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Hi, JacketFlap!

Ever since I returned to the US after thirteen years teaching ESL in the Yucatan Peninsula, I've been writing children's books with latino protagonists. I am credentialed as an English and a Spanish teacher, and Spanish words and phrases appear in all my stories.

In one, a young artist is trying to reconcile her life in Brooklyn with her Mexico City upbringing. In a second story, a Mayan girl with a wayward pet pig and a raft of responsibilities at home makes a great accidental discovery.

A third tale follows a shy latino boy's transformation, in the crowd at Obama's inauguration. A story for first and second graders tells of an American girl who loves the language and culture she's learning from her Spanish-speaking baby sitter and the sitter's new baby.

I belong to SCBWI, and to a small kid's lit critique group.
I have a dozen manuscripts that my group agrees are ready to go. I haven't published any yet.

I'm also writing a memoir about my early years in Cancún in the '70's, when I was a pioneer in what was hardly more than a construction camp on the Yucatan coast.

I retired after twelve years teaching ESL to children in the West Contra Costa schools. My intermediate ESL class at Albany Adult School consists of visiting scholars and their spouses from 18 or 20 different countries--I call this "teaching in heaven."

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Saludos,
Debby

Hi, JacketFlap! Ever since I returned to the US after thirteen years teaching ESL in the Yucatan Peninsula, I've been writing children's books with latino protagonists. I am credentialed as an English and a Spanish teacher, and Spanish words and phrases appear in all my stories. In one, a young artist is trying to reconcile her life in Brooklyn with her Mexico City upbringing. In a second sto... More