🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Rita Williams-Garcia
Rita Williams-Garcia is an American author. She was born in Queens, New York on April 13, 1957. She says that her mother Miss Essie named her ‘NoMo’ immediately after her birth. Even though she was her last child, she took her time making up her appearance to the world. Now she says that she likes to believe that she was dreaming up a good story and wouldn’t budge until she was finished. She says that today her daughters call her Pokey Mom because she is constantly being a slow poke when they want to go go go. Rita says that she learned to read when she was young and was aware of events going on as she grew up in the sixties. In the middle of real events, she daydreamed and wrote stories. Writing stories for young people is her passion and mission since teens read.
All Book Series by Rita Williams-Garcia
One Crazy Summer: The Graphic Novel
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2025
Bottle Cap Boys Dancing on Royal Street
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2009
13 American Women Who Changed the World
Series opener · book 1 of 31 · published 2017 Anthology · Chelsea Clinton
She Persisted Around the World
Book 2 of 31 · published 2018 Anthology · Chelsea Clinton
American Olympians Who Changed the Game
Book 3 of 31 · published 2020 Anthology · Chelsea Clinton
Wangari Maathai
Book 17 of 31 · published 2022 Anthology · Eucabeth A. Odhiambo
Brilliant Women Who Made a Difference
Book 18 of 31 · published 2022 Anthology · Chelsea Clinton
Marian Anderson
Book 21 of 31 · published 2022 Anthology · Katheryn Russell-Brown
Rosalind Franklin
Book 26 of 31 · published 2022 Anthology · Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Florence Nightingale
Book 28 of 31 · published 2023 Anthology · Chelsea Clinton,Shelli R. Johannes
Pura Belpré
Book 30 of 31 · published 2023 Anthology · Meg Medina,Marilisa Jimenez Garcia
Simone Biles
Latest in the series · book 31 of 31 · published 2023 Anthology · Kekla Magoon
Join In: Multiethnic Short Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults
Series opener · book 1 of 8 · published 1993
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rita Williams-Garcia?
Rita Williams-Garcia is an American author. She was born in Queens, New York on April 13, 1957. She says that her mother Miss Essie named her ‘NoMo’ immediately after her birth.
Which Rita Williams-Garcia series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Gaither Sisters series, the earliest of Rita Williams-Garcia's multi-book series: it opens with One Crazy Summer (2010) and runs to 3 books across 2010–2015, ending with Gone Crazy in Alabama (2015).
How many books has Rita Williams-Garcia written?
Rita Williams-Garcia has 55 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1988 and 2025. 34 of them belong to 2 named series — the largest being the Gaither Sisters series with 3 books — and 21 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Rita Williams-Garcia's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Rita Williams-Garcia's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Gaither Sisters (2010–2015, 3 books).
How are Rita Williams-Garcia's books organised into series?
This guide splits Rita Williams-Garcia's 55 books into 2 named series and 21 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Gaither Sisters (3 books, 2010–2015); She Persisted (31 books, 2017–2023).