Judy Allen Dodson
AUTHOR
Award-Winning Children’s Author | Public Librarian & Archivist | Cultural & Historical Storyteller
Judy Allen Dodson is a librarian, archivist, and children’s book author whose work elegantly weaves Black history, resilience, and representation into narratives that young readers carry with them long after the last page. Her middle grade novel Escape From… Hurricane Katrina (Little Bee Books, 2021) is a Junior Library Guild selection, offering a timeless and compassionate lens on survival, family, and community in the face of crisis. She has also explored archival storytelling in The Ashe Brothers: How Arthur and Johnnie Changed Tennis Forever (Capstone, 2023), illuminating the power of history through the lives of Black sports icons.
A winner of the 2016 SCBWI On‑the‑Verge Emerging Voices Award, Judy has also earned North Carolina Arts Council grants and served as a Highlights Foundation Diversity Fellow. She is active in SCBWI, a regional co-ambassador for the Authors Guild, and formerly served on the Coretta Scott King Archives & History Committee. Her passion is sparking connection, representation, and inquiry through storytelling. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, she lives there with her family.
Location: Raleigh, NC
“I write stories that affirm identity, preserve history, and open adventurous worlds for the next generation.”
~Judy Allen-Dodson”
Signature Presentations:
Surviving the Storm: Lessons on Resilience from Escape From Hurricane Katrina
Unsung Heroes in Our Story: Weaving Black History Into Children’s Narratives
Library to Literature: Inspiring the Next Generation of Readers, Thinkers, and Writers
Audiences: Grades 3-8 and beyond, Schools | Libraries | Literary Festivals | Community Programs | Conferences
Availability & Honorariums: Contact Coy Brantley-Carlos
