about the book
Twelve-year-old Amira wants to go to school, but her Sudanese mother scoffs at the idea. Why go to school when she will just end up a wife and mother in their village. Her father, however, encourages her by giving her a twig that she uses to draw in the dirt.
After dangerous Janjaweed militants attack, leaving her parents dead and her village destroyed, Amira and the remaining survivors must head out on foot toward a refugee camp in Sudan. It is no easy task, and she must find the hope and willpower to carry on.
When they reach the refugee village, Amira doesn’t find much hope, until a refugee worker gives her inspiration in an unlikely package—a little red pencil. This small writing utensil becomes her most cherished possession. With it, she expresses herself creatively and writes down her hopes and dreams for a better, safer, brighter, and more positive future.
about the author
The Coretta Scott King award-winning author, Andrea Davis Pinkney, was born in Washington DC and grew up in Connecticut.
Her mother, a teacher, instilled Andrea with a love of books, and her father, a great storyteller, turned everyday items and events into funny tales. Young Andrea began banging out stories on an old typewriter. Among her first endeavors was a piece about Alvin Ailey. Her first published article appeared in the New York Times. She was paid $75 for it!
Andrea graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Journalism. She took a job as an editor for Mechanics Illustrated. While there, she met her husband, illustrator Brian Pinkney, who worked across the hall at Field and Stream.
Though Andrea now works as a children’s book publisher, Brian encouraged Andrea to write for children. Remember the story about Alvin Ailey… it became Andrea’s first published picture book! Her parents’ involvement in the civil rights movement greatly influences Andrea’s writing.
Andrea and Brian live with their children in Brooklyn, New York. They love collaborating on children’s books.
Sources:
Author biography : Horn Book
Author biography : Voices from the Gaps
Author interview : Scholastic
Author interview : Boston Globe
Book Trailer: The Red Pencil
Also by Andrea Davis Pinkney:
Rhythm Ride : A Road Trip through the Motown Sound. Roaring Brook Press. 2015.
Peace Warriors (Profiles, Book 6). Scholastic. 2013.
Bird in a Box. Little, Brown and Company, 2011.
With the Might of Angels : The Diary of Dawnie Rae Johnson. Scholastic. 2001.
Raven in a Dove House. Gulliver Books. 1998.
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