Renee Watson

Renee Watson

• She is a #1 New York Times Best Selling author, over 1 million copies have been sold!

• Many of her books are inspired by her own experiences growing up as a black girl in the Pacific Northwest of Portland, Oregon. 

• Her children's books and teen novels explore themes of home, identity, body image, race, class, and gender. 

• She loves to use her work to help children cope with trauma and social issues, like the nonprofit she founded, i, too arts collective. I, too arts collective hosts poetry workshops for youth and literary events for the community. 

• The Highlights Foundation has established the Renee Watson Cottage on its campus where children's authors and illustrators can feel inspired to create and reflect. 

• She even facilitated poetry workshops in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina!