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 teach…

- Renee Watson

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 m…

- Renee Watson

Post-publication I have been surprised at the limited resources publishers have to promote books. I certainly knew that being a new author, I would h…

- Renee Watson

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. Po…

- Renee Watson

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

- Renee Watson

Once I became an adult and started to pursue writing as a professional career, I realized my main characters were always young people. My stories nat…

- Renee Watson

I have always known that I wanted to work with youth through the arts and I believe the arts can help young people cope with hardship.

- Renee Watson

There are many writers who have influenced me and who I enjoy reading, but Lucille Clifton and Gwendolyn Brooks are at the top of the list.

- Renee Watson

These days, most of my interactions with young people are centered on the poetry or theater classes I teach, so the students I know are reading conte…

- Renee Watson