Patch Writer at Words Book Signing

You might think you know Sonya Kimble-Ellis — you may have seen her picture on this website, noticed her byline on breaking news and human interest stories alike — maybe you even went to school with her in Maplewood.

But did you know that Sonya has published three — no, make that four — books?

And she'll be signing that fourth book — a children's picture book titled The Sandcastle Kids: A Mayan Adventure — this Sunday at at 1 p.m. This book is geared for kids age 6 and older, and tells the story of four friends who travel back in time to a Mayan village. While there, they learn about Mayan culture and the importance of helping others.

So how does a Columbia High grad go from local gal to published children's author?

After graduating from CHS, Kimble-Ellis earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Douglass College, Rutgers University, then worked as a features editor at a Brooklyn-based newspaper where she specialized in interviewing R&B and Jazz recording artists and reviewing Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.

From there Kimble-Ellis worked as a publicist for individuals like Grammy-award winning recording artist/producer James Mtume, playwright Richard Wesley, actress Tracy Camilla Johns (She’s Gotta Have It, New Jack City), and many New York/New Jersey-based rap and dance music artists.

Besides having her freelance work appear in numerous magazines and newspapers ranging from Essence and Black Enterprise magazines to The New York Daily News, Kimble-Ellis has worked as associate editor at Right On! Magazine and an editor at Black Beat magazine, before heading off for Scholastic, Inc. where she worked in the classroom magazines division writing and editing educational how-to articles for students in grades K-9.

Scholastic published Kimble-Ellis' first children’s book, Math Puzzlers. Her second book, Traditional African American Arts & Activities (John Wiley and Sons), was published in 2002. Chelsea House released her third book, a biography titled Bill Cosby: Entertainer & Activist, in August 2010.

Needless to say, Patch is lucky to have Sonya Kimble-Ellis — as are Millburn, Maplewood, South Orange and the wider world!