Patricia C. McKissack (1944-2017) is an accomplished children's author. Prolific thanks to the support of her husband, Fredrick, she's written over 100 books for young kids. She served as a board member for the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance for years. In keeping with her desire to education children through fiction, she helped this non-profit organization to help spread literacy initiatives and support libraries across the United States.
Goin' Someplace Special was published in 2001. In keeping with McKissack's love of libraries, she writes this one about a young African American girl who visits a library on her own, despite the Jim Crow laws of her day. Since its publication, the book has become a standard text in many schools as well as having been used as a model for the pedagogy of children's literature. The book has received several awards, including: the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration, the ALA Notable Children's Book award, and a nomination for the Texas Bluebonnet Award.
