Alda P. Dobbs

Alda P. Dobbs is the author of the middle grade novels Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna – a Texas Bluebonnet Selection, Pura Belpre Honor Book, and NPR Book of the Year – and its sequel, The Other Side of the River. Her picture book, The Giving Flower: The Story of the Poinsettia, received a starred review from SLJ and is a Reading Rock Stars book. Alda offers programs in English and Spanish that integrate historical research with the arts—using visual storytelling and performance to help students connect cultures, generations, and the natural world. Programs include: Barefoot Dreams: Students see how historical photographs and primary sources become scenes on the page through imagery, structure, and voice. Includes a story-mapping or vignette activity; The Other Side: Alda shares her family's 1913 journey and shows how documents and setting details can be shaped into character-driven narrative, building empathy through point of view and sensory language; Follow Your Passion!: A motivational talk plus mini-workshop on the creative process of finding your voice; The Giving Flower: Making Connections!: An interactive program exploring culture, geography, and science while highlighting illustration choices and the art of translating a story into English and Spanish. Photo by Katherine O. Ryan.