The author, who is a lifelong educator, always had a particular love for picture books. Over the years she amassed a rather large collection and aspired to write one someday. She always enjoyed read-alouds and took every opportunity to read to young children as a parent, grandparent and educator. When she was an Elementary Principal, she started a Principal’s Book Club so she and her students could have a chance to talk about books. Finally, her dream of becoming a children’s book author was fulfilled, and she published Jamal and Me in November, 2017.

Ms. Franks-Randall, who was a teacher and administrator in New York, and who is now retired, dealt with many students who had difficulty adjusting to a new school. As a principal, her focus was always on making sure that the adults working with the child who was struggling focused on making the school environment a place where every child (even the challenging ones) can be successful. Children who have read the book have talked about how hard it is to be the “new kid” and how they will help a new classmate adjust in the future.

The reading of Jamal and Me includes stuffed dolls, as well as distribution of bookmarks and coloring sheets. Copies of the book will be for available for purchase at the event and will be signed by the author.

Carol Franks-Randall has lived in Centreville since 2009, where she loves conducting “Nana’s Read Alouds” with her six grandchildren. She is currently working on her next book, Playground Heroes, due to be published in 2018. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the City College of New York, and Masters and Doctoral Degrees from Columbia University.

You can visit her at https://carolfranksrandall.com. And download a flyer for this event here.