children's author
Welcome!
Ann Malaspina is the author of nonfiction and fiction books for children and young adults. She lives in Northern New Jersey with her husband and two sons.
To contact Ann:
blog
I love to do school and library visits! I'm in the KidLit Author's Club to promote children's authors in PA, MD, and NJ
Phillis Sings Out Freedom: The Story of George Washington and Phillis Wheatley (Albert Whitman & Co., 2010), illustrated by Susan Keeter.
As the Revolutionary War begins in the fall of 1775, the African-born former slave poet Phillis Wheatley picks up her pen to write to General George Washington. "Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side..." Wheatley says in her famous poem about liberty and courage. This is the story of two brave people, both seeking freedom in a tumultuous time in American history.
"How does an enslaved African woman learn to read and write, become a prolific poet and earn recognition from a renowned general and future first president of the United States? ... The fact that the colonists were at once fighting for their freedom from England and depriving Africans of theirs is one of the great hypocrisies of American history.,, Keeter’s illustrations depict the depth of character of the individuals and the hardships and challenges of their environments." - Kirkus Reviews
Book trailer
Yasmin's Hammer (Lee & Low Books, 2010), illustrated by Doug Chayka. Every morning. Yasmin rides her father's rented rickshaw to the brick yard in Dhaka, Bangladesh, until one day she finds a way to use her brick hammer to capture her dreams.
"A bleak situation becomes a powerful tale of hope through Yasmin's passion and determination...Chayka's glowing oil paintings capture the bright colors of Dhaka and the cruelty of the brickyard where Yasmin and her sister work in the blinding sun as the boss lounges under an umbrella." - School Library Journal
"Young people will be moved as they recognize what they take for granted: education is a right that can set you free." - Booklist
"This richly illustrated picture books gives young readers a window into the life and culture of the city of Dhaka: rickhsaws, mosques, pumpkin curry." - Suffolk Cooperative Library System
"A revealing look at the working and living conditions fo the most vulnerable of the poor." - Rutgers Univ. Project on Economics and Children
"Yasmin's Hammer is an inspirational illustrated story about a girl in Dhaka, Bangladesh who helps her sister in supporting her family by hammering bricks into small pieces all day, while her father operates a rickshaw and her mother works doing housework for rich families in the city." - Midwest Book Review
Asian Pacific American Book List 2010
Finding Lincoln (Albert Whitman & Co., 2009), illustrated by Colin Bootman. When Louis wants to take a book about President Lincoln out of the segregated library in his town, he is told to go home. That's when Louis--and a kind librarian--decide to shake things up.
"... a compelling look at an important piece of history." - School Library Journal
"Bootman’s illustrations depict Louis’s curiosity, determination and joy as he pursues his quest for justice. Malaspina’s moving text explains the societal mores of the time and the actions of the people committed to rewriting them." - Kirkus
"The Whites Only signs are not only at the lunch counters and the city park in Alabama in 1951, but also at the public library, where Louis wants to read about President Lincoln for a school essay and find out what the president was like as a young boy. Bootman's beautiful, unframed watercolor paintings with unforgettable close-up portraits show the African American boy in his loving home and in his segregated classroom... For personal reading and for the classroom, pair this with other stories about the civil rights movement and the brave kids who stood up to hatred." - Booklist
2010 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People
2010 International Reading Association Teacher's Choice
2010 Skipping Stones Honor Book
2010 Horace Mann Upstanders Children's Literature Honor Book
Winner of a 2009 Gold Award and "Top Pick" from NAPPA (National Parenting Publications Award)
2010 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
