Jada Bradley

I grew up in Buffalo, New York. Although I really dislike that snow is the first thing people think of when Buffalo is mentioned, I will say that my very first book was one I made at home while we were stuck inside because of a blizzard. Schools were closed (yay!), so naturally, I wrote and assembled a book out of construction paper.

I lived within walking distance of two libraries and during the summer I'd take out stacks of book. As was the case with my school library, a lot of the books were old but I don't think this was a bad thing. I read a lot of classic children's literature and I think this informs my writing today.

For my latest book, PAPER ROUTES ARE FOR BOYS, I challenged myself to include two of my real-life experiences in one story. The book itself is not my life story but like the main character, Leela, I did deliver a free community newspaper and I did sprain my ankle once. If memory serves, I sprained my ankle before I started delivering papers so for me, one experience had no bearing on the other. That is not the case in the book.