Shout Outs!
2022
April
- Jane Addams Peace Association Children’s Book Award Ceremony.
- Speaking at the South Shore Stars benefit luncheon (2/5) for the preschool literacy programs. The event is at the Alma Nove restaurant in Hingham (MA).
March
- Story writing workshop with eight and up. Lincoln (MA) Public Library’s Tales from the Twisted Tree writing project (10:30 AM).
February
- Speaking at the Canton (MA) Public Library, (2/28) at 7 PM, on “Black History and Book Banning.
- Direct Federal Credit Union’s Diversity & Inclusion Author Series (2/26). Black History Month in a Virtual Story Time with author Ray Anthony Shepard. DFCU is donating 50 copies of Runaway to local families.
- Encore of WCVB Chronicle interview discussing Runaway.
- Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge was named a Notable Book by the Association for Library Services to Children.
- Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge was named a 2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People.
January
- Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge was named a Jane Addams Peace Association Honor Book.
2021
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.
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.
- Interview of literacy and Black Boys and Young Men www.weareherelit.org.
December
- Jane Addams Peace Association listed Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judges as a finalist for the Jane Addams Award.
2020
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.
Ray Anthony Shepard is available for appearances & events.
Contact him to learn more about speaking engagements.
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