An important part of what I do as a children's book author is participating in Community Engagement events that support literacy for young readers. I love to attend book fairs, especially those that focus on boosting reading skills, encouraging family reading adventures, and the importance of parent/child storytime. Many reading resources are available locally and nationally for children and parents via public schools, local libraries, reading and literacy groups, non-profits, police departments, online and more. 

 

I have had the pleasure of working with organizations like Family Literacy of Georgia, Dekalb County Public Libary, the Jonesboro Police Department, Clayton County Public Schools, and other metro Atlanta public and private schools in Georgia. I've also traveled to participate in book readings/signings outside of the metro Atlanta area including Rockford Public Schools (which is in my hometown in Illinois), and even Nassau Bahamas.

 

Attending these events also gives me the opportunity to meet other children's book authors where we can share our personal journeys, hopes, and ideas. Promoting our books at these events is important, but what is most paramount is everyone's desire for children, especially young Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) readers to go home with books in their hands that have characters that look like them and that will get them excited about reading.