NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
August 31, 2023
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: Kyra Ostendorf at Free Spirit/Teacher Created Materials has acquired my picture book series, Mini-Musical Tales from Bird Mountain School, created with Randy Preston, to be illustrated by Gina Capaldi.
First music video for my original composition “Westward” releases today
Directed by Trenton Hess
May 2, 2023
The WGA goes on strike!
May 2023
Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie: Starring Indigo Blume wraps-up a successful 21-venue run on its national tour
April 22-23, 2023
Supporting the cast and crew of Rooster at The Wallis!
April 21, 2023
Celebrating the cast and crew of Rooster in Hollywood
April 13, 2023
In Vegas with Rooster!
April 4, 2023
Book Riot puts SWING on the list for “THESE BOOKS ROCK: 10 YA BOOKS ABOUT MUSICIANS”
February 2023
Broadway World, DC Metro Theater Arts, and The Free Lance Star all give our Rooster musical 5 stars!
January 21, 2023
Our digital show SONGBOOK launches!
January 21, 2023
Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie: Starring Indigo Blume begins its National Tour!
January 2023
Rehearsals for Rooster!
November 1, 2022
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: Lauri Hornik of Rocky Pond Books has acquired my picture book BELONG, to be illustrated by Dow Phumiruk
July 12, 2022
SONGBOOK (our digital show) is announced
June 2022
ALA
May 16, 2022
14th Annual Pink Pump Affair, a gala celebrating women who make a difference for the Special Needs Network (SNN)
Beverly Hills, CA
May 3, 2022
Virtual Author’s Visit with 1st graders at Round Elementary
April 9, 2022
San Diego County Library recommends Swing for National Poetry Month
March-June 2022
Limited IG Series: Writing Tip Wednesdays!
March 7-27, 2022
Virtual field trip for our musical, Acoustic Rooster goes live!
November 23, 2021
DC Metro Theater Arts calls Rooster “a joyous smash hit!”
September 14, 2021
Solo is paired up with Romeo & Juliet as a way to inspire students to become poets in the book Shakespeare and Young Adult Literature
Book Announcement: Cat Onder at HMH has acquired BELONG to be illustrated by Nina Mata
(Revised to now be published under HarperCollins)
Buzzfeed names Solo one of the “18 Young Adult Verse Novels to Read For National Poetry Month
The book Examining Images of Urban Life, for which I am a contributor, releases today
The digital show I’ve been writing for during the pandemic, WORDPLAY with Kwame Alexander (Age of Learning), has launched its trailer
Sneak peek release of the Rooster musical song, “My City”
March 2, 2020
Celebrate Read Across America Day with Little Larry
November 2019
is included in Amazon Editor’s Best Children’s Books of 2019 for ages 6-8
October 18, 2019
One and Only Wolfgang signing
Barnes and Noble
One Loudoun, Ashburn, VA
Bards Alley
One and Only Wolfgang signing
Scrawl Books
Reston, VA
October 2, 2019
Check out my interview on the podcast, The Author Inside You
The One and Only Wolfgang is also a Publishers Weekly Bestseller!
Pages Bookstore
book signing and reading
THE ONE AND ONLY WOLFGANG: From Pet Rescue to One Big Happy Family releases today!
August 10, 2019
East West Literary Agency Gathers in LA
July 15, 2019
With Steve Greig (and Edsel) at Vidcom (One and Only Wolfgang)
July 2019
Solo and Swing are featured in Publishers Weekly
May 1, 2019
Judging for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals
Lisner Auditorium
George Washington University
(National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation)
April 23, 2019
Podcast interview with Josephine Reed and the National Endowment for the Arts
recorded in Melrose, CA
April 15, 2019
Guest on the 2 Happy Teachers educational blog
April 5-6, 2019
Children’s Africana Book Awards (Solo)
Blackburn Center at Howard University, Washington, DC
Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, DC
March 10, 2019
Interview with Deborah Kalb about my novel Solo, a winner of the 2018 Children’s Africana Book Awards
February 26, 2019
Little Larry Goes to School (The True Story of a Timid Chimpanzee Who Learned to Reach New Heights) releases!
January 31, 2019
Swing receives a Booklist starred review
January 2019
Swing is included on the 2019’s list “Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
November 2018
Now represented by Deborah Warren’s at East West Literary Agency
October 17-20, 2018
Swing Tour Events in Virginia
Bards Alley, Vienna, VA
Barnes & Noble, Ashburn, VA
Arlington Public Central Library (with Kwame and Randy)
SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Conference (Author Panel), Sterling, VA
October 16, 2018
Swing Tour Event
Skylight Books, Los Angeles
A conversation with Nikki Giovanni
(moderated by writer and executive producer Wendy Calhoun)
October 2018
In Miami celebrating launch of Swing!
October 10, 2018
Swing hits the New York Times Children’s Bestseller list at #4!
October 3, 2018
WNDB publishes Q&A about SWING with Kwame and Mary
October 2, 2018
Swing releases nationwide!
