School Library Journal

I was commissioned to do the cover of SLJ for the fall. School has already started for some and I can't believe it's almost here again. Time to get ready I guess. Have a wonderful week!

Quietly singing, " He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" and He does. I know it doesn't look like it to some. I know that the world feels like it's vibe is slipping off it's axis, and that people are loosing their minds, but none of this is catching the Creator off guard. He is still in control and even if you don't believe in Him, He believes in you. Sometimes we dim our lights so that we don't stand out, but now is the time to let the light of love, kindness, understanding, brotherhood and community come forth like never before. God, I know your listening. We need you right now. We need YOU!

Lost my Cousin Sharonda Coleman=Singleton and Ms. Sally Jackson. Just two of the Charleston 9. It feels like yesterday and it was just a few days ago 49 Beautiful people lost their lives in yet another shooting. This evil wants to take my breathe away. I am angry, but yet I forgive. Not because other people need it so badly or even want it from me, but because I need to love and live my best life and continue to be a vehicle of love to anyone and everyone who might need it. I try so hard to put love on everyday, but sometimes I forget a sock, or jacket and it only makes me want to try harder. So easy to hate people. People that don't even care that you hate them. The best way to get back at them is for us, you, me is to keep living and loving to the best of our ability. LOVE always WINS.

Sometimes you have to be willing to unplug from the negative and plug in the positive. It's a choice. Unplugging from the negative and plugging into the positivity of hope, peace, love and joy. Again, it is a choice. Happy Wednesday.

Sometimes you have to see it before you SEE it! I have this idea for my character,"Lil' V. She is me at 5 years old. I had the biggest imagination ever and pretended all the time. Didn't have a clue as to how powerful all of that daydreaming and imagination was at the time. Now as a grown woman, it's so hard sometimes to imagine the good and the positive. Constantly having to change the records of the subconscious mind because what we think about we bring about and I remember so vividly having adults tell me to stop daydreaming and get your head out of the clouds and somehow, they taught me to doubt myself and to think that others where better than me. That others deserved beauty, hope, joy, creativity, love and peace more than me. This is the rebooting of Vanessa Brantley-Newton. I go back now and I get to speak to my 5 year old self and I tell her to dream big babygirl and after you have dreamt big, dream even bigger. So big that when it actually happens you will know that it was something greater that brought you too it! I tell her that no one is better than you and even when they come against you and say all manner of evil about you, you have to know yourself and love yourself. Embrace the you that you are. That she is not the failure or the lack, or the disappointments that have come in her life. That these are some of the ingredients that were needed to make big Vanessa into who she needed to be for life. That there will be awesome people like Bella Sinclair Eric Barclay, Shell Nita Jo, Melissa KJ and a host of others who come to visit this little blog. I am so blessed. One day this little book is going to find it's way into the world of children's books. It's gonna hit the shelves and speak very loudly to another little 5 year old who has a dream! Sometimes you have to see it before you see it! Peace!

Her Grandmama was gone, but she remembered the powerful words that she shared, "Baby!", she said, " Your words have power to create your reality so speak life, love and abundance. Speak well of others even when they don't speak well of you for in doing so, good will come back to YOU." And so, I speak life, love and abundance as often and as fast as I can creating my reality. Thank you Mama.

"Once the Pink Lady faced her fears she became stronger, wiser and more yes, fashionable!" Thanks so much Kate Thacker! Facing your fears helps you to move forward with strength, courage and wisdom. It's been inside of you all along! Working on myself and my dreams. It may be a while, but know that I'm thinking of you all!! Be good!

If they can see themselves then they can free themselves! Ari dared to be awesome because he was awesome already. He went running and flying into his destiny! Okay, now it's your turn. See your inner wild child. Love him or her and then free yourself to run to your destiny! Gotta fly!!! See you later good Peoples!

Fear.... false, evidence, appearing, real. Doing it a little scared, but doing it just the same. Have a good one beautiful people! You can do it!

Hey Blogger Family!! Just popped in to say, "Hello and I miss my Beautiful Peeps!" Life has been interesting and full of surprises! I want to say Thank You to ALL of you who emailed, called, and encouraged me. Thanks so much for your kind words and support it meant the world to me. I appreciate it so very much! I'm still standing and I'm still here quietly watching and listening. Learning that we are so much stronger, bigger and better then we even know and it's not what people say about us, but what we believe about ourselves! Our situations should never define who we are and it's not what people call us, but what we answer too. Not asking, "Why me?", but rather, "How does this serve me?" Not feeling sorry for myself, but understanding that there is a bigger picture and plan and what doesn't kill you fattens you for the rest of the journey and the journey is great! All things are working for my good because God is intentional never failing and still I rise and still I move forward and still I live in abundance, joy, peace and love. Nobody and nothing can take that away from us! My joy, peace and love belong to me. It's easy to dance in the sunshine of praise, but can you still do the same dance in the storm? I've learn that I can dance in the storm, lift my hands to the sky and smile with tears streaming down my face, because I am loved and I love me some Y'ALL! I don't dwell on the negative cause it just doesn't serve me. If you live long enough there will be some rough patches, but know this, nobody get to tell you when you can speak, dance, rejoice, or smile! ONLY you get to do that. So I will keep it moving and I will keep smiling! Thanks again you Bella Sinclair, KJ, Shell, Michelle,and so many other wonderful and beautiful people who have encouraged me and supported me. Love to you all! Shalom

