Announcing the 17th Class of 28 Days Later Honorees
The Brown Bookshelf
by Kelly Starling Lyons
1M ago
Happy 2024, Friends! We were on hiatus most of last year. Happy to be back celebrating outstanding Black children’s book creators. This time, we’re doing something new. We’re collaborating with our Amplify Black Stories fellows to salute their work and give you an update on the members of The Brown Bookshelf team. Not familiar with Amplify Black Stories? It was an amazing 2021 initiative co-sponsored by The Brown Bookshelf and The Highlights Foundation that offered a year-long program to empower two dozen published Black children’s book creators with classes, community, resources and more ..read more
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Cover Reveal: Jerry Changed The Game! How Engineer Jerry Lawson Revolutionized Video Games Forever
The Brown Bookshelf
by Don Tate
1y ago
Two years ago on social networks, librarian Elizabeth Bird suggested that someone write a biography on Jerry Lawson—the self-taught engineer known as the “father of modern video gaming.” Back in the 70s, Lawson successfully lead the team of engineers who developed the first interchangeable video game cartridge (recently featured on Google). I hadn’t heard of him, and I was surprised that his story hadn’t already been told. Game on!—I started researching that very same day. Months later, the story sold to Catherine Laudone at Simon & Schuster. At that time, I wanted to devote more time to ..read more
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The Future of 28 Days Later
The Brown Bookshelf
by Paula Chase Hyman
1y ago
When The Brown Bookshelf launched 28 Days Later in 2007, our goals were simple – honor Black children’s literature creatives who blazed trails in publishing and highlight Black children’s lit creatives who were not getting a significant level of recognition and promotional support for their works. We’ve accomplished those goals year after year and are proud that 28 Days Later has the special honor of featuring individuals who have blessed children’s literature with classics, as well as those who have picked up the baton and broken new ground with new storytelling styles and topics. Over the la ..read more
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The Season of Black Boy Books – Best of 2022
The Brown Bookshelf
by Kelly Starling Lyons
1y ago
Looking for outstanding children’s books featuring Black boys? Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati has you covered. Check out her guest post and list. From board books to young adult novels, she gives us wonderful titles by Black authors to read and share.   By Vanesse J. Lloyd-Sgambati, Founder of The African American Children’s Project   In 2022, books that featured Black boys and young men rose to the top of the shelf. In the words of Lizzo,“It’s About Time!”   For the past several years, books with Black female lead characters dominated the children’s diverse book industry. Finally, the ..read more
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Tameka Fryer Brown is Not Done Yet (And I’m So Glad)
The Brown Bookshelf
by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
1y ago
Award-winning picture book author and BBS fam Tameka Fryer Brown is well known for her lyrical and spare but gorgeously poetic prose. From her early Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day and My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood, to the more recent Brown Baby Lullaby and Twelve Dinging Doorbells, Tameka’s words are truly music to our ears, her stories sing a uniquely powerful song. Her latest release, NOT DONE YET: Shirley Chisholm’s Fight for Change, illustrated by Nina Crews, is no exception, called “a perfect introduction to young readers everywhere” by Kirkus in a starred review. It was an honour ..read more
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Something Very Special
The Brown Bookshelf
by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
1y ago
Today, the Brown Bookshelf is thrilled to celebrate the release of Desiree Cooper’s NOTHING SPECIAL, her picture book debut! “Nothing Special is…about a Detroit boy named Jax, who travels to Virginia to spend time with his grandparents. He thinks he’s going to do all the city things he loves, but his PopPop has other ideas,” she writes. “An evocative picture book celebrating simple pleasures and family ties.” — Booklist, starred review In this post, she shares the poignant stories of the development of Nothing Special, and the real people who inspired it: In NOTHING SPECIAL:  “Jax disc ..read more
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Why Juneteenth Matters
The Brown Bookshelf
by Kelly Starling Lyons
1y ago
Last year, our friend Torrey Maldonado came up with a great idea – helping kids understand what Juneteenth means by sharing the reflections of Black children’s book creators. We’re thrilled that he’s back showcasing even more voices. The first federal holiday created since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery. It marks the date when General Gordon Granger arrived with the Union Army to enforce that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were free – June 19, 1865 – 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Around the country, people will honor Junet ..read more
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Day 1: Nikkolas Smith
The Brown Bookshelf
by Don Tate
2y ago
Photo credit: Vanessa Crocini On this first day of Black History Month 2022, we are excited to kick off our 28 Days Later campaign by highlighting the supremely talented Nikkolas Smith. This Houstin, Texas, native has designed theme parks at Walt Disney Imagineering, and is now an ARTivist, concept artist, children’s books author, film illustrator and movie poster designer. Smith is the author/illustrator of the picture books The Golden Girls of Rio, (Sky Pony, 2016); My Hair Is Poofy And That’s Okay; and World Cup Women, (Sky Pony, 201) . The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, (Kokila, 202 ..read more
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Congratulations to the 15th Class of 28 Days Later Honorees!
The Brown Bookshelf
by Kelly Starling Lyons
2y ago
It’s our favorite time of year! We are proud to announce the honorees of our 15th annual 28 Days Later campaign, a Black History Month celebration of outstanding Black children’s book creators. Each day during February, we will showcase an author or illustrator whose work reflects parts of who we are. It’s more important than ever to raise awareness and support books by children’s book creators from around the African Diaspora. Each year, more books are traditionally published about us than by us. That has to change.  Our mission is to raise awareness of the many Black voices writing for ..read more
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Generations Book Club: Let’s Celebrate Food, Family, and Culture
The Brown Bookshelf
by Don Tate
2y ago
I live in Austin, Texas; my family is spread out all over the country. Due to Covid-19, it’s been two long years since we’ve been able to gather. I miss family reunion barbecues and soul food Sundays. I miss family Kwanzaa celebrations observed during the week following Christmas. And I miss the feasts my mother-in-law prepared on New Years Day which always included black-eyed peas and rice—a dish that symbolized luck. Lovingly prepared food was the center or our family celebrations.  Generations Book Club kicks off 2022 with books that celebrate food, family and African American traditio ..read more
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