“Politicians often use [false] stories to create fear. Books can respond with truths.” —Kirsten Cappy, I’m Your Neighbor Books Thank you to Amjambo Africa Deputy Editor Éloge Willy Kaneza for the opportunity to be in conversation about these unkind times and how books can be a sanctuary. This full page piece ran in their June… Read more »
I’m Your Neighbor Books (IYNB) had the honor of participating in Seafest 2026. Hosted by Khmer Maine, Seafest 2026 celebrated Maine’s Southeast Asian communities. The event centered the region’s diverse cultures as expressed in music, dance, and food while also highlighting the Southeast Asian community’s contributions to Maine. Under the IYNB tent, we shared… Read more »
Ernesto Cisneros tells us he wrote Efrén Divided/Efrén Dividido because: “Stories help us remember who we are when things get confusing. Stories remind us that behind every headline is a human being. Behind every policy is a family. Behind every statistic is a child with dreams, fears, and a future that deserves care. No matter… Read more »
by Terry Farish This is a story about one high school where I did an I author visit, novels important to students I met, and YA novels in the I’m Your Neighbor Books collections. IYNB curates and shares Immigrant and New Generation collections called “Welcoming Libraries.” Each book, and the book displays that accompany… Read more »
Books Shield Immigrant Kids Standing behind a shield emblazoned with the image of a hero of the Haitian Revolution, this Haitian American boy holds back harm. He made the hero shield with Haitian American author Francie Latour and her social justice organization, Wee The People. Side-by-side with Francie Latour at this (and many events this… Read more »
30 Winners! 30 immigrant service providers, educators, librarians, faith leaders, and others engaging in the immigration conversation, won a copy of Sour Cherries by Dezh Azaad and illustrated by Nan Cao! The books were donated to I’m Your Neighbor Books by the good folks at Abrams. NOTE: For privacy, we no longer announce the names… Read more »
I’m Your Neighbor Books was honored to join the Boston Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) at a gathering of immigrant service organizations. One-by-one, IYNB matched Immigrant and New Generation literature to the languages, communities, and missions each organization serves. With Rapid Response funds provided by you, our supporters, we placed 100+ books that will… Read more »
Were you in the room for this NCTE panel? I’m Your Neighbor Books gave away 10 picture books by panelists Jyoti Rajan Gopal, Joanna Ho, Andrea Wang, and Kirsten Cappy.
Literacy, Identity, and Belonging: Promoting Inclusive Children’s and Young Adult Literature: Resources from the Conversation Panelists Kirsten Cappy Executive Director at I’m Your Neighbor Books Mindy Butler Assistant Professor of Literacy Education at USM Paula Boyce Part-time Literacy Instructor at USM Charles Mugabe Director of Migration at Catholic Charities Maine Kim Simmons Associate Professor of… Read more »
How do we protect the hearts of the immigrant community in these “unkind times”? “We need books to break open our hearts, so that we might feel more deeply, so that we might be more human in these unkind times.” —Sandra Cisneros Yes, we need books—and shields. I’m Your Neighbor Books joined forces with Boston’s… Read more »