Books

The Northbound Train will be released by Abrams Books for Young Readers in the spring of 2026.

Leaving behind your home and community can be daunting. In writing THE NORTHBOUND TRAIN, I thought of what my father went through when he moved with his family from Birmingham, Alabama to Chicago, Illinois in the 1930s, a time when millions of African Americans left the South to escape Jim Crow laws. In writing the story, I also connected with my own inner feelings of anxiety around moving to new places. I wanted children to know that they are not alone in feeling nervous about leaving home and that journeys can bring about unexpected gifts.