“In Conversation with Renowned Author Renée Watson: An Evening of Inspiration and Stories”

Join us for an enchanting evening with New York Times best selling author Renée Watson! Renée, a recipient of the Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award, continues to weave her magic with the fourth book in her captivating young middle grade series, “Ways to Build Dreams,” starring the radiant Ryan Hart.

Immerse yourself in the world of literature as we host a live event featuring the remarkable Renée Watson. An author of global acclaim, Renée has enraptured countless readers with her bestselling novels. This is your golden opportunity to connect with her in person, as she delves into her writing journey, the wellsprings of her creativity, and her latest masterpiece.

Don’t let this extraordinary chance slip through your fingers – come and share in the brilliance of a master storyteller. Bring your friends along and make sure to reserve the date for an event that promises to leave an indelible mark!

Event Highlights:

*Moderator: Erika Kendrick * Location: Malik Books – Westfield Culver City Mall

Be part of an unforgettable literary experience that celebrates the power of stories and the creative spirit that brings them to life.

For more Information call Malik Books at 3233898040

Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winner Renée Watson continues her bestselling young middle grade series starring Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit and sunshine.

Middle school is just around the corner for Ryan Hart, which means it’s time to start thinking about the future–and not just how to prank her brother, Ray!

During Black History Month, Ryan learns more about her ancestors and local Black pioneers, and their hopes for the future, for her generation. She wonders who she wants to be and what kind of person her family hopes she becomes. Drawing on the ambitions of those who came before her and her own goals, Ryan is determined to turn her dreams into reality.

Grow and shine and share with Ryan Hart in this series that brings ever more humor, more love, and more fun.

About Renee Watson

Renée Watson is a New York Times bestselling author, educator, and community activist. Her young adult novel, Piecing Me Together (Bloomsbury, 2017) received a Coretta Scott King Award and Newbery Honor. Her children’s picture books and novels for teens have received several awards and international recognition. She has given readings and lectures at many renown places including the United Nations, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Embassy in Japan and New Zealand. Her poetry and fiction centers around the experiences of Black girls and women, and explores themes of home, identity, and the intersections of race, class, and gender.

Her books include young adult novels, Love is a Revolution, Piecing Me Together, This Side of Home, and Watch Us Rise, co-written with Ellen Hagan. Her middle grade novels include the Ryan Hart series, (Ways to Make Sunshine and Ways to Grow Love), Some Places More Than Others, Betty Before X, co-authored with Ilyasah Shabazz, and What Momma Left Me. Her picture book, Harlem’s Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills received several honors including an NAACP Image Award nomination in children’s literature.

One of Renée’s passions is using the arts to help youth cope with trauma and discuss social issues. Her picture book, A Place Where Hurricanes Happen is based on poetry workshops she facilitated with children in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Renée was a writer in residence for over twenty years teaching creative writing and theater in public schools and community centers throughout the nation. She founded I, Too Arts Collective, a nonprofit that was housed in the home of Langston Hughes from 2016-2019. Watson is on the Council of Writers for the National Writing Project and is a member of the Academy of American Poets’ Education Advisory Council. She is also a writer-in-residence at The Solstice Low-Residency Creative Writing Program of Pine Manor College.

Renée grew up in Portland, Oregon, and splits her time between Portland and New York City.