Author Angie Thomas smiling at the camera with her hands under her chin

Angie Thomas

Author/Illustrator

“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?”
― Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give

As a teenager, the rappers’ stories to which author Angie Thomas was listening validated her experiences and emotions. She aims to bring that same honesty and raw truth in the books she writes.

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Angie tapped into her own experiences and memories of growing up in a family with significant financial struggles.

Angie Thomas expounds on Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s quote about “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” when talking about why diverse books are crucial for all of us.

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Angie Thomas was born and raised in Mississippi, but now calls Atlanta her home. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine with a picture included. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She can also still rap if needed. She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Myers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books. Her award-winning, acclaimed debut novel, The Hate U Give, is a #1 New York Times bestseller and major motion picture from Fox 2000, starring Amandla Stenberg and directed by George Tillman, Jr. 

Books by this author

Blackout

Blackout

Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon
Age Level:
Middle Grade, YA
Genre:
Fiction, Short Stories
Published:
2021
Concrete Rose

Concrete Rose

Angie Thomas
Age Level:
YA
Genre:
Fiction
Published:
2021
The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give

Angie Thomas
Age Level:
YA
Genre:
Fiction
Published:
2017