ON WRITING FOR CHILDREN AND OTHER PEOPLE

Author of the Newbery Honor–winning To Be a Slave (1968) and many other fine works—sometimes funny, sometimes forceful, always thought-provoking—Lester tells his own story here. Born in St. Louis and raised in Kansas City and Nashville, he learned the lessons his father taught him about living in the segregated South and got involved in the civil-rights movement in Mississippi. The terrorism and racial assault he experienced were balanced by a family and community intent on his becoming “someBODY.” The strength of this volume, beyond the insights gained about the author, is in the passion for stories evident throughout—stories we hear, stories we tell, and stories we live. As he says, “Story makes us more human to each other.” Older readers, teachers, librarians, and parents who are passionate about connecting books and children will find much support and food for thought here. A must for anyone who lives a life immersed in books and stories. (Nonfiction. YA, adult)