Carmen Agra Deedy: About Her Books | Storyfest | Ask an Author

Carmen Agra Deedy has been writing for children for over two decades. Born in Havana, Cuba, she came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1964. She grew up in Decatur, Georgia, where she lives today. Learn about some of her books in this interview as well as an exclusive reading from Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale.

14 Cows in America

This New York Times Bestseller is a true story of hope and generosity, and the gift a small Kenyan village makes to the people of America after the tragic events on 9/11. This children’s book was done in collaboration with Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah and features stunning illustrations by Thomas Gonzalez.

The Library Dragon

When Sunrise Elementary School advertised for a thick-skinned librarian with a burning love of books, Miss Lotta Scales knew she was perfect for the job. Who could guard books better than a REAL dragon?

“She kept a fiery eye out to make sure no one removed any books from the shelves…. The very thought of sticky little fingers touching and clutching, pawing and clawing, smearing and tearing her precious books just made her hot under the collar.”

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale

Martina the beautiful cockroach doesn’t know coffee beans about love and marriage. That’s where her Cuban family comes in. While some of the Cucarachas offer her gifts to make her more attractive, only Abuela, her grandmother, gives her something really useful: un consejo increíble, some shocking advice.

Standards

• ELA.K.OE.2 Acquire, refine, and share knowledge through a variety of multimedia literacies to include written, oral, visual, digital, and interactive texts.
• ELA.AOR.1 Evaluate and critique key literary elements that enhance and deepen meaning within and across texts.
• ELA.AOR.1 Evaluate and critique key literary elements that enhance and deepen meaning within and across texts.
• ELA.AOR.10 Evaluate and critique multimedia presentations of a text or subject, including their impact on an audience.
• ELA.2.OE.2 Acquire, refine, and share knowledge through a variety of multimedia literacies to include written, oral, visual, digital, and interactive texts.
• ELA.AOR.2 Evaluate and critique the development of themes and central ideas within and across texts.
  • ELA.3.AOR.2.1 Identify and explain an explicit theme in a literary text and how it is developed by key details
• ELA.AOR.4 Evaluate and critique how an authors perspective and purpose shape style and meaning within and across informational texts.
  • ELA.3.AOR.4.1 Determine and explain an authors purpose (e.g., what an author wants to answer, explain, or describe); identify an authors perspective on a topic
• ELA.5.OE.2 Acquire, refine, and share knowledge through a variety of multimedia literacies to include written, oral, visual, digital, and interactive texts.
• ELA.AOR.10 Evaluate and critique multimedia presentations of a text or subject, including their impact on an audience.

Resources