Young Debbie Allen is destined for fame and everyone will know her name! A poetic, uplifting biography of a Black icon for kids ages 5-8.
New York Times best-selling author Tami Charles tells Debbie Allen’s inspiring story of perseverance and growing up during the Civil Rights Movement and Jim Crow South.
Young Debbie Allen was blocked from the local dance school in the 1950s Jim Crow American South. In order to allow Debbie to pursue her dream, Debbie's mother moved with her to Mexico where Debbie studied at the Ballet Nacional de Mexico. When they returned to Texas, Debbie was admitted to the Houston Ballet Foundation as the company’s first Black dancer, and a legendary career began.
Inspired by award-winning and NYT best-selling author Tami Charles’s interviews with living legend and dancer/actor Debbie Allen, this is an ode to creativity and perseverance, as well as an amazing history of a pivotal time in Debbie's life.
Tami Charles is a former teacher and full-time author of picture books, middle grade and young adult novels, and nonfiction. As a teacher, she made it her mission to introduce her students to all types of literature, but especially diverse books. While it was refreshing to see a better selection than what she was accustomed to as a child, Tami felt there weren’t nearly as many diverse books as she’d hoped for. It was then that she decided to reignite her passion for writing. Tami is the author of the middle grade novel Like Vanessa (2018) and the picture book Freedom Soup (Candlewick Press, 2019).
View titles by Tami Charles
Young Debbie Allen is destined for fame and everyone will know her name! A poetic, uplifting biography of a Black icon for kids ages 5-8.
New York Times best-selling author Tami Charles tells Debbie Allen’s inspiring story of perseverance and growing up during the Civil Rights Movement and Jim Crow South.
Young Debbie Allen was blocked from the local dance school in the 1950s Jim Crow American South. In order to allow Debbie to pursue her dream, Debbie's mother moved with her to Mexico where Debbie studied at the Ballet Nacional de Mexico. When they returned to Texas, Debbie was admitted to the Houston Ballet Foundation as the company’s first Black dancer, and a legendary career began.
Inspired by award-winning and NYT best-selling author Tami Charles’s interviews with living legend and dancer/actor Debbie Allen, this is an ode to creativity and perseverance, as well as an amazing history of a pivotal time in Debbie's life.
Author
Tami Charles is a former teacher and full-time author of picture books, middle grade and young adult novels, and nonfiction. As a teacher, she made it her mission to introduce her students to all types of literature, but especially diverse books. While it was refreshing to see a better selection than what she was accustomed to as a child, Tami felt there weren’t nearly as many diverse books as she’d hoped for. It was then that she decided to reignite her passion for writing. Tami is the author of the middle grade novel Like Vanessa (2018) and the picture book Freedom Soup (Candlewick Press, 2019).
View titles by Tami Charles
