Author Spotlight: Fred Crump, Jr.

Hello my lovely readers!

Welcome to the third installment of  Author Spotlight, where I highlight the authors who have had an impact on myself and my reading journey.

Say hello to author and illustrator Fred Crump Jr.!

He's more of an obscure author, but for those who know the children's books he's written, they LOVE him.

It's funny that they love him, despite not knowing much about him. They probably, like myself, love what he did for Black children in the 1980s and 1990s who wanted to see themselves represented in picture books.

Author Spotlight: Sharon G. Flake

Hello my lovely readers!

Welcome to the third installment of Author Spotlight where I talk about the life and works of authors who've had an impact on my life.

Today, I'm highlighting author Sharon G. Flake.

As I mentioned in my Books that Shaped Me series, her first novel, The Skin I'm In had a profound impact on me as a nine-year-old Black girl.

Sharon G. Flake is a Pennsylvania native, born in Philadelphia and later residing in Pittsburgh. She grew up in a large family with three brothers and two sisters in an inner-city neighborhood in Philadelphia.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Pittsburgh in 1978. After graduating she  worked in foster care and family and community services and then went on to work in public relations at the University of Pittsburgh Press.