Carmen Agra Deedy facts for kids

Carmen Agra Deedy is a talented author who writes books for kids. She is also a wonderful storyteller and has shared her stories on the radio.

Early Life and Journey

Carmen Agra Deedy was born in Havana, Cuba. In 1963, when she was young, her family moved to the United States. This happened after the Cuban Revolution. She grew up in a town called Decatur, Georgia.

Becoming a Storyteller

Carmen Agra Deedy is known for her amazing storytelling. She has performed all over the United States and Canada. Some famous places where she has told stories include the Disney Institute and the Kennedy Center.

She has also been a featured storyteller at many big storytelling festivals. These include the St. Louis Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival. In 2010, she gave a special speech at Brenau University. They even gave her an honorary doctorate degree!

Books for Young Readers

Carmen Agra Deedy has written many popular books for children. Most of her books are in English, and some have also been published in Spanish. All her books were published by Peachtree Publishers.

English Books

Here are some of her books written in English, along with some of the awards they have won:

• TreeMan (1993)
  • This book won the 1993 Georgia Author of the Year award for children's books.
• Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story (1994)
• The Library Dragon (1994)
  • This book received several honors, including the 1997 Flicker Tale Children's Book Award Honor Book. It was also a selected book for Georgia at the National Book Festival in 2003.
• The Last Dance (1995)
• The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark (2000)
  • This book won many awards, including the 2000 Parent's Choice Gold Award. It also received the 2001 Christopher Award and the Jane Addams Peace Association Honor Book Award.
• The Secret of Old Zeb (2002)
• Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale (2007)
  • This popular book was an Pura Belpré Award Honor book in 2008. It was also named one of the Best Children's Books of the Year by Bank Street College of Education.
• 14 Cows for America (2009)
  • This book was on the 2010-2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List.
• The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale (2011)
  • Carmen Agra Deedy wrote this book with Randall Wright.
• The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! (2017)

Spanish Books

Carmen Agra Deedy's stories are also available in Spanish:

• La Cama De Plumas De Agata (Alfaguara Infanfil) (1996)
• Martina una Cucarachita muy Linda: Un Cuento Cubano
  • This book was a Junior Library Guild Selection.
• Un Colchon de Plumas para Agata: Un Cuento de "ALAS" para Ninos]]

Radio and Audio Stories

Carmen Agra Deedy has shared her stories on NPR shows like Weekend All Things Considered and Latino USA. She released an audio collection called Growing up Cuban in Decatur, Georgia in 2004. This collection won the Parents' Choice Gold Award in 1996.

Her audio CD for Martina the Beautiful Cockroach is also very popular. It includes the story in both English and Spanish. This CD was recognized as an ALA Notable Children's Recording and an Odyssey Award Honor.

Personal Life

Carmen Agra Deedy is married to the musician John McCutcheon. They live in Decatur, Georgia.

See also

• List of Cuban-American writers
• List of famous Cuban-Americans