The Maine Library Association presented Yaya Gentille, Rahana Dariah, and Kirsten Cappy with the Lupine Award for Kende! Kende! Kende! at the Reading Roundup Conference. The Lupine Award is designed to honor a living author or illustrator who is a resident of Maine, or who has created a work whose focus is Maine, as shown… Read more »
I’m Your Neighbor Books was gobsmacked to present Kende! Kende! Kende! and our nonprofit’s programs on the wild and wonderful KidLit TV with co-hosts Rocco Staino and Publisher Spotlight’s Ellen Myrick.
2024 IS IN THE BOOKS for I’m Your Neighbor Books. Which books & creators defined our year? I’m Your Neighbor Books does not work directly with students (that has to change) but in 2024, middle and high school students made their voices heard. Educators came to us because their students were asking to be taught… Read more »
2024 IS IN THE BOOKS for I’m Your Neighbor Books Which books & creators defined our year? Abuelita and Me joined the Welcoming Library collection this year when we created and inserted a set of Discussion Questions that asked readers to explore the racism and recovery in this deeply honest and beautiful picture book. Abuelita… Read more »
2024 IS IN THE BOOKS for I’m Your Neighbor Books? Which books & creators defined our year? Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings and the Haitian Creole translation Koze Penti Ak Tati Luce were the most requested books by Multilingual educators and those that support the Haitian community in the US. The picture books are graced with… Read more »
“No one chooses to be a refugee.” —Omar Mohamed As American debates how and if refugees can cross its border with Mexico, as refugees in Gaza and Sudan cannot find a place of safety, and as 48 million refugees worldwide wait to rebuild a home, are there any more important words than this? Omar Mohamed,… Read more »
Omar Mohamed, the Somali American co-creator of the award-winning graphic novel When Stars Are Scattered and the founder of the nonprofit Refugee Strong will visit Maine to speak to 2,000 middle school students and community members in April 2024. His award-winning book features his childhood and pursuit of education in the Dadaab Refugee Camp in… Read more »
And the winner is… 2023 Multilingual Book Award: Gibberish Congratulations to creator Young Vo and publisher Levine Querido for winning the Multilingual Book Award for Gibberish. Available in Spanish as Blablabla. This picture book was awarded for brilliantly depicting the ARGH! of being dropped into a new language environment and negotiating it with openness, art,… Read more »
And the winner is… 2023 Community Award Book Award: Invisible Congratulations to creators Christina Diaz Gonzalez and Gabriela Epstein and Scholastic, Inc. for winning the Community Book Award for Invisible. This award honors a children’s picture book or novel that celebrates both the unique qualities of a particular community, but also the beautiful diversity of… Read more »
And the winner is… 2023 Generation Book Award: Abuelita and Me / Abuelita y yo Congratulations to Leonarda Carranza, Rafael Mayani and Annick Press for winning the New Generation Book Award for Abuelita and Me / Abuelita y yo. Both editions of the picture book were honored for celebrating our #immigrant elders’ role in raising… Read more »