We are thrilled that We Sing From the Heart received a Social Justice award from the International Literacy Association! We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Victor Bizar Gomez Recommended Reading for the Social Justice Literature Award 2025…
I was able to see Salmon Run by Annie Chen at ALA in Philadelphia. It was hot off the presses. Not even the author/illustrator, Annie Chen, had seen it. It felt like a full circle moment because Annie Chen is my oldest daughter’s best friend from college. A dual degree RISD/Brown student, Annie took the…
Dorktales Podcast’s Hidden Hero of History series features Makoto Hagiwara from picture book Fortune Cookies for Everyone! A tale of artistry, innovation, and lasting legacy! Makoto Hagiwara, a Japanese American landscape architect, transformed a World’s Fair exhibit into San Francisco’s Japanese Tea Garden. It’s the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, still cherished…
Read Your World is celebrating Native American Heritage Month with a free virtual event on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 7:00 PM EST. Meet Xelena González, James Bird, Sherri Maret, and Carla J. S. Messinger, and register for a chance to win 1 of 4 book bundles. Sign up here: readyourworld.org/NAHMVirtual Event p.s. Related…
BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US [STARRED REVIEW!] Author: Mia Wenjen Illustrator: Violeta Encarnación Review Issue Date: November 15, 2025 Online Publish Date: October 10, 2025 Publisher: Red Comet Press Pages: 48 Price (Hardcover): $19.99 Publication Date: March 31, 2026 ISBN (Hardcover): 9781636551920 Section: Children’s Japanese Chinese American author Wenjen and Cuban American artist Encarnación have created a sobering, stupendous reminder of recurring injustice. Wenjen’s reverso…
Today is my book birthday! To celebrate, I’m giving away 5 signed/inscribed copies! To enter, please leave a comment below! Fortune Cookies for Everyone! (Smithsonian): The Surprising Story of the Tasty Treat We Love to Eat by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Colleen Kong-Savage, published by Red Comet Press Junior Library Guild Gold Selection An investigative…
If you are going to NCTE 2025 in Denver, Colorado, I’d love to meet up with you! I’ll be leading a roundtable and attending an awards luncheon. Roundtable: The Nerdy Book Club: Dreaming of a More Empathetic World—One Book and Reader at Time Venue: Colorado Convention Center Room: Mile High Ballroom 1A/1B Date/Time: November…