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Omar Tyree is going from urban lit to children's books with his new literary debut. Check out the press release below:

Best-selling author Omar Tyree makes his children's book debut this month with 12 BROWN BOYS, a collection of short stories that focus on the lives of Black pre-teen boys.  The book is published by Just Us Books, leading publisher of Black-interest books for young people.

Omar Tyree is a New York Times best-selling author whose 18 published books, which include the popular novel Flyy Girl, have sold nearly two million copies worldwide. A graduate of Howard University with a degree in Print Journalism, Tyree has been recognized as one of the most renowned contemporary writers in the African-American community.  His contributions to literature have earned him a 2001 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature in Fiction, and a 2006 Phillis Wheatley Literary Award for Body of Work in Urban Fiction.

"Omar is a gifted writer who's now turning his talents to developing positive, contemporary and exciting literature targeted to young male readers a critical reading audience," says Wade Hudson, president and CEO of Just Us Books. "We're proud to publish his first book for young people. In 12 BROWN BOYS, Omar has assembled a wide range of characters that reflect the diversity of experiences of Black boys. These characters are funny, serious, edgy, street-wise, studious, and all unforgettable."”

12 BROWN BOYS consists of 12 short stories, each focusing on a pre-teen boy. Characters include Red Head Mike who hates his nickname, but hates his red hair even more; Chestnut, who is sent to live with relatives down South to keep him out of trouble in his Brooklyn neighborhood; Santa Monica super kid William, whose status as a scholar and entrepreneur has even his best friends hating him; Taylor, a star baller and aspiring video director who just might be getting his first big shot in the industry; and rough and tumble T.C. from St. Louis, who’s struggling to find his place as a young man in a house full of girls.

12 BROWN BOYS (ISBN 978-1933491127,official publication November 2008 ) is targeted to readers ages 8 to 12 and retails for $9.95 in paperback. The book is available at the Just Us Books online bookstore and at book retailers nationwide.

Just Us Books' 2008 list also includes Poetry From The Masters, Volume II: The Black Arts Movement, edited by Useni Eugene Perkins; Poetry From the Masters, Volume III: The Sixth Wave edited by Quraysh Ali Lansana and Toni Asante Lightfoot and a special 20th Anniversary edition of the AFRO-BETS ABC Book, which helped to launch Just Us Books twenty years ago.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Just Us Books is an independent, Black-owned publisher of books for young people that focus on African-American history, culture and experiences. Founded in 1988 by husband and wife team, Wade and Cheryl Hudson, the company's titles range from concept books for Pre-K to novels for young adults. In 2004 Just Us Books launched Sankofa Books, an imprint that brings classic Black-interest books for young people back into print. Based in East Orange, NJ, Just Us Books titles can be purchased at book stores and retail shops across the nation and through its web site, www.justusbooks.com.