It’s Here! My 5th Book Is Out In The World Today!
Y’all… It’s launch day! My FIFTH book is officially out in the world. 🙌🏾🥹 Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name is here! And I’m feeling ALL the feelings. Joy. Pride. Nerves. Gratitude. Because this one? This one is very special to me. 🥰 This is the story of a little girl …
For Those Who Don’t Aspire To Be Humble
So… we need to talk about this RAGGEDY narrative that women need to be humble, because I’m tired of it. Actually, it’s not just a narrative, but an obsession that people have to ensure that girls and women are “humble” as if the day we were born, that was the …
Download Free Little Troublemaker Activity Sheets for the Babies
One thing I’ve been doing lately is arts and crafts. I’ve been coloring, doing puzzles and basically getting back to the playful version of me who simply needs to escape the madness of the world. Sooo it was important for me to do something additional to accompany my latest book …
Love libraries? Here’s How To Support Them And Me For National Library Week
It’s National Library Week, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE libraries! In a library is where I got my first ever email address (shoutout to Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago). And the work that librarians do is thankless! I’ve keynoted both the American Library Association AND the Public Library Association’s …
I Used To HATE the First Days of School
I used to HATE first days of school. 😩😩😩 Even though I’m chronically late, I would arrive a WHOLE HOUR early to go to all my classes early, and introduce myself to all my teachers. Why? Because I needed to tell them how to pronounce my name before they butchered …
Help Us Get 10,000 Copies of Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name into Classrooms
Imagine a world where every child feels SEEN, HEARD, and CELEBRATED exactly as they are. That’s the world we’re trying to build with my next children’s book, Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name. 📘 💖 This book isn’t just pages and pictures; it’s a love letter to every kid who’s ever …
When You Can’t Trust A Room With Your Name: Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name
What happens when your name becomes a reason you have to stand up for yourself? Many of us grew up with names that teachers mispronounced and kids teased. When I was nine years old, we moved to the United States, and when I was pushed into this classroom to introduce …
Join Me and Girl Scouts River Valley for a RISING TROUBLEMAKER Book Club Event
It is a dream come true to partner with the Girl Scouts River Valley, and this event thrills me cuz I get to bring my book for teens, RISING TROUBLEMAKER, to thousands of girls across the country for a virtual book club on May 15, 2025, from 7 – 8pm …
A List of Over 200 Black-Owned Bookstores in the United States
While big-box retailers and online giants make book-buying convenient, independent bookstores, especially Black-owned ones, offer something far more meaningful: a commitment to culture, diversity, and the power of storytelling. And as a 4-time New York times bestselling author myself, I value the work and support of Black-owned bookstores. They keep …
History is Written in Ink: How Books Disrupt for the Greater Good
Books have always been weapons of mass disruption. Books have sparked movements, shifted mindsets, and planted seeds of transformation. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin played a critical role in shining a new light on slavery in America. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart told the story of colonialism’s impact from …