Today I received some good news. Kimani Tru Publishing Company has eleven books that appear on the YALSA 2010 Quick Pick List for Reluctant Readers. This is wonderful news for Kimani Tru Editor, Glenda Howard who has worked very hard since 2007 to fill the void in African-American fiction for young adults. I am particularily happy for author Earl Sewell who has two of his books, "Lesson Learned" and "Decision Time" appear on this list for the first time.
I've worked with Sewell indirectly for the last two years by having him serve as a workshop presenter for the Mayor Daley's Book Club Spring Conference. I've always found him to be professional, knowledgable and entertaining for pre-teen and teen audiences. Last Christmas, Sewell visited one of my Mayor Daley's Book Club - Middle School chapters in Chicago. The kids listened to a dramatic reading from the book, asked questions (some of them quite deep!) and had their books signed by Sewell.
My hat also goes off to Kimani Tru's Monica McKayhan, "Deal With It" and Felicia Pride, "Patterson Heights," whose books also appear on the list. Newcomers, Babygirl Daniels and Ni-Ni Simone's books made the list and represent the 'light side' of Urban Fiction.
I think the future is quite bright for Urban Fiction and it looks like there's much more to come. Bye for now!
From left to right:
Miisha Smith, K.C. Boyd, Earl Sewell, Kim Cox-Gray and Melva Bryant-Sammuels
Kimani Tru Publishing Homepage - http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?cid=590.
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