Authors in Schools 2022
Jerry Craft
JERRY CRAFT is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the graphic novels New Kid and Class Act. New Kid is the only book in history to win the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature (2020); the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature (2019), and the Coretta Scott King Author Award for the most outstanding work by an African American writer (2020). Jerry was born in Harlem and grew up in the Washington Heights section of New York City. (Excerpt from the Unbound Book Festival)
Register to attend using your CPS email address:
April 22nd, 10:00 AM Virtual Elementary session: cpsk1https://2.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HP9vJiv5Rk-9EB9hswKcNQ (questions for Jerry posted at this link.)
April 22nd, 1:00 PM Virtual Secondary session:
https://cpsk12.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_appXrr7UQHOdRre7vke_ZA (questions for Jerry posted at this link).
Minh Le
MINH LE is the author of Drawn Together (winner of the 2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature) illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat, Let Me Finish! (named an NPR Best Book of 2016) illustrated by Isabel Roxas, and The Perfect Seat illustrated by Gus Gordon (all published by Disney-Hyperion). He is currently writing Green Lantern: Legacy, a middle grade graphic novel (illustrated by Andie Tong) for DC Comics. In addition to writing books, he has written for a variety of publications, including the New York Times, The Horn Book, NPR, and HuffPost. (Excerpt from the Unbound Book Festival)
April 22nd, 8:30 AM: Beulah Ralph Elementary (K-2)
April 22nd, 11:15: Paxton Keeley Elementary (K-1)
April 22nd, 1:00: Battle Elementary (K-1)
Malaka Gharib
Malaka Gharib is an artist and a journalist based in Washington, D.C. She is the author of "I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir," about being first-generation Filipino Egyptian American. She is a writer and editor on NPR's science desk, reporting on global health and development topics such as humanitarian aid and gender and income inequality.
She also writes for NPR on her experience as the child of immigrants, from talking to her Filipino mom about mental health to hosting an Eid feast for her Muslim father. She is the founder of the D.C. Art Book Fair and The Runcible Spoon, a zine about food and fantasy. (Excerpt from the Unbound Book Festival)
April 22nd, 9:15: Gentry Middle School
April 22nd, 1:30: Rock Bridge High School
Shanthi Sekaran
Shanthi Sekaran is a novelist and television writer. She most recently made her middle grade debut with The Samosa Rebellion (2021, Harper Kids), an Amazon Editor's Pick for readers aged 9-13. Her most recent adult novel, Lucky Boy, was named an Indie Next Great Read, an Amazon Editor's Pick and a Best Book of 2017 by NPR, Barnes & Noble, Library Journal and the San Francisco Chronicle. She recently left a teaching career to join the writers' room of the acclaimed NBC medical drama, "New Amsterdam". She lives in Berkeley, California with her family and a cat named Frog. (Excerpt from the Unbound Book Festival)
April 22nd, 1:15 and 2:30: Alpha Hart Lewis Elementary
April 22nd, 11:10 & 2:30: Hickman High School
Andrea Williams
Andrea Williams is an author and journalist living in Nashville, Tennessee. Her recent publications include Baseball’s Leading Lady: Effa Manley and the Rise and Fall of the Negro Leagues and the New York Times bestseller We Are Family, co-written with NBA superstar LeBron James. As a journalist, Andrea’s work has appeared in the New York Times, Vulture/New York Magazine, Billboard, Mother Jones, and a host of other publications. Before turning to writing full-time, she worked in the marketing department of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. (Excerpt from the Unbound Book Festival)
April 22nd, 1:15 and 2:30: Alpha Hart Lewis Elementary
Attend the Unbound Book Festival on April 20th and see all of the authors speak for free! (http://www.unboundbookfestival.com/.)
The Authors in Schools program is underwritten by the Unbound Book Festival, The Assistance League of Mid-Missouri, and a Columbia Public Schools Foundation grant. Questions? Excitement?! Contact Kerry Townsend (ktownsend@cpsk12.org).