Tucson Festival of Books

Lesa Cline-Ransome



John Halpern

Lesa Cline-Ransome writes picture book biographies on notable figures such as Frederick Douglass, Helen Keller, Satchel Paige and Louis Armstrong. Her books have garnered honors including a Jane Addams Honor, A Christopher Award and an NAACP Image Award.

Her verse biography of Harriet Tubman, "Before She Was Harriet," received a Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustration. Her novel, "Finding Langston," was the 2019 winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction and received the Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor. Lesa is the host of the KidLit TV series, "Past Present: Giving Past Stories New Life." 

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Awards: ALA Notable Children's Book (Finding Langston), Christopher Award (Before She Was Harriet), Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award (Finding Langston), Jane Addams Children's Honor Book (Before She Was Harriet), Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction (Finding Langston)


Scheduled events:
Looking Back, Moving Forward through Relationships
Looking back can facilitate our ability to move ahead through the healing influence of relationships. Three best-selling middle-grade authors show how friendships affect a bully, the search to reconnect with the past and the consequences of a school shooting. All three books are highly anticipated new books from award-winning authors.

Helios Education Foundation Children/Teen Stage (Seats 1000)
Sun, Mar 7, 2021, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Children / Teens
Watch broadcast

Panelists: Lesa Cline-Ransome, Kimberly Willis Holt, Jasmine Warga
Moderator: Desirée Cueto