Storytelling has always been a part of Candicee Childs’s life. As a child, the library became her favorite place in the world, filled with books that sparked her imagination, each one drawing her into a new adventure. As she grew older and became a doctor, she felt a desire to create stories of her own that would reflect her unique voice and ideas and be meaningful for readers.
Candicee felt her own journey in becoming a doctor could do just that, and she created a children’s story that features a child of color aspiring to become a doctor since, when she was a child, she never saw doctors who quite looked like her. With Cece's Sour and Sweet Journey to Medical School, Candicee’s hope is to encourage all children to consider STEM careers, especially medicine, but also to empower young children of color who often don’t see themselves represented in these fields.
Candicee feels the best kinds of books leave a reader feeling inspired. She hopes her young readers come away from her stories learning that failure is a chance to grow and that living a life with meaning and having a career with purpose is important and that this stays with them long after the book is closed. Her own motivation comes from her faith in Christ to share positive stories and encourage others.
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, now living in Boston, Massachusetts, Candicee is a resident physician, aspiring to become a child and adolescent psychiatrist. She is also a public/motivational speaker including talks for TEDxSavannah, the 2024 Commencement Speaker for Georgia Southern University Commencement, and talks at schools for children. In her spare time, Candicee enjoys running, reading, taking care of her plant babies, traveling, playing tennis, going to the beach, and attending church services.
Candicee is grateful for the encouragement and guidance of her late mother, Tina Sims Childs, a longtime educator and Candicee’s best friend; and her father, Darien Childs, and brother, Byron Childs, who have encouraged her to push for her dreams as a writer.
