Derrick Barnes (author) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Derrick Barnes
Barnes at BookExpo 2019
Born	United States
Occupation	Children's author
Notable awards	Ezra Jack Keats Book Award Caldecott Honor Newbery Honor Coretta Scott King Award Kirkus Prize

Derrick Barnes is an American author. He is famous for writing many popular children's books. He also used to be a writer for Hallmark greeting cards. In 2018, Barnes won several important awards. These included the Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award. He won them for his 2017 book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut.

Barnes' books celebrate African American culture. They show positive images of Black children in their daily lives.

Derrick Barnes' Journey as a Writer

Derrick Barnes started his writing career in 1999. He was the first full-time Black male copywriter for Hallmark. In 2003, he left Hallmark and moved to New Orleans. He worked different jobs there. Later, he signed a deal to write several books for Scholastic. Scholastic is a big children's book publisher.

In 2011, Barnes also started working part-time. He joined the outreach department at the Kansas City Public Library. As part of the "Stories to Go" program, Barnes visited places like schools and daycares. He read stories to children and shared his love for books.

Popular Books by Derrick Barnes

In 2004, Scholastic published two of his books: The Low-down, Bad-day Blues and Stop, Drop, and Chill. Barnes' first book for young adults was The Making of Dr. Truelove. It was published in 2008.

Ruby and the Booker Boys Series

Barnes' popular book series, Ruby and the Booker Boys, is about Ruby Booker. She is a sassy third grader. Ruby tries to stand out from her three older brothers. The series began in 2008 with two books released at the same time: Brand New School, Brave New Ruby and Trivia Queen, 3rd Grade Supreme. The next book, The Slumber Party Payback, came out that same year. Ruby Flips For Attention was released in 2009.

Critics praised the series for its positive stories for young readers. They noted how the books showed a loving family and a strong community spirit. They also liked how the series celebrated diversity.

We Could Be Brothers Novel

We Could Be Brothers is a hardcover novel for young teenagers. It tells the story of two middle school boys. They have different backgrounds but go to the same school. The book explores what it means to grow up as a Black kid in America. It talks about friendship, self-respect, and community. Scholastic published it in 2010. Critics liked its storyline and its focus on friendship.

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut

Barnes' first picture book was Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut. Gordon C. James illustrated it. The book was published in 2017 and received great praise. It tells the story of a young Black boy getting a haircut at a barbershop. The book explores parts of African American culture. It celebrates self-confidence and pride.

Crown was very well-received. It won several awards at the 2018 ALA Youth Media Awards. These awards included a 2018 Newbery Honor (for the story) and a Caldecott Honor (for the illustrations). It also won a Coretta Scott King Award (for both author and illustrator). Other awards included the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award and the $50,000 Kirkus Prize.

The King of Kindergarten

The picture book The King of Kindergarten was illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. It was released in July 2019.

I Am Every Good Thing

Barnes' 2020 book, I Am Every Good Thing, won the 2020 Kirkus Prize for young people's literature. It also won The NCTE Charlotte Huck Award.

Who Inspired Derrick Barnes?

Barnes has said that Stevie Wonder and Langston Hughes influenced his writing. He learned about dialogue and characters from Hughes' short stories. He also found inspiration in Stevie Wonder's album notes. Barnes said reading them as a seven-year-old helped him learn to add rhythm to his writing.

In an interview, Barnes explained that there aren't enough books about kids of color written by people of color. He wants to create books that his children can be proud of. He also wants to change how children see themselves. He aims to replace negative images with positive ones, showing children they are loved.

Derrick Barnes' Personal Life

Barnes grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He loved reading picture books from a young age. He earned a degree in Marketing from Jackson State University. Today, Barnes lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He lives there with his wife, Dr. Tinka Barnes, and their four sons.

List of Books

• The Low-down, Bad-day Blues (2004)
• Stop, Drop and Chill (2004)
• The Making of Dr. Truelove (2008)
• Ruby and the Booker Boys series:
  • Brand New School, Brave New Ruby (2008)
  • Trivia Queen, 3rd Grade Supreme (2008)
  • The Slumber Party Payback (2008)
  • Ruby Flips For Attention (2009)
• We Could Be Brothers (2010)
• Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut (2017)
• The King of Kindergarten (2019)
• Who Got Game?: Baseball (2020)
• I Am Every Good Thing (2020)
• The Queen of Kindergarten (2022)
• Victory. Stand!-Raising My Fist For Justice (2022)