Tonya Bolden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tonya Bolden
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Portrait of Tonya Bolden
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| Born | March 1, 1959 |
| Education | Princeton University Columbia University |
| Occupation | Author |
Tonya K. Bolden (born March 1, 1959) is an American writer. She is well-known for her books for children, especially nonfiction.
Tonya Bolden has written, helped write, or edited over forty books. Hillary Clinton praised her 1998 book 33 Things Every Girl Should Know. This happened in a speech about women's rights. Her 2005 book, Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl, won the James Madison Book Award. It was also honored by the American Library Association’s Coretta Scott King Author Award.
In 2007, her book M.L.K.: Journey of a King won the Orbis Pictus Award. This is a top award for children's nonfiction. The next year, her book George Washington Carver (2008) was also honored for the same award. In 2016, Tonya Bolden received the Nonfiction Award. This award recognized all her amazing work for children.
Contents
Tonya Bolden's Life and Writing Journey
Growing Up and Discovering Books
Tonya Bolden was born in New York City on March 1, 1959. Her parents, Willie J. and Georgia C. Bolden, moved to New York from the Carolinas. Even though they didn't have much schooling, they really wanted Tonya and her sister Nelta to get a good education.
Her parents were careful with money. But they always bought books for Tonya. She remembers they never said no when she wanted books from school book fairs. Tonya loved reading and writing from a young age. Her parents encouraged her to find a job she truly loved.
It's interesting that Tonya Bolden is now famous for history books. But as a child, she wasn't very interested in history. She felt history books were boring. She also didn't see people like her in those stories. Even when her uncle tried to teach her about Black history, she often didn't care.
Learning and Education
Tonya's parents worked hard to find her the best schools. Her mother researched to find good places for her to learn. Tonya went to a public school in East Harlem. Later, she attended the Chapin School, a private school. She says the great teachers at these schools helped her become a writer.
After high school, Tonya went to Princeton University. In 1981, she earned a degree in Slavic Languages and Literature. This focused on Russian.
After college, Tonya worked for two years. Then she went to Columbia University. She continued studying Russian. She earned her master's degree in 1985. Tonya believes her studies and growing up in a diverse city helped her writing.
Starting Her Writing Career
After finishing her studies, Tonya Bolden taught English at colleges. She taught a class called "Translating Experience into Essay." She saw that many of her students were her age or older. This showed her it's never too late to learn new things.
Tonya planned to become a professor. But while in graduate school, her writing started to appear in magazines. In 1987, she began writing full-time. She took every writing job she could find, no matter how small.
Her first big book was Mama, I Want to Sing in 1992. It was a young adult novel based on a musical. Tonya says this chance came from her hard work on smaller projects and some good luck. She loved writing for young people more and more.
Important Ideas in Tonya Bolden's Books
Most of Tonya Bolden's books focus on who we are and how books help us understand ourselves. She believes all children need "mirrors" and "windows" in books.
- Mirrors: Books where kids see themselves and their own lives.
- Windows: Books where kids learn about people who are different from them.
Tonya says that nonfiction, especially history, is very important for this. She explains that knowing history can help people feel proud of who they are. It can help them avoid feeling ashamed or confused about their identity.
She writes because she feels thankful for the people who came before her. These people worked hard for better opportunities. She also writes because her parents taught her to love reading and learning.
Most of her books for young adults are about Black history and culture. She believes it's very important for Black youth to read stories about Africa and the African diaspora. She wants to create books that celebrate their history and potential.
Christianity is also a theme in some of her books, especially in the context of Black American experiences. She says the Black church has influenced her writing style. She wrote Rock of Ages: A Tribute to the Black Church (2001) to teach young people about its importance. In her book M.L.K.: Journey of a King (2006), she highlighted the role of faith in Martin Luther King Jr.'s life.
Tonya Bolden's Published Books
- The Family Heirloom Cookbook (1990)
- Mama, I Want to Sing (1992) (with Vy Higginsen)
- Starting a Business from Your Home (1993)
- Conversations: Straight Talk with America's Sister President (1993) (for Johnnetta Cole)
- Activity Booklet for Sweet Honey In The Rock recording I Got Shoes (1994) (with Bernice Johnson Reagon)
- Educator’s Guide for Wade in the Water: African American Sacred Music Traditions (1994) (with Bernice Johnson Reagon, et al.)