September 5, 2018
PW KidsCast Podcast
(airing nationwide September 17 2018)
September 1, 2018
Swing Launch Team
social media initiative
Starred review (Kirkus)!
August 11, 2018
Solo has been selected as a Best Books by Age by Hooray for Books and Fairfax County Times!
June 2018
Our forthcoming novel Swing makes an appearance at ALA
May 31, 2018
Audie Awards in NYC
Solo makes an appearance and is a finalist!
May 22, 2018
Visit with Dominion high school students
April 20-22, 2018
NESCBWI Conference,
New England
Teaching workshops:
The Art of Collaboration
Writing the Novel in Verse
March 6, 2018
Animal Ark has been short listed for the National Green Earth Book Awards.
March 26, 2018
Solo is nominated for a Young Adult Virginia Authors (YAVA) Award
March 10, 2018
NOVA Teen Fest, Falls Church, VA
Q&A with Mary and Kwame in auditorium
Literary games with readers
February 6, 2018
Solo is a 2018 Audie Award Finalist.
January 12-16, 2018
NAACP Image Award Ceremonies and Events
Solo is honored as a finalist!
Los Angeles, CA
January 13, 2018
Solo book signing at Pages
Manhattan Beach
January 9, 2018
Solo book discussion with CLC Book Club
December 14, 2017
Solo is nominated for a Teen Choice Book Award!
December 6, 2017
Simpson Middle School
Book Club Author Visit
Sat. Nov. 25, 2017
Indie First, Guest Bookseller and signing at Scrawl Books
1-2PM
11862 Market St. Reston, VA 20190
Sat. Nov. 25, 2017
Indie First, Guest Bookseller and signing at Bards Alley
3-4PM
110 Church St NW, Vienna, VA 22180
Contact: Bards Alley
November 21, 2017
Grand opening of One Loudoun Barnes & Noble
November 20, 2017
Solo has been nominated for Outstanding Literary Work-Youth/Teens at the upcoming 49th NAACP Image Awards
November 14, 2017
Book signing
at Chick’s Picks Holiday Boutique and Pop Up
November 14, 2017
Solo is now a finalist for best poetry book of 2017 in the Goodreads Choice Awards!
Nov 8, 2017
Solo has been nominated for best poetry books of 2017 on Goodreads!
Nov 5, 2017
Busboys & Poets – show &book signing
3pm-4pm on Sunday, Nov 5th, 201
Location: (Takoma) 235 Carroll St NW
Washington, DC 20012
Thu. Oct. 24, 2017
Skype visit with 8th grader readers in NYC
Thu. Oct. 19, 2017
Guns and Roses Concert
A Solo Celebration
Oct. 16, 2017
SOLO reading and signing:
7pm Politics & Prose Wharf
Location: Politics and Prose Bookstore at the Wharf,
70 District Square SW, Washington DC 20024
Oct. 14, 2017
YABBA Fest
10:00am-4pm
John Barton Payne Building and Various Locations
Warrenton, VA
Oct. 12, 2017
Filming (guest star) for the show BOOKISH in NYC
Oct. 7, 2017
Eat Local, Read Local at the Cascades Library
11:00am-4pm
21030 Whitfield Place
Potomac Falls, VA 20165
Oct. 2017
Solo is awarded the designation as a “Junior Library Guild Selection” for fall of 2017
Sept. 23, 2017
B-Fest
Barnes & Noble
12193 Fair Lakes Promenade Dr., Fairfax, VA 22033
September 7, 2017
Depeche Mode Concert
Celebrating Solo with Readers/Contest Winners
September 2, 2017
Library of CongressNational Book Festival
10am Presentation/12:20-1:30pm Signing
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Sept. 1, 2017
Library of Congress
National Book Festival Gala
7:00pm
Celebrating Solo
August 20, 2017
Solo hits #7 on the New York Times Children’s Bestsellers List
August 5, 2017
Release of the Solo music video
August 4, 2017
Books of Wonder
Solo reading and signing
with Kwame and Randy
Los Angeles, CA
August 2-5, 2017
Solo Release Events:
Scrawl Books, Reston Virginia
Bank Street College and Bookstore
Langston Hughes House Solo Celebration
Facebook Live at HarperCollins
Books of Wonder
August 1, 2017
SOLO RELEASES!
July 24-August 1, 2017
Ghana!
June 22-26, 2017
Chicago Solo Events:
Music Video Filming
Solo Launch Party/Odyssey Cruise
ALA
May 30-June1, 2017
SOLO: BEA and Gibson Showroom
Solo Prelaunch events
NYC
April 28, 2017
Barnes & Noble Book fair
Animal Ark
5-7pm
8117 Sudley Road, Manassas, VA 20109
April 5, 2017
Pass The Poetry Please (MC)
Animal Ark
Lafayette Elementary School
Washington, DC
February 14-18 2017
Animal Ark book release Events: Schools and Bookstores througout
Virginia and DC
Check back for updates!