Carole Boston Weatherford: Writing History, a Roadmap for Young Readers (Ep. 91)

Along with our announcement of the 2026 book picks for the annual “From Page to Screen" podcast, we invited one of the authors, Carole Boston Weatherford, award-winning children's book author to join us for a conversation about writing history for young readers. Carole's written 90 books (and counting) for children and youth about Americans who broke barriers and advanced freedom movements in U.S.history. Carole shares her journey into writing history for young readers, emphasizing the importance of diverse narratives. She describes her research process, including using primary sources and visiting historical sites. Carole also discusses her book (a "From Page to Screen" book pick) “Kin Rooted in Hope," a multi-generational family history, and addresses the significance of telling African American stories to foster empathy and understanding. It’s a book that has special meaning being her family story and a collaboration with her son Jeffrey Boston Weatherford, the book’s illustrator.Carole Boston Weatherford’s’s books have garnered 2 NAACP Image Awards and 18 American Library Association Youth Media Awards, including a Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Award and 4 Caldecott Honors. Her career achievements have been recognized with the North Carolina Award for Literature, the Nonfiction Award from the Children’s Book Guild and induction into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. A retired English professor, she lives in Baltimore, MD------TIMESTAMPSIntroduction and Overview of the Podcast (0:01)Carole Boston Weatherford's Writing Journey (4:07)Historical Research Process and Inspirations (7:31)Selecting Historical Events and People (10:53)Creating "KIN: Rooted in Hope" a multigenerational family story (15:09)History "Our Only Road Map" (18:53)------SUBSCRIBE to HISTORICAL DRAMA WITH THE BOSTON SISTERS® on your favorite podcast platformENJOY past podcasts and bonus episodesSIGN UP for our mailing listSUPPORT this podcast  SHOP THE PODCAST on our affiliate bookstoreBuy us a Coffee! You can support by buying a coffee ☕ here — buymeacoffee.com/historicaldramasistersThank you for listening!