DuEwaWorld News! by DuEwa Frazier

The New School MFA in Creative Writing Program , my alma mater, has cultivated a cadre of talented children's writers who have stopped at nothing to be leaders in the genre of young adult and middle grade fiction.  Within this list of talented and prolific children's writers who are alums of the New School Writing for Children program include: Tonya Hegamin, Jenny Han, Caela Carter, Coe Booth and now Cake Literary founders Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton (class of 2012).   I met both Sona and Dhonielle at The New School during a children's literature workshop we took with YA author and Scholastic editor, David Levithan. Sona and Dhonielle have done much to bring issues in children's publishing to the forefront in recent years, particularly within the We Need Diverse Books movement. The duo is now set to release their first project, a young adult novel TINY PRETTY THINGS, after founding CAKE Literary , a literary development company.

The President Looks Like Me is a new book a poems forthcoming by poet, children's author and Howard University professor, Dr. Tony Medina.  The President Looks Like Me will be published by Just Us Books .   Tony Medina featured on RHYMES, VIEWS & NEWS TALK RADIO hosted by DuEwa Frazier on Sunday, September 30th @ 5pm EST!  Listen to the interview now!

Notable young adult fiction author, L. Divine releases her fifteenth installment of the highly acclaimed DRAMA HIGH series.  Street Soldiers by L. Divine is now available from Ebb & Flow Publications.   Set against the backdrop of contemporary Los Angeles, the DRAMA HIGH series follows the continuous struggles of Jayd Jackson, a seventeen-year-old high school student who seeks to simply live a drama-free existence while attending South Bay High, a.k.a. Drama High. DRAMA HIGH has the best of both young adult worlds: keep-it-real drama with a touch of the supernatural, and specifically highlights the multifaceted nature of today’s multicultural youth.       Visit www.dramahigh.com and connect with L. Divine via Twitter.com/DramaHigh for more information.  

Author Feature: Cheryl Willis Hudson! Bright Eyes, Brown Skin by Cheryl Willis Hudson & Bernette G. Ford DF: Cheryl you are an author, consultant, speaker, and highly respected founding co-publisher of Just Us Books . With your commitment to excellence in publishing and promoting books by African American authors, what keeps your vision as an author and publisher moving forward? CWH: Sometimes, it’s a challenge to remain positive in the face of all of the negative propaganda that is ever present on TV, in videos, and in the streets of our communities, but as the old folks say “Cream rises to the top.” African Americans have a rich and largely undiscovered history of innovation in the arts and we do have a tradition of excellence within our own institutions despite the pervasive images in the media to the contrary. It’s extremely important to keep that tradition of excellence in the forefront of our children’s lives rather than as a footnote or in the margins of history. Fo...

Indigo Blume and The Garden City by Kwame Alexander , Writer and JahSun , Illustrator SPECIAL PRE-PUBLICATION OFFER! Order your copy of “Indigo Blume and The Garden City” - 32 page, hardcover children’s book, ages 4-8, includes four track CD with music by SPEECH of Arrested Development and “Read-A-Long” Bonus Track - TODAY for the Special Pre-Publication price of: $15.00 (price includes shipping & handling within the U.S.A. only) Retails for $17.95 + shipping and handling. You SAVE over $6.00! All Pre-Publication orders will be autographed by Kwame Alexander , Writer and JahSun, Illustrator. (Be sure to include personalization notes in the special instructions field when placing order) ONLY 300 Limited Edition Copies Available!! * Books to be shipped: Week of November 8th - 12th, 2010 You can also pick up your Pre-Publication Copies in person at: The “Capital Bookfest Charleston” Saturday, November 6th, 2010 68 Calhoun St, Charleston, SC, 29401 Event hours: 10am - 5pm We appreci...