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Latino reads for you
Last Saturday I did a Hispanic Heritage presentation at Richmond’s Fountain Bookstore. Here is the list a couple of you have asked for. These are some of my favorite Latino reads, oldies and new...
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For my Holladay ES Peeps
So fun to visit Holladay ES this morning. They’ve been reading MILAGROS in the fourth grade and also TIA ISA in the second grade. We ran out of time for questions, so as promised, I’m answering here....
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My Favorite Book This Year: A Monster Calls
I love so many books, it’s usually impossible for me to say that I love one more than another. It’s the mother spirit in me, wanting to love them all in some special way. But all that changed this...
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My December reading list
I did some holiday shopping today, but to treat myself kindly (and to avoid becoming a lunatic by Noche Buena), I made a pit stop at my favorite public library. That’s the Tuckahoe Area library in...
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Charlotte Zolotow Award
awarded by the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison A big thank you to the Charlotte Zolotow Prize committee for selecting Tía Isa Wants a Car...
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Back again! Girls of Summer 2012
Ah, it’s almost time to kick back and read the way you’re supposed to read in the summer: curled in a hammock or beach chair. Here comes Girls of Summer 2012. Gigi Amateau and I are updating our...
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Scenes for the Girls of Summer Live Launch
The Girls of Summer 2012 site is live — 18 great summer reads for girls! But here are some shots from a truly magical night under the shady trees of Library Park in Richmond, VA. More than 100 girls,...
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Hate Crimes, YA Lit & Latinos: An interview with Caroline Bock, author of LIE
LIE Caroline Bock St. Martin’s Griffin, 2011 978-0-312-66832-7 I can’t say it’s a pleasure to read a book about hate crimes by teens. But since hate crimes against Latinos have seen the highest spike...
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What I’m Reading for Hispanic Heritage Month
It’s that time of the year again! Hispanic Heritage Month is around the corner (Sept 15 – Oct 15). Here are the picks for my nightstand. YA/historical fiction set during the Spanish Civil War. You may...
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I Can Almost Smell the Sunscreen: Girls of Summer 2013
It’s almost that time again! Gigi and I are putting the very last touches on Girls of Summer 2013, our annual curated reading list of summer reads for strong girls. Two dates for you: June 10, 2013:...
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Football, Racism & Latino History for Teens: A talk with Sandra Neil Wallace
The holidays are a time to invite friends to your house, and that’s true for this blog, too. I’m honored to have Sandra Neil Wallace with me this week. Sandra is a former ESPN sportscaster and author...
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The Literary Activist: When writing moves beyond your computer
Picture the fervor of a rock concert smashed into book geekdom and strong girls. That’s the Girls of Summer live launch party, being held tonight, June18, 7 pm at the Richmond Public Library (Main...
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Where books meet disaster: A brief reading list about kids and migration
Buttons of the winning titles. Thank you, Celia Perez! I got home last week from the ALA conference, an experience that still makes me daydream, especially when I think of the energy and passion in the...
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Five Questions for Kwame Alexander
Kwame Alexander’s latest middle grade novel, The Crossover, stole my heart this summer. It’s a novel-in-verse about two brothers – both basketball phenoms – and what threatens to pull them apart. At...
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Book Hoarding and other things I admitted to on Book Riot
My heroes at Book Riot have a new podcast series called Reading Lives, where authors talk about pretty much anything except their own books. I’m on there today, episode #2, where Jeff O’Neal and I talk...
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Caminar by Skila Brown
On Saturday, I had the chance to talk about one of my favorite reads of last year. I read Caminar by Skila Brown in the fall, and I’m so glad I finally had the chance to talk about it on Weekend...
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Meet the Enchanting Margarita Engle
For more than two decades, Margarita Engle has produced award-winning work for children of all ages. Among her many distinctions, she is a multiple recipient of the Pura Belpré medal, the Américas...
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All things wise and ghostly: Old & new titles to scare you at every age
It’s coming up on October, a tough month for those of us who despise being terrified. What can I tell you? Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin did me in when I was a teen, and I don’t think I ever recovered....
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The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary: An Interview with NoNi Ramos
As readers of this blog know, I like to introduce new Latinx writers, especially those whom I’m lucky to meet in person on the road. Today, I’m talking with debut novelist Noni Ramos about The...
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Read Brave Write Brave: My upcoming visit to St. Paul
This week, I’m heading back to St. Paul, Minnesota (average temperature in February is 23.7 degrees F). This time I’ll be there for a community visit that has some unexpected ties right here to...
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