Thank you for including Barbed Wire Between Us in this list of 9 Outstanding Poetry Collections for Young Readers and Teens from School Library Journal! 2026 Stars So Far Home Page These lyrical titles include homages to Langston Hughes and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as a collection of pet poems. Our…
In the upcoming July issue of School Library Journal, Postcards from Malcom X has received a very nice review! “School libraries need true stories of the enduring importance of cross-cultural alliances and community organizing.” Gr 3-7–This book introduces middle school readers to the life and activism of Yuri Kochiyama, highlighting her meaningful correspondence and powerful…
In Conversation: Mia Wenjen and Jolene Gutiérrez Mar 31, 2026 Mia Wenjen and Jolene Gutiérrez both grapple with the cruelty of internment and family separation in their new picture books Barbed Wire Between Us and Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp, respectively. The two authors spoke about depicting difficult subject matter for young readers,…
I am thrilled to announce a new picture book! Violeta Encarnación will illustrate Barbed Wire Between Us. I’m so lucky that this story speaks to her! This is the picture book of my heart. I have been working on this for more than 5 years, trying to figure out how to structure the story. I am…
This is my third bilingual Spanish book list. Author Derek Taylor Kent wrote the first one. The second bilingual Spanish picture book list is from illustrator Wendy Martin. Today’s list is my own, the result of a pile of bilingual books that I’ve been saving for six months, and the books I read to create…
As I read all these #OwnVoices books, I noticed that many revolved around the importance of family and food. In fact, they are intertwined. Family recipes are passed down over generations. Grandmother cooking, if not grandmother actually cooking. And it’s always love that binds the generations as well as the secret sauce for why the…
Here is a round-up of all my resources in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15th through October 15th. Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month Read Your World Virtual Event: Unique Perspectives on Hispanic/Latinx Children’s Books in Raising Awareness about Climate Change Read Your World Celebrates Multicultural Children’s Book Day has its first-ever virtual event…