Read more about this author’s publishing journey here:


Read more about this author’s publishing journey here:


Day 7 is Marti Dumas, author of Secret Society of Rebel Girls. More information about this author can be found here:


Robert Liu-Trujillo, author of Fresh Juice, is the Day 6 featured author. More about Robert Liu-Trujillo can be found here.


Bryan Collier, award winning illustrator celebrated his birthday Jan. 31 He has illustrated several books. I bought his first illustrated book Uptown years ago at an ALA conference. The publisher rep told me he was an up and coming illustrator. She was right. My students loved the book and I have bought many of his books since then!
Information about him can be found at these two sites: Simon and Schuster and Penguin Random House





Julius Lester, children’s and adult author, was born January 27. He passed away in 2018. More information about Julius Lester can be found here:




Born January 24, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was was an Afro-Puerto Rican historian who moved to the United States and spent his life collecting materials demonstrating the accomplishments of the African diaspora and the scope of Black history.
His book: The Negro: A Selected Bibliography
Biography 1: Diasporic Blackness The Life and Times of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg by Vanessa K. Valdes
Biography 2: Arturo Alfonso Schomburg by Elinor Des Verney Sinnette
Biography 3 (A children’s book): Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Eric Velasquez.
2020 Author Winner: New Kid by Jerry Craft
2020 Illustrator Award Winner: The Undefeated; illustrated by Kadir Nelson
2020 John Steptoe New Talent Author Award Winner: Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
2020 John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner: What is Given From the Heart; illustrated by April Harrison