What the reviewers are saying:

Publishers Weekly

This chronological collection of materials written by and about the acclaimed children’s book author forms an engaging portrait of an important figure. Her essays, speeches, and dialogues address such issues as racial identity in America, the role of a writer, and the influence of children’s literature (“I want to change the perception about young people,” she said in a 1993 lecture, “that generally they are not capable of enjoying complex stories”). Fans and scholars alike will value her intimate discussion of her craft in such beloved works as The Planet of Junior Brown and M.C. Higgins, the Great. Ages 10–up. (Feb.)

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