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Come meet me at the 2nd Annual Black Authors Book Fair on May 4, 2024 in Raleigh, NC. Autographed copies of  An Instrument for Florenda  will be available for purchase. 

An Instrument for Florenda Brown, Tomeko and Smallwood, Christopher Buy Now Florida Authors and Publishers Associations (FAPA) President’s Book Award Gold  Royal Dragonfly Book Award  Mom’s Choice Awards® Gold   Twelve-year-old Florenda Little grew up in Louisiana surrounded by music. When she attends a live orchestra performance, hearing the beautiful sounds of the clarinet sparks in her a powerful love for music. She can even picture herself playing on stage!  Now, her chance is finally here. After the coming summer break, her school is introducing their first ever band class. They even hired an orchestra player to be the teacher.   But when Florenda and her mother visit the music store, she's sad to find out that the instruments cost too much. Disappointed but not defeated, Florenda makes a plan: she's going to spend her summer vacation saving up money to buy

  Readers Favorite ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Florenda is excited to play in the school's new orchestra, but her mom can't afford a clarinet. Will Florenda raise enough money to reach her dreams? Twelve-year-old Florenda Little grew up in Louisiana surrounded by music. When she attends a live orchestra performance, hearing the beautiful sounds of the clarinet sparks in her a powerful love for music. She can even picture herself playing on stage! Now, her chance is finally here. After the coming summer break, her school is introducing their first ever band class. They even hired an orchestra player to be the teacher. But when Florenda and her mother visit the music store, she's sad to find out that the instruments cost too much. Disappointed but not defeated, Florenda makes a plan: she's going to spend her summer vacation saving up money to buy a clarinet. Will Florenda persevere and make her dreams come true? An Instrument for Florenda  is a fun, lively, and heartwarming story that teaches

  Title: Exploring Character Development in "An Instrument for Florenda" Objective: Students will analyze and discuss character development in the book "An Instrument for Florenda" through activities that focus on character traits, motivations, and changes over the course of the story. Materials: Copies of "An Instrument for Florenda" for each student or a class set Whiteboard and markers Chart paper and markers Index cards Art supplies (optional) Lesson Plan: Introduction (15 minutes): Begin by discussing the importance of characters in a story. Ask students to share their favorite book characters and why they like them. Introduce the book "An Instrument for Florenda" and provide a brief summary of the plot. Character Traits (20 minutes): Discuss the concept of character traits. Write terms such as "brave," "kind," and "determined" on the whiteboard. In small groups, have students identify and list character traits

 Grateful for the chance to have my book An Instrument for Florenda showcased at the 75th Frankfurter Buchmesse under DropCap Literary Agency  New Voices section. Visit  2023 Frankfurt Book Fair (dropcap.com)

 I had an amazing time at the African American Book Festival held in Charlotte, NC on Saturday signing books and meeting my fellow authors!! A huge thank you to my family who traveled with me! #bookfestival #charlottenc #authorevents #bookevents #booksigning #kidbooks