United States
My name is Julia Stone. I have a bachelor's degree in English and French from Ohio Wesleyan University and an MLIS from Kent State University. I have experience writing about libraries, literature, and more. I previously served as an associate editor at Green Building & Design and Sixtysix Magazine. I now work as a Reference & Instruction Librarian at Eastern Gateway Community College.
This #ownvoices YA novel focuses on Camila "la Furia" Hassan, a strong-willed 17-year-old Argentinian girl pursuing her dream of becoming a professional fútbolera despite the barriers as a female in a traditionally male sport.
Ernesto Cisneros writes with incredible heart and authenticity in his debut middle-grade novel, Efrén Divided, which received the Pura Belpré Children's Author Award in 2021.
Under the Royal Palms is an award-winning collection of autobiographical stories by Alma Flor Ada. It received the Pura Belpré Award in 2000 and was named as one of the American Library Association's Best Books of the Year in 2000.
In 1996, ALSC and REFORMA partnered to establish a literary award named in Belpré's honor. In 2021, a partnership with YALSA expanded the scope with a new Young Adult Author category. The award not only recognizes her legacy, but lives by it, supporting the efforts of Latine writers and illustrators who celebrate the Spanish language and the diverse experiences of Spanish-speaking communities in children's books.
Matika Wilbur is a Swinomish and Tulalip [tribes in the Puget Sound region] storyteller and photographer from Washington. After studying at the Brooks Institute of Photography and Rocky Mountain School of Photography, she worked as a fashion photographer in LA before deciding to become a full-time photographer focused on her own Native American communities.
Virginia Hamilton blended together art, politics, and social justice to portray the complexities of the African-American experience. As an advocate for representing counter-narratives, she referred to her body of work as “Liberation Literature.” Liberation Literature allows the reader to experience the protagonist’s suffering, but also their triumphs, liberating both the protagonist of the story and the reader.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is working to promote green buildings nationwide with the NRDC Resilient Communities Team.
Toor graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from OWU and went on to receive his MFA in painting from New York’s Pratt Institute in 2009. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1983, he now lives in Brooklyn, creating art that explores the ambiguities of living in the East and West.
Skylight by Jose Saramago illustrates the inner-workings of the mind through a patchwork of characters living in a run-down apartment complex in Lisbon during the 1940s.