Picture books are more difficult for me because it is telling a huge story in the least amount of words.

Students can't leave their lives at the door when they come to school. They bring with them whatever is going on at home and in their communities. Poetry and theater provide an outlet for students to express themselves and process what they're going through.

In my writing I hope to have a balance between the good and bad, the hard and soft.

For me, the lives of children and teens are interesting - they are always changing. There's just so much to sort through. All of this makes for good plots and complex characters.

One important thing I take away daily is that for all the talk about what youth are not doing - especially young people of color - I know there are many who do care about their future, who are striving to affect their world in a positive way.

I have known I wanted to be a writer since I was seven-years-old. Seriously. In the second grade I wrote a 21-page story and handed it in to my teacher. She told my mother I was going to be a writer. Since then, I always kept a journal and wrote poetry, plays, stories.