Breanna J. McDaniel

Breanna J. McDaniel (she/her/hers) is an emerging creative and recovering scholar. She’s published in myriad academic journals, an academic anthology, and her debut picture book Hands Up! was published with Dial Books in 2019.

Since its publication, Hands Up! was selected as a children’s book that “Books All Young Georgians Should Read” in 2019 by the Georgia Center for the Book. Recognized by the Chicago Public Library as, “one of the very best picture books published for kids from birth to 3rd grade in 2019,” in their Best of the Best Books round-up for 2019 and finally, Hands Up!  was awarded the “2021 First Novelist Honor Book” by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc. and School Library Journal.

She is also the author of other picture books, including Atlanta, My Home for the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office and Impossible Moon which was published with Denene Millner Books/ Simon and Schuster.

Her newest book with Penguin Random House’s imprint Dial Go Forth and Tell: The Life of August Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller, was published February 6, 2024 and has received five starred reviews. Her fifth picture book Cute Toot was published in April 2024 and she also has two more picture books with Henry Holt Books for Young Readers at Macmillan.

Breanna is the co-founder of REIYL and completed her PhD at a university in the UK and looked at surveillance in representations of Black children as food. As an activist she is engaged in thinking through access to different types of literacy for families from the Global Majority and she’s adamant about promoting the work and connections of children’s book creators from those communities too.

1. I’m from Atlanta, GA. To be more specific I grew up in College Park and East Point, GA surrounded by my siblings and cousins. While I will always love how vibrant my home community is, it’s changing quite a bit. I just hope some things never change, like the sounds and smells at the DeKalb Farmers’ Market and food at my favorite wings spot off of Highway 29!

2. I write children’s books and my favorite genre is picture books. My first picture book, Hands Up! was published in 2019 by Dial Books for Young Readers and I have a few more on the way.

3. Growing up I dreamed of being a combo archaeologist/lawyer. I would make huge historical finds and then use my law degree to protect the artifacts that I found.

   My friends who are attorneys now tell me that’s not exactly how it works¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Soooo, I am not a lawyer, but there’s still time.

4. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor, The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, and Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson are three of my favorite books.

   I also reread A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle every year on my birthday which is probably number one in my top 5 fav books period. I’m grateful to be alive during a time when Ava DuVernay’s interpretation exists, if you haven’t seen it, what are you waiting for?! Never thought I’d see #AMegLikeMe !

5. Traveling is one of my favorite things to do but vacations kind of stress me out. I always feel like I should be working on a project, reading for my research, or doing something that helps build my writing and academic goals BUT when I finally do relax, I’m always excited to try new activities and foods. Adventure is my middle name…Not really, but it should be.

6. Opera is amazing, and a great moment in the history of Bre was feeling goosebumps raise on my arms as Morris Robinson sang out the first line of “Bess You Is My Woman Now” during a concert at Spelman College. My face was WET with tears, it was so incredibly beautiful.

7. The huge amount of concentrated love in the circle of exceptional Black women and girls that surround me is magical. I’m blessed by their love, support, and prayers.

8. I’m an alumna of Emory University and Simmons University (MA Children’s Literature) and I completed my PhD in Education at Cambridge.