Sunday, January 19, 2020

Children's Author Spotlight: Chance to Dance by Keisha Bussey




Chance to Dance by Keisha Bussey Illustrated by Tyrus Goshay

Author Bio

Keisha Bussey is the author of Chance to Dance. She is also a dance educator. Keisha has a passion for dance and life with her students and colleagues.  She has been a dance educator for 19 years.  She believes in implementing dance books into dance curriculum.  As a little girl, she always had a love for books.  Her mother taught her to enhance her imagination while reading.  Keisha credits her early reading with her mother for an increase in her reading fluency as she became a more effective reader throughout school.  She also credits her third-grade teacher, Ms. Curry with inspiring her love for reading and books.  

Author Interview

DF: Tell us about your journey as a writer.  When did you start?  
KB: My journey as a writer was a long process because I started with a chapter book then decided I to change it to a children’s book. I started writing years ago, brainstorming on ideas I could write  in my journal to creating my manuscript. There were a few life changing things that came up so the process was longer than I expected.  I’m happy for the  learning experience in becoming an author. I’m a visual person so I wanted lots of illustrations for my children’s book. 

DF: Who are some of your favorite writers? 
KB: Maya Angelou and Alice Walker 

DF: Tell us about your current children's book. 
KB: Chance to Dance tells the story of Keisha, a fierce, sassy, dancer who full of energy and excited to learn how to dance. This book allows children to “Dream Big,” follow their hearts desires, believe in themselves, have a vision, and pursue it!

DF: What inspired you to write this book? 
KB: I have always wanted to write a children’s book because I have a passion for dance. My inspiration came from  my third grade  reading teacher.

DF: What has been the reaction to your book?
KB: The best reaction from my book has been my adult friends have said, “I love this book, it  makes me inspired to do what I want in life. You have giving me hope to “DREAM BIG” too. 

DF: In what ways do you keep a connection to your readers and audience?
KB: I’m getting ready to do a Chance to Dance book tour . I have social media to keep us connected, and I also have a book club I will start to do. 

DF: What advice do you have for aspiring children's authors?  
KB: My advice is to do what you love to do. Learn lots of things  while you are young. Continue to read books and  challenge yourself to new adventures. 

DF: What’s next for you (projects, events, etc.)? 
KB: Book Signing and book launch coming up soon. Chance to Dance book tour, and book club coming up next. 

DF: How can we connect with you on social media? 
KB: Facebook Dancing Keisha and Chance to Dance 
Instagram @dancingkeishachancetodance
www.fierce6elitedance.com 



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Sunday, January 5, 2020

7 Must Read Books By or About Zora Neale Hurston



7 Must-Read Books By or About Zora Neale Hurston
by DuEwa Frazier





 The famed novelist, folklorist, anthropologist, essayist, playwright, and beloved member of the Harlem Renaissance Zora Neale Hurston has a birthday on Tuesday, January 7th!  Hurston is considered to be one of the great American writers and literary foremothers, with heirs such as Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Tayari Jones, and many others. 

Check out this list of seven must-read books from children's stories to novels and autobiographies, by or about Zora Neale Hurston.  

Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance by Zora Neale Hurston (January 14, 2020)



A collection of short stories Hurston wrote while in college at Barnard College in New York City. The collection features stories about love, migration, gender, class, racism, and sexism. Includes eight of Hurston's "lost" stories.





A biographical children's book on the author's life for ages 10-12.






Zora Neale Hurston tells the story of a former African slave, Cudjo Lewis, after interviewing Cudjo in Plateau, Alabama. 

Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground by T.R. Simon (2018)

The second book in the Zora and Me series gives a fictionalization of Zora's childhood 
discovery and adventure with her friend Carrie Brown. 

Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon (2011)



The first title in the Zora and Me series, set in a town like Eatonville, Florida which follows the fictionalized childhood of Zora and her friend Carrie (narrator). 

Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autobiography 
by Zora Neale Hurston (1942, 2006)



The writer tells her own story, revealing her childhood growing up in the rural South to her experiences studying anthropology and her eventual rise to becoming one of the leading intellectuals and artists of her time.




Valerie Boyd gives a historical account of Hurston's life and times as a author, anthropologist, playwright and major icon in the Harlem Renaissance.  Hurston's career spanned over thirty years. 






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