Kelly Starling Lyons facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kelly Starling Lyons
Born	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Children's book author

Kelly Starling Lyons is an American author who writes amazing books for children. She is also one of the people who started The Brown Bookshelf. This blog helps everyone learn about Black authors and illustrators who create children's books. It also shares special stories about them.

About Kelly Starling Lyons

Kelly Starling Lyons was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When she was in high school, she loved reading books by authors like Richard Wright and Lorraine Hansberry. She decided then that she wanted to become an author herself.

Later, as an adult, she read a book called Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth. This was the first time she saw an African-American girl on the cover of a picture book. This moment truly inspired her. She decided to start writing her own fiction books for kids. Her goal was to create stories with African-American main characters.

Today, Kelly Starling Lyons lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. She went to Syracuse University. There, she earned a degree in African-American Studies. She also got a master's degree in Magazine Journalism. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked for magazines like Ebony Magazine. She also wrote for newspapers such as The News & Observer and the Syracuse Herald-Journal.

Awards and Special Mentions

Kelly Starling Lyons's books have won many awards and special recognitions. Three of her books were chosen as Junior Library Guild selections. These include Ellen's Broom (from 2012), Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon (from 2020), and Miles Lewis: King of the Ice (from 2022).

Here are some of the awards her books have received:

Books by Kelly Starling Lyons

Kelly Starling Lyons has written more than a dozen books for children. Her stories often explore different parts of African-American history and culture. Here are some of her well-known books:

• A Girl Named Misty, The True Story of Misty Copeland: This book shares the amazing journey of Misty Copeland. It tells how she started dancing and became the first African-American principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre.
• NEATE: Eddie’s Ordeal: This book is part of the NEATE chapter book series. It tells the story of a 13-year-old African-American boy who loves basketball. It also explores his relationship with his dad, who is a civil rights veteran.
• One Million Men and Me: This book was published in 2007. Peter Ambush created the illustrations. The story was inspired by Kelly Starling Lyons's own memories of attending the Million Man March.
• Hope's Gift: This book was illustrated by Don Tate. It celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
• Tea Cakes for Tosh: This book features beautiful illustrations by E. B. Lewis.
• Ellen’s Broom: Daniel Minter illustrated this book. The idea for the story came from a historical document the author found while researching her family history.
• Going Down Home with Daddy (from 2019): This book is also illustrated by Daniel Minter.