When I first moved to the U.S. as a child, the celebration of Thanksgiving was of course completely foreign to me. But the idea of setting aside an entire day to spend with family and friends, recounting all of the things for which we are thankful, resonated with me from the start. Who doesn’t like […]
Monica Brown is the award-winning author of Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People (Henry Holt), which won the Américas Award for Children’s Literature and an Orbis Pictus Honor for Outstanding Nonfiction, Waiting for the Biblioburro (Random House), a Christopher Award winner, and many other celebrated books for children. Her picture book, Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol […]
Back to school books abound in contemporary children’s literature. From Kevin Henkes’ endearing Chrysanthemum (Mulberry Books), to the fun If You Take a Mouse to School (HarperCollins), and every other serialized character that has, at some point, released a “school-themed” title, you will find no shortage of choices at your local bookstore, or by searching […]
Much has been written about the dearth of books written by and about Latinos, especially when compared with the rate of our population growth. We know that there is a demand for these books, but publishers don’t seem to be able (or willing, depending on who you ask) to fulfill that demand. Read Related: The […]
Creating “reading lists” is a time-honored tradition in the world of book reviewing—there are back-to-school lists, lists that celebrate particular holidays, and of course, the ubiquitous summer reading list. After more than 15 years in the children’s book industry and many years as a professional book reviewer, I’ve put together a list or two. So […]
On May 30, I had the pleasure of serving as a presenter at the 15th annual International Latino Book Awards ceremony held at Instituto Cervantes in New York City. I was in very good (and fun!) company: actor-director Tony Plana served as the master of ceremonies for the event and presenters included golf legend Chi […]
Most parents are aware of Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Awards, which this year took place just this past March. The awards’ main appeal—aside from the star-studded show that announces the winners—is the fact that kids themselves get to choose their favorites from a broad array of entertainment categories in a media landscape that is increasingly designed […]
In 1996, award-winning children’s author Pat Mora launched a community-based, family literacy initiative with the help of REFORMA: the National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, called El día de los niños, El día de los libros/Children’s Day, Book Day. “Día” as it’s now known, is a daily […]
This past March, I had the honor of participating in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Writer’s Days Conference in Los Angeles, CA, along with some of the brightest talent in the children’s book industry, including award-winning and bestselling authors Malinda Lo, Nikki Grimes and Eugene Yelchin, as well as Daniel Nayeri, […]