
Wanted to share the depth of my gratitude for the wonderful starred review SAFE HARBOR received in School Library Journal. Here’s a link to the review in its entirety: https://www.slj.com/review/safe-harbor
The sincere appreciation this review expressed made me feel deeply, deeply seen, as did the marvelous blurbs the book has received from Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor winning author of The Surrender Tree & YPP Poet Laureate Emeritus and Kathryn Erskine, National Book Award winning author of Mockingbird.

I’m also immensely grateful to Dr. Steve Bickmore, who interviewed me recently. Check out my delightful conversation with Steve here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4KTLMgdWQc .
I look forward to participating on 3 panels at NCTE, and to moderating another, as well as to signing copies of Born Behind Bars and, of course, SAFE HARBOR. If you’re at NCTE, I hope you’ll stop by!
- Thursday 11/21/2024 11:30 – 12:45 Ecoliteracy Can Change The World: How Reading and Writing about our Environments can Inspire Hopeful Activism. Room 204 A. Co-panelists and Moderators: Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Margarita Engle, Russell Mayo, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Karina Iceberg, Gabriel Valdez
- Friday 11/22/2024 3:30 – 4:45 3:30 – 4:45 Diversifying Verse: Expanding the Poetic Canon by Including BIPOC Poets in Classroom and Collections. Panelists: Valerie Bolling, Lisa Stringfellow, Suma Subramaniam.
- Saturday 11/23/2024 1:00 – 1:45 Penguin Random House Booth, Exhibit Hall, SAFE HARBOR ARC signing and giveaway
- Saturday 11/23/2024 3:00 – 4:00 Highlights Booth # 131, signing and giveaway of BORN BEHIND BARS
- Sunday 11/24/2024 9:00 -10:15 Getting to the Heart of Survival Stories: Bringing Hope and Humanity to Every Reader. Room 157 B. Co-panelists and Moderators: Erin Downing, Melissa Thom, Erin Soderberg Downing, Donna Barber Higuera, Christina Soontornvat, Amina Luqman-Dawson, Jennifer Nielsen
- Sunday 11/24/2024 10:30 – 11:45 Tears and Triumphs: Reading and Writing with Humor and Heart. Room 103. Co-panelists and Moderators: Alison Green Myers, Christopher Paul Curtis, Daniel Nayeri, Alexandra Villasante.
