Dionna L. Mann & Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Dionna and Wendy will be celebrating the release of Dionna’s new chapter book, Mama’s Chicken and Dumplings! This sweet story about a plucky Black girl in 1930s Charlottesville is fast-paced, fun, and full of heart.
Preorder here: https://www.scrawlbooks.com/event/dionna-l-mann-wendy-wan-long-shang
ABOUT THE BOOK
Growing up in segregated 1930’s Charlottesville, ten-year-old Allie is determined to find a man for her mama to marry— but not just any man will do!
Allie’s life with Mama isn’t bad, but she knows it could be better if Mama would find someone to marry. Allie’s worst enemy, her NOT-friend Gwen, has a daddy, and Allie wants someone like that—someone to fix things when they break, someone who likes to sing, and has a kind-smile.
So Allie makes a plan—her super secret Man-For-Mama plan. She has a list of candidates with a clear top choice: Mr. Johnson, who owns the antique store. Best of all, Mr. Johnson went to school with Mama, and he wants to get reacquainted! The battle’s half won, and Allie is sure that when he tries Mama’s yummy chicken and dumplings, he’ll be head over heels.
But someone else is interested in Mama: Mr. Coles, Allie’s teacher, who’s also Gwen’s uncle! Mama can’t marry him—no way is Allie going to be related to Gwen. On top of it all, Allie’s best friend is moving to Chicago; Allie keeps getting in trouble; and everyone seems to think she’s jealous of Gwen, for some reason. Nothing is going how she planned, but Allie is determined to get things back on track toward the life she knows she and Mama both deserve. . . even if Mama doesn’t agree yet.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dionna L. Mann is an independent researcher and resident of Virginia who loves uncovering human-interest stories hidden within African-American history. As a work for hire author, she's written for Scholastic Press, Lerner, and Capstone, among others. This is her debut novel. Visit her at http://dionnalmann.com .
Wendy Wan-Long Shang is the author of The Great Wall of Lucy Wu, which was awarded the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children's Literature; The Way Home Looks Now, an Amelia Bloomer Project List selection and a CCBC Choices List selection; The Secret Battle of Evan Pao, which received multiple starred reviews; Sydney Taylor Honor Book This Is Just a Test, which she cowrote with Madelyn Rosenberg; and Not Your All-American Girl, a Tablet Magazine Best Children's Book, also cowritten with Madelyn Rosenberg. She lives with her family in the suburbs of Washington, DC.
Event Links
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2594610-0
