo, his friends, and Pop-Pop to life. As someone who can’t draw a lick, I’m always amazed at the awesome work the illustrators do for my books.

Me too! So why do you hope all kinds of kids learning to read will pick up these books and tag along with Bo as he navigates his young world?

My belief is that reading should be fun, and I hope that all kids see these books and realize these are not only fun stories but also ones that feel familiar and relatable to their own lives in some way. I’m really excited that Bo is out in the world and I hope kids have as much fun reading the books as I did writing them.

I'm sure they will! Well, thanks so much Elliott for stopping by. Looking forward to seeing many more of your books on the shelves. They're always a delight to read.

No problem. Happy to be here!

Before signing off, I'd like to encourage everyone to learn more about Bo at the Buzz and to purchase copies, suitable for any classroom with early readers, HERE.

Elliott Smith has been writing stories ever since he was a kid. That led to his first career as a sports reporter. Now, Elliott has written more than 50 children’s books, both fiction and nonfiction. He lives just outside of Washington, DC with his wife and their two teenaged children. Elliott loves watching movies, playing basketball with his kids and adding to his collection of Pittsburgh Steelers memorabilia. He’s now working on his first screenplay. Find Elliott's portfolio HERE.

THE 24/7s: 7 Kidlit Authors w/ MGs Debuting in 2024

12/24/2022

I'm super excited to share that I'm a member of THE 24/7s--a group of seven kidlit authors with middle-grade novels debuting in 2024!

I wouldn't call us a debut group, per se. All of us have had something traditionally published already. Some have written novellas, young-adult books, picture books, and work-for-hire projects. We've published poems, nonfiction articles, and fictional stories in children's magazines. But we are all debut authors in this sense: none of us have published middle-grade novels that are projects of the heart before.

My debut middle-grade novel, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, will be forthcoming from Margaret Ferguson Books, an imprint of Holiday House, in 2024. It's set in a thriving Black Southern community during the Jim Crow era. My main character, Allie, wants more than anything to have an unbroken life, and so she devises a Man-for-Mama Plan, a scheme to find her Mama a good man to marry. And so, with her Daddy Map in one hand and a jar of chicken and dumplings in the other, she sets on a quest within her neighborhood to locate the perfect fix-it-man–one who kind-smiles, who knows how to sing, and who loves her mama’s chicken and dumplings.

Throughout 2023, 2024, and beyond, THE 24/7s will be posting interviews, doing cover reveals, hosting book launches and giveaways, and celebrating when our books receive any kidlit kudos. I'm super excited I won't have to be launching my book alone, and hope you'll hop on over to our website to get to know about all seven of us and to learn about our books. I already have an interview posted. Check it out HERE!

Welcome, Yaroslava Apollonova, Kidlit Creator

11/8/2022

(c) Yaroslava Apollonova, odnatamyara.com

Yaroslava Apollonova
Member of Kelly Dyksterhouse's Kidlit Crew

How did you find your way to becoming a kidlit creator?

I’ve always been keen to illustrate children books. Book sections at stores have always been my favorite places--spending hours by! I've been drawing and illustrating literally half my life, since I was 12-years-old. (I'm 24 now.) Also, when I was 12, my sister was born, which was very inspiring to me. I wanted her to hold a book that I had illustrated! Though she’s 13 now, and not interested in picture books anymore--yet still!

I'm sure your sister will find it pretty cool when she does hold your first traditionally published picture book! So what do you love about writing and illustrating for young readers?

I really enjoy drawing kids, cute things, and fun scenes with lots of objects, basically all those things are portrayed in picture books, so if one niche fits everything I love, then why not, right?

Makes sense to me! I notice, your illustrative style hints of geometric shapes. What about that style attracts you? Would you call it cubism?

All my artistic life I've loved experimenting and challenging myself, so geometry and forms have been something that keeps my brain working, if I can say so. Actually, I think what really had a huge influence on me was taking geometry in school. It was my favorite class. (I was a “know-it-all" annoying student back then. (HaHa!))

I love simplifying things, adding shapes and pushing forms.

I wouldn’t name my style "cubism" or anything else. To me, my style doesn’t seem to fit into those “artistic” styles represented in art galleries and museums. I would actually love to see more work by contemporary artists in galleries and solo exhibitions!

What types of books would you like to work on?

I would love to work on recipe and cook books! I looove baking, if not drawing I’d definitely be a cook or baker. Haha! That’s always been my dream to illustrate my own recipe book!
Besides that I’d love to work on any exciting project with interesting narrative story about friendship, parenthood, mental health, or childhood, in general. (I especially love stories with deep physiology meanings.)

