Talking With Children’s Book Award Winning Writer Cristina Kessler
March 25, 2024--Interview by John Coyne, Peace Corps Volunteer (Ethiopia 1962–64) Cristina Kessler...
Books donated to the Children’s Museum of St. Croix
Three kids, Zion, Jasmine and Riley enjoying reading the set of books I donated to The Children’s...
Hope is Here! Top Honors winner for the Lumen Award, given for “excellence in nonfiction for young readers.”
For Immediate Release Children’s Literary Classics...
Parent-Teacher Guides
By Cristina Kessler
Tales of an Ikut Swami
Personal Memoir
TALES OF AN IKUT SWAMI is a collection of my experiences with women in the Developing World. Each country was a new adventure and a new challenge and being an Ikut Swami gave me the freedom to try whatever opportunities came my way. Some of the stories are based on people that I knew for more than a year, and others lasted weeks, months, and in one case, an afternoon. But each was recorded in a notebook or journal, which preserved details I definitely would have forgotten by now. One is a portion of an article I wrote for the early Ms. Magazine, but all the rest are recorded treasured memories. It would be great if these stories trigger a walk down Memory Lane for all that read the book, thinking about amazing women they have met. And it lets us know that someway, big or small, we can all make a difference. – Cristina Kessler
Award-Winning Author
Cristina Kessler
Cristina Kessler is an award-winning author of nine books set in Africa, where she lived for 19 years. She’s received the 2015 Lumen Award, given for “excellence in nonfiction for young readers” with Hope is Here!; She’s received the Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award from the ASPCA for Excellence in Humane Literature for Young Readers; the Africana Book Award, from the African Studies Association, honoring outstanding books about Africa for children and young adults; and has been included many times on the Notable Books for a Global Society list. She writes about nature and cross-cultural topics.
Young Adult Novels
Wow, that is a wonderful presentation of your fantastic book and such a credit. Myself and Jimmy have really enjoyed reading your book and now watching the video. Mary Elton School were very grateful when they received your book and are planning to link it in with their education programme relating to their partner school in Tanzania. I hope they’ll be in touch soon. Please see attached some pictures of Jimmy with little sister Megan reading your book. He has thoroughly enjoyed reading it (many times) and has asked so many questions about the life of Muhammad. We’ve compared and contrasted our life with his and seen how, although very different lifestyle, we are all very similar in our values. Thank you so much for enlightening our lives with your wonderful book.
– Helen
New Paperback
Now available
The Odyssey of Iz
Young Adult Novel, Fantasy
I decided to write The Odyssey of IZ from a young girl’s perspective that could address both issues, early marriage, and education. My character was named for my Sudanese friend and masseuse, Izdihar, where we lived for 2 years and 8 months in the late 1990s. Izdihar was a young woman from Khartoum, pursuing a profession that was very unusual. Izdihar had to fight with her parents to follow her dream. – Cristina
Award-Winning
Published Books
Visiting Author in 17 countries
Awards and recognitions
Books set in Africa
Books available in all formats on
