I Can Write the World - (Ava Murray Writes the World) by Joshunda Sanders (Hardcover)

About the Book

Eight-year-old Ava Murray lives in a Bronx neighborhood filled with music, art, and people from all over the world. It is very different from the Bronx she sees in the news. When her mother explains that the power of stories lies in the hands of those who write them, Ava decides to become a journalist. She shows everyone the world as she sees it, inspiring children to use the power of their own voice.

Book Synopsis

"Lovely and timely. So glad Joshunda is telling our stories." - Jacqueline Woodson

Eight-year-old Ava Murray wants to know why there's a difference between the warm, friendly Bronx neighborhood filled with music and art in which she lives and the Bronx she sees in news stories on TV and on the Internet. When her mother explains that the power of stories lies in the hands of those who write them, Ava decides to become a journalist.

I Can Write the World follows Ava as she explores her vibrant South Bronx neighborhood - buildings whose walls boast gorgeous murals of historical figures as well as intricate, colorful street art, the dozens of different languages and dialects coming from the mouths of passersby, the many types of music coming out of neighbors' windows and passing cars. In reporting how the music and art and culture of her neighborhood reflect the diversity of the people of New York City, Ava shows the world as she sees it, revealing to children the power of their own voice.

Review Quotes

"Lovely and timely. So glad Joshunda is telling our stories." - Jacqueline Woodson

"Eight year old Ava Murry lives in the Bronx, New York, and wants to grow up to be a journalist and write about the world she loves living in as she sees it, not as the negative atmosphere that newscasters report as her life. The text is accompanied by lush, graffiti like paintings by Charley Palmer which consist of bold colors and geometric shapes, a style inspired by his childhood exposure to Ezra Jack Keats stories. Ava's story plays out in her classroom where she shares her perceptions that her beautiful community and neighborhood are not fully understood by the mainstream media....the story conveys a sense of pride and care exhibited by Ava and her intuitive mother that crosses ethnic and economic boundaries and which will inspire readers to carefully reexamine their own surroundings rather than automatically accept what others tell them about their condition. This book provides is a timely and valuable message in this age of 24/7 news coverage. Highly Recommended." - School Library Connection

"Ava Murray is determined to become a journalist and write about the world, but first, she will start in the place she knows and loves best, her neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. This story begins with Ava waking up in the apartment she shares with her mother in the Bronx. She and her mother love their neighborhood; however, the little black girl notices that the negative stories of the Bronx on the news do not always match her experience. After watching the news together, Ava's mother explains, "Sometimes the way the world sees us / Is different from how we see ourselves." Ava's mother encourages her to focus on the creativity and sense of community they know, and Ava shares in class what she thinks is sometimes hidden or misunderstood about her home. Palmer's striking, painterly illustrations are reminiscent of the graffiti Ava and her mother talk about. They depict Ava and her mom with glowing, dark-brown skin and reveal influences of hip-hop and the multiple cultures that make up the Bronx....A vibrant story about what makes a place home and the ties between culture and pride." - Kirkus Reviews

"In a time when just 5.6% of newsroom employees are Black, and most of the stories (including children's books) about Black people continue to be written by white writers, this book is needed and contains a powerful message." - The Conscious Kid

"I Can Write the World is a true gem and one you'll definitely want to add to your bookshelves. Let's make this a bestseller, shall we? . . . The illustrations by Charly Palmer are captivating and really help capture the true essence of the overall messages. The words will pierce your soul." - Here Wee Read

About the Author

Joshunda Sanders has been a prolific journalist since 1999 and served as a staff writer for some of the nation's largest news organizations, including the San Francisco Chronicle and the Houston Chronicle. She has also worked as a federal speechwriter, as Press Secretary to the Secretary of Energy during the Obama Administration, and as Director of Communications in North America for Change.org. She teaches in the First-Year Writing Program at The New School in New York City. She earned a BA in English at Vassar College and an MS in Information Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She lives in the Bronx, not far from where she was raised.

Charly Palmer is an award-winning painter and collagist whose first children's book, Mama Africa!: How Miriam Makeba Spread Hope with Her Song, won the 2018 Coretta Scott King / John Steptoe New Talent Award and was named a Kirkus Best Book of the year. He is also the illustrator of There's a Dragon in My Closet. He currently lives and works in Atlanta, GA.