How did you and Kelly find each other and why are you glad?

I was looking for an agent for months, had so many declines, even started thinking something is wrong with my art. Originally, I had queried a different agent at Tobias Literary. Though she didn't offer me representation, she was kind enough to forward my inquiry to Kelly! Kelly was the only one who believed in me! She even seemed happy to sign the contract with me!

So far we have had great conversations. I can ask her anything that bothers me, and we've already begun working on very nice project that I’m very excited about! Working with Kelly feels like a win win for both a us!

Yaroslava Apollonova is a freelance illustrator and lettering artist based in Budapest, Hungary, and she cannot sleep knowing there are sweets left in her kitchen.
She creates her illustrations for a wide range of clients, from packaging and character designs to children's books and stickers. Currently, she concentrates on kidlit illustrations and projects. Her artworks are always based on geometry, simple forms, unique combinations of textures and colors. She loves using soft color palettes and finding fascinating ways to reveal the story. Find Yara online at odnatamyara.com and on Behance HERE. Yara is rep'd by Kelly Dyksterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency.

Welcoming Kidlit Creator Caroline McPherson

11/7/2022

(c) Caroline McPherson, eiderduckillustration.com

Caroline McPherson,
Member of Kelly Dyksterhouse's Kidlit Crew

What do you love about creating art for children’s books?

I am asked this question quite often. Honestly, it’s the magic of it. I am very much drawn to fairytales and traditional storybook concepts, as who wouldn’t want an excuse to immerse themselves in a world where rabbits run around with pocket watches, or where crocodiles tick, or where partially clothed bears eat honey at every mealtime! The world can feel a bit devoid of magic and imagination at times and so it’s great to escape into an illustrated story and pretend like that’s the norm for a while.

So true, this! Anything else you love about being a member of the kidlit industry?

I also love how there is so much variety in children’s book illustration with so many amazing artists to learn and be inspired from. I am always working to improve my illustration skills and my story-telling abilities and to have such a wealth of expertise and skill available to draw upon is quite inspirational. You can’t help wanting to get better at what you do when you see how much amazing work others have achieved!

Children’s book illustrators are generally a really good bunch of people too!

That does seem to be a general rule! So, why do you love drawing animals?

I’ve been blessed with a wonderful career working very closely with animals of all species. I’ve worked in a veterinarian clinic, in animal hospitals, and at wildlife parks. I've raised both kittens and kangaroos (separately of course), health-checked an array of animals from puppies to polar bears, assisted in theatre with canine hip replacements, anaesthetized sea turtles, nebulized snakes and rescued orphaned seal pups from freezing cold beaches. And I’ve spent hour upon hour monitoring and recording the various physiological and psychological parameters of animal patients. All this work with animals has given me a fairly unique insight into animals and their behaviors. As a veterinary nurse, for example, it’s your job to observe animals to determine if they are sad, apprehensive, happy and/or content. Animal characterization is now second nature to me.

Besides, I love animals, all animals, and I love capturing their individual personalities in my illustrations, and if that’s whilst they drink a cup of hot cocoa in a forest clearing with their woodland pals--then all the better!

(c) Caroline McPherson, eiderduckillustration.com

What kinds of books do you hope to write and/or illustrate?

I love a classic storybook. It doesn’t have to be an old classic just one that exudes quality and a heartfelt message. A book which you pick up and from just the title and that first glimpse of art on the cover you know that its going to be exceptional. Any book where each turn of the page feels like a real treat is one to be treasured I think. I have lots of books like that on my bookshelf and they make me smile each and every time I pull one of them down to admire. I aspire to one day create a book like that. One I can be really proud of and hopefully that others will love as much as I do.

I also love a good rhyming text as I feel the melody of rhyme can really add to the magical feel I am always looking for in a picture book. I like books that create a feeling of atmosphere, and those centered around a specific idea or event. I’m a fanatic for winter holidays and so festive books with all of their fairy-lit imagery are instant winners with me, and of course, I'm sold with anything with woodland animals in a forest setting!

How did you and Kelly find each other?

Kelly and I found each other through Instagram. Kelly came across an illustration of mine that caught her eye, which in turn directed her to my Instagram account and then to my website and portfolio page. She reached out to me shortly thereafter and we started chatting about representation and author-illustrated work. I liked Kelly from the offset and felt a great sense of confidence in her knowledge and love of children's writing and picture books. Joining her team at Tobias Literary felt like a very natural thing to do and I am grateful that our paths crossed when they did!

