Shout Outs!

September

• Harvard-affiliated authors’ welcome-back reception at the Harvard Coop (Cambridge, MA), September 10, 3:00 to 5:30 p.m.

October

• Concord Festival of Authors, Saturday, October 16, 10 a.m. A virtual book discussion of Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge, and how to talk to help children understand colonial-era slavery without shame or guilt. Ray will be in conversation with Nikki Tupin, educator and program director of the Robbins House, an 18th-century house formerly inhabited by the first-generation descendants of enslaved African American Revolutionary War veteran Caesar Robbins.

December

• Essay “Old Stories Made New” appeared in Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep: 50 Award-Winning Children’s Book Authors Share the Secret of Engaging Writing. Edited by Melissa Stewart and published by NCTE. In the essay, I give examples from Runaway to show how I achieve my goal of writing biographies of Black subjects for all young readers.
• Essay “Black Lives/Young /Readers” appeared in Biographers International Organization newsletter, The Biographer’s Craft.
• Prepublication announcement for Runaway The Daring Escape of Ona Judge in Harvard Magazine.

January

• Publication of Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge.
• Book launch at Silver Unicorn Books, Acton, MA.
• Runaway Reviews:
  • “A stunning picture book debut.”—Starred review Publisher’s Weekly.
  • “With a distinctive, haunting voice, powerful images, and thought-provoking story structure, this unique look at a remarkable young woman’s life choices and decisions offers an utterly necessary but seldom highlighted perspective on the contradictions within our society’s foundations.” Starred review Kirkus.
  • “A moving complement to Dunbar’s Never Caught.” Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books.
  • “A fine addition to all collections.” Booklist.
• Book Launch of Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep at the Writer’s Barn, Austin, TX.
• Boston Globe article about Runaway, “New England Literary News.”
• Author interview on NET Radio, Nebraska’s NPR station.

February

• Book Talk at Brook Academy, North Andover, MA.
• Black History address at Harte-Hanks Corporation’s Town Hall.
• Author visit and reading of Runaway at P.S. 10 (Brooklyn, NY) with first graders.

March

• Book Talk, Lincoln Free Library, Lincoln, MA.
• Book Talk/Study (three sessions) with Lincoln middle-grade students and parents, sponsored by First Parish of Lincoln.
• Massachusetts School Librarian Conference panel on writing nonfiction for young readers.
• Author visit with fifth-graders at the Healy School, Somerville, MA.
• Panel discussion, Racial Consciousness through Storytelling, New York Association of Black Psychologists, Black History event.

April

• Author interview for Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb.
• Three-day professional development on teaching and writing nonfiction with elementary students in Florida’s Read with Me! project.
• Book Talk/Author interview on Dream Gardens podcast: Talking Up the Children’s Books We Love.
• Book Talk with Communities Organizing Against Racism COAR of Concord, Carlisle, and Boston.
• Author visit with eighth-graders at Evansville (IL) Plaza Park International Prep Academy.

May

• Biographers International Group conference, chairing a roundtable discussion on writing biographies for young readers.