Authors of Davy Brown Discovers His Roots to Sign Books at Annual Conference
Cite as "AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 09050567 (posted May. 5, 2009)"
Velani Mynhardt Witthöft and Keely Alexander, authors of Davy Brown Discovers His Roots will be signing copies of their book in Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 3, during the opening of the AILA exhibit hall and on Saturday morning, June 6 at the AILF booth.
"The story is a great way to introduce the concept of the many ways people come to the United States permanently and temporarily. It is going to be a perfect conversation starter for a family discovering their roots or for a classroom teacher starting a unit on immigration", said Claire Tesh, of the AILF's Community Education Center.
The authors not only wanted a partner who is dedicated to immigration but also an organization to which they could donate proceeds from book sales. AILF loved the concept of the story and the partnership, and after several drafts and decisions about illustrators, book covers and other final details the book is now in print and will be sold on-line, in book stores and at the American Immigration Lawyers Association's (AILA's) Annual Conference in Las Vegas.
An exciting angle AILF is taking with the book is to have sponsors purchase a copy of the book which will then be sent to a classroom or library in a "hotspot" region of the immigration debate. Along with Southern Poverty Law Center, AILF is putting together a list of communities who will get a copy of the book.
Books can be ordered through the AILF website.
About Davy Brown Discovers His Roots
Everyone has an immigration story-even you. Whether you came to this country in pursuit of a better life or your grandparents came over on a boat with nothing but a dream, your story is an important thread in the fabric of the American tale. Sometimes we have to look back in order to look forward.
Authors Velani Mynhardt Witthöft and Keely Alexander of Keely Velani LLC tell the story of a young boy and his friends "look back" to find their immigrant roots in Davy Brown Discovers His Roots. Davy Brown is a bright, all-American boy with some not-so-typical problems. His best friend may be leaving the country. His teacher has just instructed the class to describe their own immigration stories-but his family doesn't have one-or so Davy thinks. In their search for their immigrant roots, Davy and his friends Carlos, Erika, and Amit discover that even the most seemingly typical people have exciting immigration histories.
Davy Brown Discovers His Roots includes resources that enable readers to embark on their own voyage of discovery and can be read on many different levels. The book is easy enough for a child to understand but with enough substance to engage an adult reader. The story also features information on various types of visas and immigration paths-along with a handy reference guide. Soon there will be lesson plans and activities available to educators on both organization's websites.
While researching children's books on immigration, Witthöft and Alexander discovered that many immigration narratives tell immigration stories from a strictly historical or ethnic perspective, which sometimes leaves the reader with the feeling that he/she is on the outside looking in. Witthöft and Alexander's goal was to tell an accessible immigration story that includes everyone.
"We wanted to create a story that would blend the historic with the current to convey the message that we are all immigrants," Witthöft said. "The story is about all of us-a story everyone can relate to."
About the Authors
Witthöft is an immigrant from South Africa. She graduated from the University of Pretoria in 1999 with two law degrees and practiced bankruptcy law until 2002 when she moved to New York City. She worked for a financial magazine on Wall Street until 2004 when she and her husband moved to Seattle. She is currently employed by the Foundation for International Services where she works in comparative international education assisting immigration attorneys.
Alexander grew up in a small town in Western Montana. She attended the University of Montana in Missoula, where she received degrees in English-Literature and German. She has worked in the publishing industry, taught ESL and studied abroad. She now lives in Seattle with her husband and stepdaughter, and works in the casual gaming industry writing and editing game scripts.
About Keely Valani, LLC
Keely Velani LLC publishes children's books with a purpose. The books are designed to teach kids about global and social issues in a fun and novel way. When purchasing one of their books, kids not only will be educated on the issue featured in the book, but Keely Velani will contribute a portion of the proceeds to that specific cause to make a real difference. For the next two years Keely Velani will be dedicated to supporting AILF's Curriculum Center. Their next project will be on global warming; and after that that the issue the two will adopt is AIDS.
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