Rita Williams-Garcia is an acclaimed American author known for her impactful young-adult novels that authentically portray the experiences of teens of color. She has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Newbery Honor Award, Coretta Scott King Award, and Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for her novel "One Crazy Summer." Her subsequent books, "P.S. Be Eleven" and "Gone Crazy in Alabama," also earned Coretta Scott King Awards, solidifying her reputation as a significant voice in young people's literature.
Born in Queens, New York, Williams-Garcia developed a passion for storytelling early in life, drawing inspiration from the social climate of the 1960s. Her writing combines realism with heartfelt narratives that resonate with young readers. Beyond her novels, she has contributed to the literary community as a faculty member at Vermont College's MFA Writing for Children and Young People program and served on the National Book Award Committee for Young People's Literature. Her works continue to be celebrated for their authenticity and emotional depth.
Gaither Sisters Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
One Crazy Summer
2010
2
P.S. Be Eleven
2013
3
Gone Crazy in Alabama
2015
Standalone Novels
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Blue Tights
1988
2
Fast Talk on a Slow Track
1991
3
Like Sisters on the Homefront
1995
4
Every Time a Rainbow Dies
2001
5
Diamond Land
2003
6
No Laughter Here
2003
7
Jumped
2009
8
Clayton Byrd Goes Underground
2017
9
A Sitting in St. James
2021
Picture Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Catching the Wild Waiyuuzee
2000
2
Bottle Cap Boys Dancing on Royal Street
2009
She Persisted Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Ella Fitzgerald (By: Andrea Davis Pinkney)
2002
2
13 American Women Who Changed the World ( By: Chelsea Clinton)
2017
3
She Persisted Around the World ( By: Chelsea Clinton)
2018
4
American Olympians Who Changed the Game ( By: Chelsea Clinton)
2020
5
Harriet Tubman (By: Andrea Davis Pinkney)
2021
6
Claudette Colvin (By: Lesa Cline-Ransome)
2021
7
Sally Ride ( By: Atia Abawi)
2021
8
Virginia Apgar (By: Sayantani DasGupta)
2021
9
Nellie Bly (By: Michelle Knudsen)
2021
10
Sonia Sotomayor (By: Meg Medina)
2021
11
Florence Griffith Joyner
2021
12
Ruby Bridges (By: Kekla Magoon)
2021
13
Clara Lemlich (By: Deborah Heiligman)
2021
14
Margaret Chase Smith (By: Ruby Shamir)
2021
15
Maria Tallchief (By: Christine Day)
2021
16
Helen Keller (By: Courtney Sheinmel)
2021
17
Oprah Winfrey (By: Renée Watson)
2021
18
Wangari Maathai (By: Eucabeth A. Odhiambo)
2022
19
Brilliant Women Who Made a Difference (By: Chelsea Clinton)
2022
20
Temple Grandin (By: Lyn Miller-Lachmann)
2022
21
Patsy Mink (By: Tae Keller)
2022
22
Marian Anderson (By: Katheryn Russell-Brown)
2022
23
Malala Yousafzai (By: Aisha Saeed)
2022
24
Diana Taurasi (By: Monica Brown)
2022
25
Wilma Mankiller (By: Traci Sorell)
2022
26
Maya Lin (By: Grace Lin)
2022
27
Rosalind Franklin (By: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley)
2022
28
Dorothy Height (By: Kelly Starling Lyons)
2023
29
Florence Nightingale (By: Chelsea Clinton, Shelli R. Johannes)
2023
30
Pura Belpré (By: Meg Medina, Marilisa Jimenez Garcia)
2023
31
Simone Biles (By: Kekla Magoon)
2023
Rita Williams-Garcia Anthologies
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Join In: Multiethnic Short Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults