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Tonya’s Year In Books

Tonya’s 2024 Year in Books

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2025 Reading Challenge

2025

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Tonya Ellis has read 43 of 60 books.

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Tonya Duncan Ellis

Goodreads Author

Born

in Louisville, The United States

Website

http://www.tonyaduncanellis.com

Twitter

TonyaDEllis

Genre

Children's

Member Since

November 2016

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Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of THEY BUILT ME FOR FREEDOM (HarperCollins, Balzer + Bray, 2024) and the SOPHIE WASHINGTON children’s chapter series. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Authors Guild, and the Brown Bookshelf’s Highlights Foundation-sponsored Amplify Black Stories storyteller cohort. Tonya has spoken and taught at writing conferences at the Highlights Foundation and for SCBWI in New York City and for SCBWI Houston and Austin, TX chapters. A former journalist and freelance magazine writer, she lives in Houston, Texas.

www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
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Combine Editions
Tonya Duncan Ellis’s books

Average rating: 4.41 · 2,391 ratings · 492 reviews · 21 distinct works • Similar authors

	Sophie Washington: Queen of the Bee 4.35 avg rating — 990 ratings — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park by Tonya Duncan Ellis (Goodreads Author), Jenin Mohammed (Illustrator) 4.51 avg rating — 207 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: The Snitch 4.39 avg rating — 172 ratings — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: My BFF 4.59 avg rating — 140 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Things You Didn't Know About Sophie 4.13 avg rating — 135 ratings — published 2013 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Secret Santa 4.29 avg rating — 113 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Code One 4.58 avg rating — 92 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Mismatch 4.62 avg rating — 85 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Mission: Costa Rica 4.52 avg rating — 86 ratings — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Class Retreat 4.28 avg rating — 83 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Tonya Duncan Ellis's Blog

Benefits of a Writing Retreat

I’ve attended a few writing retreats over the years. I return from every one refreshed, affirmed, and energized to continue in my creative practice. During writing retreats, I network with peers and almost always progress more on projects than I thought possible.

There’s something about spending a few days in a tranquil setting, where I’m well-fed, understood as an artist, and encouraged that make

Series by Tonya Duncan Ellis

Sophie Washington (14 books)
by

Tonya Duncan Ellis (Goodreads Author)

4.40 avg rating — 2,177 ratings

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Tonya Ellis has read You've Got a Place Here, Too: An Anthology of Black Love Stories Set at HBCUs by Ebony LaDelle (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20 hours, 7 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of You've Got a Place Here, Too by Ebony LaDelle. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — You've Got a Place Here, Too by Ebony LaDelle <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tonya Ellis has read Taken by the Shawnee by Sallie Bingham	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20 hours, 8 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Taken by the Shawnee by Sallie Bingham. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Taken by the Shawnee by Sallie Bingham <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tonya Ellis rated a book it was amazing Rica Baptista: The Box of Possibilities by Janet Costa Bates	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 27, 2025 12:56PM · like
Tonya Ellis rated a book it was amazing What You Never Knew about Sza (Behind the Scenes Biographies) by Kirstie Myvett (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 27, 2025 12:56PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of What You Never Knew about Sza by Kirstie Myvett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — What You Never Knew about Sza by Kirstie Myvett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tonya Ellis rated a book it was amazing What You Never Knew about Rihanna (Behind the Scenes Biographies) by Kirstie Myvett (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 27, 2025 12:55PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of What You Never Knew about Rihanna by Kirstie Myvett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — What You Never Knew about Rihanna by Kirstie Myvett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tonya Ellis has read What You Never Knew about Rihanna (Behind the Scenes Biographies) by Kirstie Myvett (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 27, 2025 12:55PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of What You Never Knew about Rihanna by Kirstie Myvett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — What You Never Knew about Rihanna by Kirstie Myvett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tonya Ellis rated a book it was amazing A Flea For Justice: Marian Wright Edelman Stands Up for Change by Valerie Bolling (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Inspiring story about Marian Wright Edelman, a Civil Rights Activist and founder of the Children's Defense Fund. It was interesting to learn about her growing up experiences and her development into a leader and change agent. The idea of being a "fle ...more
Aug 27, 2025 12:35PM · like · see review
Tonya Ellis has read Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 25, 2025 02:42PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tonya Ellis rated a book it was amazing The Daddy-Daughter Dance by Malcolm Newsome (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Adorable story about a father and daughter duo keeping their groove when a long-awaited dance is cancelled. I loved seeing the charming father-daughter relationship, and the vibrant illustrations, which remind me of a lovely scrapbook, make you want ...more
Aug 24, 2025 12:15PM · like · see review
Tonya Ellis finished reading The Autumn of Ruth Winters by Marshall Fine (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 24, 2025 12:02PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Autumn of Ruth Winters by Marshall Fine. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Autumn of Ruth Winters by Marshall Fine <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Tonya Duncan Ellis (?)

“get good grades”
― Tonya Duncan Ellis, Sophie Washington: Queen of the Bee

2 likes

“That’s easy for her to say. She’s old, so nobody cares about how she looks.”
― Tonya Duncan Ellis, Sophie Washington: The Snitch

1 likes

“Moooom! I was here first, and now she wants to change the channel,” he whines.”
― Tonya Duncan Ellis, Sophie Washington: Queen of the Bee

1 likes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Making Connections: 5079. - SOPHIE WASHINGTON: QUEEN OF THE BEE by Tonya Duncan Ellis	3	7	Dec 31, 2017 06:42AM
Making Connections: 5081. - SOPHIE WASHINGTON: THE GAMER by Tonya Duncan Ellis	3	6	Dec 31, 2017 06:43AM
Making Connections: 5078. - SOPHIE WASHINGTON: THE SNITCH by Tonya Duncan Ellis	11	18	Jan 20, 2018 07:24PM
Making Connections: 5080. - SOPHIE WASHINGTON: THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT SOPHIE by Tonya Duncan Ellis	6	11	Jan 28, 2018 01:11PM
Genre Specific Re...: Children's Review Group 6 (closed)	60	48	Jun 19, 2018 08:51AM
Genre Specific Re...: Children's Books Review Group 11/2018 (Closed)	128	48	Jan 20, 2019 02:33AM
Making Connections: 5520. Sophie Washington: Mismatch by Tonya Duncan Ellis	1	10	Jul 23, 2019 07:11PM
Making Connections: 6530. Sophie Washington: Treasure Beach by Tonya Duncan Ellis	3	37	Jan 18, 2023 07:13PM
Genre Specific Re...: Children's Book Review Group 7 (reviewing)	76	68	Jun 14, 2023 05:03AM
Cozy Mysteries : * When You’re Not Reading a Cozy	1722	1027	8 minutes ago