Thanks so much, Caroline, for sharing a little bit about your kidlit journey so far. I can't wait to hold one of your illustrated books in my hand!

It's been a delight to be here!

Caroline McPherson is a British-Australian illustrator whose love of animals, nature and classical picture books shines through her illustrative works, as she combines both analog and digital mediums to create her distinctively soft and textured style. Pastel, crayon and hand rendered textures are her favorite tools and charming animal characters and little round birds her favorite subject matter. When not scribbling away at her desk, Caroline can often be found in the rainforest near her home, looking for pademelons and collecting interesting textures for future art projects. Find Caroline and examples of her joyful work on Instagram and on her website at eiderduckillustration.com. She is represented by Kelly Dyksterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency.

Interview: Andrea Beatriz Arango, MG Novel-In-Verse Author

9/22/2022

An Interview

Andrea Beatriz Arango:
Author of IVELIZ EXPLAINS IT ALL

Welcome, Andrea! Thanks so much for stopping by! I really enjoyed hearing you read from your middle-grade novel-in-verse IVELIZ EXPLAINS IT ALL during your recent book launch. I see voicing audio books in your future!

Haha! Thanks! I do love to bring my characters to life that way.

I could tell. So, what inspired you to write IVELIZ EXPLAINS IT ALL, and why did you choose the novel-in-verse format?

I wanted to write a book that dealt with mental health in the Latinx community, because I think the shame and stigma associated with therapy & meds for kids is a huge problem that the pandemic has made even worse. I wanted to write it in verse because I'm used to working with students reading below grade level, and I wanted them to be able to access the story too.

What did you love about working with your editor, and why do you believe the editorial process helped make your book a stronger one?

I picked my editor because she truly championed my book from the start. I could tell she deeply understood the story I was trying to tell. Additionally, her ideas for making the story better aligned with how I saw the book improving. I also think it's helpful to get other eyes on my writing, because sometimes while I'm writing I'm thinking about things that I don't necessarily put on the page. And so having my editor tell me what she needed more of allowed me to zero in on the sections of my book that needed to be fleshed out.

Pattern art by Alyssa Bermudez used with permission, alyssabermudezart.com

The editor-author partnership can be a wonderful one that produces wonderful books! While I'm sure you're proud of the starred review your book has received from Kirkus, what type of reviews do you value even more, and why?

I love hearing about actual kids reading the book! Someone posted a review talking about how their kid made notes in the margins because they loved IVELIZ so much and it honestly made my whole day. I wrote the book for middle schoolers and so it's their opinions that matter to me the most.

That's totally understandable! I hear you have another middle-grade novel-in-verse on the way. Please tell us more! What's it about, and how is it similar or different from IVELIZ?

I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say yet, but it's called THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND HOME and it's about a Puerto Rican sixth-grade girl who has to go live with her aunt, who she's never really had a relationship with before. It's a quieter book than IVELIZ, but I think it definitely shares themes of family dynamics, friendship, and mental health. It doesn't come out until next fall, but hopefully I'll be able to share a cover come early 2023.

Wow! That sounds like a great read, too! I'm already looking forward to it being released!

Thanks, Dionna! I really enjoyed writing it, and I've enjoyed being here.

Thank YOU for coming by and to share a little bit about your kidlit journey. I won't be surprised if IVELIZ will soon be included on many 2022 best books of the year lists!

Random House, 2022

PUBLISHERS' BLURB:
Seventh grade is going to be Iveliz’s year. She’s going to make a new friend, help her abuela Mimi get settled after moving from Puerto Rico, and she is not going to get into any more trouble at school.

Except... is that what happens? Of course not. Because no matter how hard Iveliz tries, sometimes people say things that just make her so mad. And worse, Mimi keeps saying Iveliz’s medicine is unnecessary—even though it helps Iveliz feel less sad. But how do you explain your feelings to others when you’re not even sure what’s going on yourself?

Powerful and compassionate, Andrea Beatriz Arango’s debut with inside art by Alyssa Bermudez, navigates mental health, finding your voice, and discovering that those who really love you will stay by your side.

Andrea, born and raised in Puerto Rico, is a former public school teacher with almost a decade of teaching experience under her belt. She now writes the types of children’s books she wishes her students had more access to. She balances her life in Virginia with trips home to see her family, and eats lots of tostones de pana. More about Andrea HERE.

UPDATE:
Iveliz Explains It All was selected as a 2023 Newbery Honor Award Winner, A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year & a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults! Congrats, Andrea!!!

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