Mississippi Morning

Amidst the economic depression and the racial tension of the 1930s, a boy discovers a horrible secret of his father's involvement in the Ku Klux Klan.

Ruth Vander Zee, teacher and author, says that Mississippi Morning was inspired by a sermon she heard. "The story struck a chord with me because I was raised with certain prejudices that at one time or another were comfortable or unquestioned," she says. Ruth has written a curriculum for young adults and a children’s book, Erika’s Story (Creative Editions), which tells of a young girl’s rescue from the Holocaust. Ruth is a resident of Miami, Florida.

Floyd Cooper has illustrated many books for young readers, several of which he also wrote. He began drawing at the age of three and has been illustrating books for children since 1988. Floyd earned Coretta Scott King Honors for several titles: Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea, Meet Danitra Brown (both HarperCollins), and I Have Heard of a Land (HarperTrophy). He received the inaugural New Jersey Center for the Book Award in 2002 and also gained recognition from the Society of Illustrators and the American Library Association. Floyd Cooper lives in Gillette, New Jersey.