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 »
All Families Welcome! Saturday, 10/4/25 1:00-3:00 PM Festival Plaza 112 Main St Auburn, ME 04210 L/A Arts invites you to follow Lolie and Nico on their journey from DR Congo to a Ugandan refugee camp and then to resettlement in a Maine winter. Their story, told in the book Kende! Kende! Kende!, was co-created in… Read more »
I’m Your Neighbor Books was honored by the Maine Educator’s Association (MEA) for the Welcoming Library and Pine Project: Professional Development’s contribution to Maine schools. Executive Director Kirsten Cappy delivered this speech: On behalf of my entire team at I’m Your Neighbor Books, I would like to thank the MEA leadership and member educators for… Read more »
The summer reading list and one-day conference MCSTOYA Connects: Migration Reads invites you to explore fiction to better understand the non-fiction that is unfolding in our schools and neighborhoods. The Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association (MCSTOYA) in partnership with I’m Your Neighbor Books presents: MCSTOYA Connects: Migration Reads Not in Maine?… Read more »
Explore the Pine Project I’m Your Neighbor Books and the Maine DOE produced the Pine Project: Professional Development, a self-led, SEL-driven training you can take —anonymously. It is designed to increase your ability to talk about race, culture, and the barriers and pathways to classroom and community belonging. Within the Pine 3 module (timestamp: 18:22-34:00),… Read more »
by D.D.Rathnayake With powerful words from Kirsten Cappy, Executive Director of I’m Your Neighbor Books, set the tone for an unforgettable celebration of culture, community,and storytelling on November 9, 2024 in Portland. “We ALL belong in America.” -Kirsten Cappy, Executive Director of I’m Your Neighbor Books The spotlight of the evening was on the… Read more »
By D.D. Rathnayake Dr. Megan Welter, Associate Commissioner for Public Education at Maine Department of Education, set the tone for an extraordinary celebration of diversity and inclusion at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center on September 13, 2024. “A warm welcome is so much better.” —Dr. Megan Welter, Maine Department of Education Hosted in partnership with… 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 Readers Choice Award Book Award: Bright Star / Lucero Congratulations to Yuyi Morales and Holiday House Books for Young Readers for winning the Readers Choice Book Award for Bright Star / Lucero. The picture book was selected for taking readers to the borderlands and for helping them “imagine the most… Read more »
10 “Welcoming Library: Cart Collections” with 900 Books Gifted to Bangor Schools Bangor, Maine—In front of hundreds of fourth and fifth-grade students at Fairmont School, I’m Your Neighbor Books, Bangor school officials, and the Maine Department of Education, announced the delivery of 900 books featuring Immigrant and New Generation families to Bangor schools. Thanks to… Read more »