An Open Letter By Denene Millner

Here's the thing about that children's book, "A Birthday Cake For George Washington": I can't imagine a sane, rational, reasonably intelligent African American approving a story that depicts slaves as happy. What I can certainly see, though, is the nuance of the lives our people lived during a time when our folk were in bondage. I haven't read the book; only accounts of what's in the pages, mostly from people who haven't read the book and have no idea who its editor and illustrator are. I can tell you, though, as an author of 23 books, five of which were edited by Scholastic's Andrea Davis-Pinkney: nuance, track record and dedication to our children MUST count for something. Andrea is the award-winning children's book author who, as a writer, filled bookshelves with almost two dozen children's books featuring Black characters we treasure and love, and, as an editor, opened doors for many Black authors whose sole wish was to chronicle the lives of Black folk for brown babies, including treasures like Walter Dean Meyers, Derrick Barnes and yes, me. Without her, our shelves would be that much more barren. The same goes for the illustrator extraordinaire, Vanessa Brantley Newton, whose illustrations have graced countless books showing the joy and wonder of beautiful Black children and families. Both of these sisters are dedicated to showing the beauty of us, and as a colleague, writer, parenting expert, mother and lover and collector of Black children's books, I do think both Andrea and Vanessa deserve the benefit of the doubt--at least an airing that extends far beyond calling them Klansmen, racists, ignorant, clueless and whatever other insult I've seen lobbed their way. I read Andrea's explanation for publishing the book and, while I cannot say I could get behind a book about happy House Negroes, I can appreciate the nuance for which Andrea, Vanessa and the author were reaching. Perhaps it is the same nuance that found its way into, say, "Life Is Beautiful," the award-winning film about a father who fools his child into believing that Auschwitz is a "fun" camp full of wonder, even as he understands their impending doom. Of course, this we'll never know. The book has been pulled. We'll never know if there was room there for the tough, nuanced discussions we could have had with that book on the shelves. I will say this, though: I do hope that moving forward, all the people coming for Andrea and Vanessa's necks could consider actually supporting the Black children's books that have gone out of their way to shine a lovely light for our babies. I hope, too, that after all the ruckus dies down, the publishing world considers easing up on the slave, Civil Rights and Black icon narratives and instead focuses on a new kind of Black children's book, one that considers the everyday wonders of Black children's humanity. Bring on the stories of Black babies pushing past the first-day-of-school jitters. Let's see books about Black children enjoying family get-togethers, going to church, making friends in the park, bonding with grandparents, taking care of their dogs, using their big, beautiful imaginations. (I'm actually working on a project myself that I hope helps to fill some of this void--stay tuned.) Let's use this as an opportunity to celebrate us, rather than mindlessly tear us down. Andrea and Vanessa deserve that much. So do brown babies. Denene Millner of My Brown Baby.

She was looking for abundance "What is it?" she asked. I told her, abundance has a different meaning for everyone. For me, it has nothing to do with having a whole lot of money, or friends, or a big house and car. Abundance to me is living a full life. Eyes wide open to see it all and enjoy each sweet and bitter moment. Abundance is having what you need and then overflow to share it with others. She loved how it rolled over and over in her mouth when she said it! Abundannnnnccccccceeee! Like the finest butterscotch candy ever dancing on her tongue. I will live in abundance. Thinking out loud. Have an abundantly fabulous day y'all.

Age ain't looking like it use too these days. Boy am i glad! Happy New Year to you all.

Have an awesomely sweet day today! And if you are really feeling it add some sprinkles!!

I can't hear, "I love you" from folks who don't love themselves. If you don't love you how can you love someone else? I don't always get it right, but I love me some me and this is just the way God wants it to be. I love my face so round, brown and full, I love my hair kinky curly as soft as lambs wool. My brown eyes, my lips, my arms and legs And all the joyful thoughts that run through my head. I love me some you, brown, white or yellow, I love me some you, all the girls and all the fellas I want you to love you because your special it's true. If you spend your time wanting to be someone else who is going to be you? Stop comparing yourself cause you can only do you Learn to love yourself and others will learn to love you too. And just incase they don't you are still fire all by yourself. The secret to love is love yourself and then you can love somebody else. Written by Phat Mo.

Stilling myself today. So much movement negative and positive. I need to know that these senseless killings of innocent souls is not norm. Singing soft songs to myself. Sometimes so low that nobody else can hear. I need to sing something positive to deafen the aching soul within. Why can't we just be? We were created to be free. To love. to be. Teach me to love like you love Ha-Shem. I want to love like you love.

My Client and friend Ms. Heidi B. Fuller will have a book that is coming out in December called, " My Mama Taught Me Better Than That" 600 and somethin' quotes that will make you laugh and holler out loud! Check out on Facebook @ Heidi B. Fuller on facebook. Another long time blogger friend Rachel Ashe is sharing her awesome new project Check it out!

There is evil in the world, but there is also love. My heart is aching and breaking for France today. Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Shalom