Deyssy
My name is Deyssy (she/her). When I wrote my books I was a student at the University of the District of Columbia. I am majoring in Social Work and expect to graduate in May 2023. When I am not writing or in classes, I am interning at So Others Might Eat (SOME), working at a local restaurant, or painting! Once I graduate from UDC, I would like to attend law school and enter a full-time job where I can keep helping vulnerable communities. I want to let my readers know that no matter how hard or difficult times can be, there is always a light of hope encouraging you to not give up. As human beings, we are fighters.
BOOKS BY DEYSSY
Authors: Deyssy Mosso, Yenner Rengifo Chaverra
Illustrator: Fatima Seck
In Perla’s Magical Goodbye, Deyssy and Yenner wanted to write a book that reflects the experience of leaving home to move to another country. Perla has been friends with Pablo and Genesis for as long as they can remember. But now that Perla is moving away from her hometown of San Unicornio to the US, she is sad about leaving them. After making a wish at the town’s unicorn fountain, Perla and her friends are visited by a magical creature who helps them spend one last beautiful day together. How can Perla and her friends learn to hold onto these magical memories and say goodbye?
En El adiós mágico de Perla, Deyssy y Yenner quisieron escribir un libro que reflejara la experiencia de dejar su hogar y mudarse a otro país. Perla ha estado con sus amigos Pablo y Génesis desde que tiene memoria. Pero ahora que Perla se va a mudar de su pueblo natal, San Unicornio, hacia los EE. UU., está triste por dejarlos. Después de pedir un deseo en la fuente del unicornio del pueblo, Perla y sus amigos son visitados por una criatura mágica que los ayuda a compartir un último y hermoso día juntos. ¿Cómo aprenderán Perla y sus amigos a preservar estas memorias mágicas y decir adiós?
ISBN: 978-1-950807-40-6
Age: 4-9
Lexile: AD550L
Page Count: 40
Published: Fall 2021
“Poignant and powerful . . . the students write with fresh power about loss, about the failures of the system around them, and how to decide when, how and where they should speak out.” —Publishers Weekly
“Our young people are asking that we sit with them, that we listen to them, and that we see their lives in all of their complexity. The stories in What It Cost Us must be read. They must be remembered." —Clint Smith, author of How the Word is Passed: Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
“Authentic and sincere.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A momentous account of a time we must remember.” —Wendy Wan-Long Shang, author of The Secret Battle of Evan Pao
Foreword by Candice Iloh
In this collaborative novel, ten diverse young writers from Washington, DC recreate the historic year 2020 from their perspectives, through fictional stories inspired by their own lived experiences. Told chronologically from the onset of the pandemic to the insurrection of January 6th, their stories of change and resilience are accompanied by maps, social media, original artwork, and real-life headlines to create an immersive experience of an unprecedented coming of age.
You’ll meet Faiza, a Muslim high school student, who struggles to celebrate Ramadan during the worst of the COVID-19 shutdowns. You’ll protest with Roman, the only Black student in his class, whose relationships are challenged in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. You’ll face the fraught 2020 election with Dennis, a young Nigerian immigrant, as he questions a democracy that seems to count him out.
By examining the shards of this shattered year, these authors explore “what it cost us” through stories that both acknowledge loss and celebrate what got us through.
ISBN: 978-1-950807-55-0
Age: 12+
Lexile: 780L
Page Count: 329
Published: Spring 2023