DuEwaWorld News! by DuEwa Frazier

Author Feature: Danette Vigilante The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante DF: Your first book about a teen girl named Dellie titled The Trouble with Half a Moon , has received great reviews. What inspired you to write this story? What has been the response from your teen readers? DV: As a kid, my heart had been broken by a little boy who was very similar to Corey, the neglected boy from Trouble. I carried that little boy around with me all these years and though I didn’t know exactly what I was writing when I finally sat down to write The Trouble with Half a Moon , I knew I wanted to give that little boy a chance for a good life. I realized right away that I needed someone brave enough to step up and help Corey and that’s where Dellie came in. Not only is she courageous but she was able to reach beyond her own hard times in order to help save him. The response from my teen readers has been goose bump inducing! The greatest thing I’ve heard from several students was ...

Author Feature: Kelly Starling Lyons! NEATE: Eddie's Ordeal by Kelly Starling Lyons DF: You are the author of several children’s books: One Million Men and Me , NEATE: Eddie’s Ordeal and forthcoming Ellen’s Broom and Tea Cakes for Tosh . How did you start writing for children? KSL: As a child, I rarely saw children’s books featuring African-American kids. That’s why it moved me so much to see them as an adult. The first picture book I read with an African-American character on the cover was Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth. That story spoke to me in such a special way. I knew I had to add my voice. The first story I wrote for kids was called Butterfly Wings . It was a story about a girl who wanted time to hurry up and make her taller. It was never published, but it still has a special place in my heart. The next was more personal. Isaiah’s Cake was about my brother’s relationship with our grand-dad and how he coped when my grand-dad passed away. For ...