- Mail-Order and Direct Response (1994)
- Rites of Passage: Stories About Growing Up by Black Writers From Around the World (1994) (editor)
- The Book of African-American Women: 150 Crusaders, Creators, and Uplifters (1996)
- Just Family (novel; 1996)
- Through Loona's Door: A Tammy and Owen Adventure with Carter G. Woodson (1997)
- And Not Afraid to Dare: The Stories of Ten African-American Women (1998)
- 33 Things Every Girl Should Know: Stories, Songs, Poems, and Smart Talk by 33 Extraordinary Women (1998) (editor)
- Strong Men Keep Coming: The Book of African-American Men (1999)
- Forgive or Forget: Never Underestimate the Power of Forgiveness (1999) (with Mother Love)
- Rejuvenate! (It’s Never Too Late) (2001) (with Eartha Kitt)
- Rock of Ages: A Tribute to the Black Church (2001)
- Tell All the Children Our Story: Memories & Mementos of Being Young and Black in America (2001)
- 33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women’s History (2002) (editor)
- American Patriots: The Story of Blacks in the Military from the Revolution to Desert Storm (2003) (with Gail Buckley)
- Chaka! Through the Fire (2003) (with Chaka Khan)
- Portraits of African-American Heroes (2003)
- Wake Up Our Souls: A Celebration of Black American Artists (2004)
- The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali (2004)
- Maritcha: A Nineteenth Century American Girl (2005)
- Cause: Reconstruction America, 1863-1877 (2005)
- Weddings Valentine Style (2006) (with Diann Valentine)
- Half the Mother, Twice the Love: My Journey to Better Health with Diabetes (2006) (with Mother Love)
- MLK: Journey of a King (2006)
- Take-Off: America All-Girl Bands During WWII (2007)
- George Washington Carver (2008)
- Say A Little Prayer (2008) (with Dionne Warwick and David Freeman Wooley)
- W. E. B. Du Bois: A Twentieth-Century Life (2008)
- FDR’s Alphabet Soup: New Deal America, 1932-1939 (2010)
- Finding Family (2010)
- Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty (2013)
- 12 Days of New York (2013)
- Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America (2014)
- Beautiful Moon: A Child’s Prayer (2014)
- Capital Days: Michael Shiner’s Journal and the Growth of Our Nation’s Capital (2015)
- This Kid Can Fly (2016) (with Aaron Philip)
- How to Build a Museum: Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (2016)
- Pathfinders: The Journeys of 16 Extraordinary Black Souls (2017)
- Crossing Ebenezer Creek (2017)
- Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, a Monumental American Man (2017)
- Inventing Victoria (2019)
Awards and Recognitions
In 2016, Tonya Bolden received the Nonfiction Award for her entire body of work from the Children's Book Guild of Washington, DC.
Here are some awards for her individual books:
- Mama, I Want to Sing
* New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
- Just Family
* Junior Library Guild Selection
- And Not Afraid to Dare: The Stories of Ten African-American Women
* New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
- 33 Things Every Girl Should Know: Stories, Songs, Poems, and Smart Talk by 33 Extraordinary Women
* ALA Best Book for Young Adults
- Strong Men Keep Coming: The Book of African-American Men
* New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
- Rock of Ages: A Tribute to the Black Church
* National Parenting Product Awards (NAPPA) Honors Award
- Tell All the Children Our Story: Memories & Mementos of Being Young and Black in America
* 2002 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * 2002 ALA Best Book for Young Adults Nominee
- Portraits of African-American Heroes
* NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
- Wake Up Our Souls: A Celebration of Black American Artists
* YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
- The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali
* Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award Selection
- Maritcha: A Nineteenth Century American Girl
* James Madison Book Award Winner * Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book * YALSA Best Book for Young Adults * ALSC 2006 Notable Children's Book * NAPPA Gold Award Winner
- Cause: Reconstruction America, 1863-1877
* New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
- M.L.K.: Journey of a King
* 2008 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- Take-Off: America All-Girl Bands During WWII
* New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
- George Washington Carver
* New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age * Orbis Pictus Honor Book * Jefferson Cup winner
- FDR's Alphabet Soup: New Deal America, 1932-1939
* Chicago Public Library “Best of the Best for 2010”
- Finding Family
* Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books
- Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty
* Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book * ALSC Notable Children's Book * NCSS Carter G. Woodson Book Award, 2014
- Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America
* NAACP Image Award Nominee * NCSS Carter G. Woodson Honor Award
- Beautiful Moon: A Child's Prayer
* NAACP Image Award Nominee * ALSC Notable Children's Book
