By Anne Sibley O’Brien While the book trailer remains a popular way to promote picture books, Kirsten Cappy and I wanted to create a video that might matter to the mission of my picture book, I’m New Here. Could we model conversations with elementary school children on the universality of “feeling new” and on simple ways to… Read more »
Portland School Children Star in Video on Immigration to Premiere During “National Welcoming Week” Portland, ME—“Being new feels happy, shy and scared,” said a Portland third grader in a recent interview. This summer, thirty-five Hall School children shared their feelings about being “new,” being a new arrival and what it looks like to be welcoming… Read more »
Author and illustrator Eugene Yelchin writing for The New York Times Book Review profiled the I’m Your Neighbor featured picture books My Two Blankets, Mama’s Nightingale, I’m New Here, and Seeds of Friendship. Read the article. “These books will inspire not just empathy for the struggles of childhood immigration, but admiration for their authors’ and illustrators’… Read more »
Author’s Note on Research By Terry Farish Either the Beginning or the End of the World delves into a horrific family memory carried over generations. The memory is of family members who starved to death during Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge genocide. I’ve been on a long journey into Cambodian history and culture to begin to understand… Read more »
Anne Sibley O’Brien and Kirsten Cappy were delighted to have been the guests of the Association of Library Services for Children at the American Library Association’s annual conference in San Francisco. We had an intriguing conversation with librarians from all over the country about children’s literature, immigration and I’m Your Neighbor. One result of the conversation… Read more »
“I’m New Here grew in my mind over many years of considering recently-arrived, culturally diverse students, as I interacted with them while creating books, speaking in schools, and evaluating available resources. Though there are many wonderful books featuring individual child immigrants, it seemed to me that in the big picture something was missing. Somehow the emphasis… Read more »
“So we need diverse books, which at this point in the proceedings shouldn’t really be news to much of anyone. You know it. I know it. But ascertaining progress can be tricky in these matters. Anyone who works in publishing knows that it takes years and years for books to reach publication. Read through any… Read more »
I’m Your Neighbor, Portland was a 2013 Portland, Maine community-wide read and series of public events designed to promote a sense of community among the diverse people who make the port city their home. READ the I’m Your Neighbor, Portland Narrative Report Want to hold your own community-wide read of New Arrival Children’s Literature? Explore book options and… Read more »
Librarians! We hope you can join I’m Your Neighbor co-founders Kirsten Cappy and Anne Sibley O’Brien at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA! Saturday, 6/27/15 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA. Moscone Convention Center – 3001 (West Building) New Immigrants, New Approaches With continuous news stories… Read more »
