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Meg Medina

I'm Meg Medina, author of libros for kids of all ages. I'm the 2019 Newbery medalist for Merci Suárez Changes Gears. I write strong girls, tough circumstances, and the connecting power of culture. Thanks for visiting my blog!

AppearancesThe Writing Life
October 30, 2017

Helping new voices get heard: VAASL Conference 2017

Back in 2011,  I was invited to attend the VEMA conference, an annual gathering of school librarians in my state. The event was held in Richmond that year. I had one book out, Milagros, Girl from Away, and so, like a lot of new authors, I sat at a table by myself for most of the evening while other more seasoned authors signed copies and chatted up fans. Here's what I most remember of that night: one school librarian came to talk to me. Her name was Schenell Agee, and she listened patiently as I stumbled through my conversation about my work and diverse voices and Latino themes. She told me that she organized an end-of-year author event at her middle school. An author visit on the last day of school? I thought. Nuts. Still, we exchanged cards, and she told me that she'd keep me in mind for the future. I expected exactly nothing. I was just grateful that someone had stopped by to ask me anything at all. Eventually, I did go to her school (Metz Middle) - alongside the amazing Floyd Cooper, as I recall. It was a fabulous school visit - not only for how well-organized it was, but also for all it taught me about why it matters to take risks on new writers. A lot has happened since then. VEMA has changed its name to VAASL (Virginia Association of School Librarians). I've got a few more titles under my belt. And Schenell Agee is now the…
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Community workLatino Life
October 2, 2017

So, we’re helping Puerto Rico

Hola gente - I'll spare you my thoughts on what's going down in Puerto Rico with the disaster relief effort. There's no need to start the week with bile. Instead, I'll concentrate on the better news. Latinos across all areas of publishing have banded together to create an auction that will benefit the relief effort.  (You can follow the news at #PubforPR.) Bidding starts Monday, October 2, 2017 at 9 am. So, if you're looking for signed books, author visits, manuscript critiques, advice on your publicity efforts, etc, please consider bidding on an item.  You could get a bargain, for sure, but more importantly,  you'll definitely be helping fellow citizens in need. The link to the auction is here: Thanks.  
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
September 27, 2017

It’s All About Bookish Virginia This Month

I'm back home after a month of coast-to-coast book travel which ended this past weekend in the best way possible. I hung out with English teachers at the Arizona Teachers of English conference and then drove up I-17 for my first-ever trip to The Grand Canyon. Now I get to do bookish things for a month right here in my home state of Virginia. (It's not the wide open west, but it's gorgeous here, especially in the fall.) Whether you're a young reader or adult, a reader or a writer, there's something for you. September 27, 2017, 6 pm, Chop Suey Books, Carytown, Richmond, VA. Join me and members of our local ACLU as we talk about censorship during Banned Books Week. Are you remembering to celebrate it?  Now more than ever, we need to stand up for critical reading. October 6, 2017, Visiting Riverside High School in Leesburg, VA, where Lauren McBride and her fellow librarians and teachers are doing an incredible job of preparing the Rams for my visit. Looking forward to talking all things Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass and Burn Baby Burn. October 7, 2017, The YAVA Book and Author Party. Richmond Public Library, 101 East Franklin,  offers you a chance to party for an afternoon with Virginia's YA authors. Food, prizes, and a lot of silliness. October 13 - 15, James River Writers Conference at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Have you registered?  I'm doing a master class on writing characters on Friday (held at the…
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
September 11, 2017

NBA Longlists & other happier sides of life during a bleak week

Here are a few bright spots that I wanted to share for this week, despite the natural (and manmade) disasters we've all been following for the last two weeks. First, the longlist for the National Book Award is being released this week. The titles for Young People’s literature go live on Tuesday morning, so please check in to see the fabulous works we fell in love with. What a process (that I can’t talk about!) Anyway, I’m donating the 300 or so books that we read to Henrico County Public Schools, where I’ve asked that they be given to the elementary, middle, and high school with the fewest resources and smallest school library. Anita Tarbox, the head of library services, is bringing a van next week to haul off the six large boxes of treasure. I’ve been living in a labyrinth since last May, so this is coming as a relief, despite the fact that it’s usually easier to pull a molar out of my head than to get me to give away books. I'm in Los Angeles this week, which happens only every couple of years or so. The Brentwood School invited me to speak on Monday, Sept 11 about Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. So, I packed a bigger bag (in case the hurricane strands me on my flight back,) splashed myself with Jean Naté in honor of Lila, and am ready to meet their seventh and eighth graders.   Tuesday, Sept 12, 7 PM, I’ll…
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Community workLatino Life
September 6, 2017

When We Turn Our Backs on Dreamers

I usually blog the day after Labor Day with a wish for everyone to have a good start to the new school year. But with yesterday's news about the six-month expiration on DACA, I'm here to say a few things because I'm too disgusted by our myopic leaders to mince words. I travel this country pretty much from end-to-end meeting all kinds of students - including those whose lives are going to be upended by President Trump's assault on undocumented immigrants. These students will start their school year carrying an enormous amount of stress and fear even before they open the first notebook or study for any quiz. I ask that you consider what it might be like to be a young person who is threatened with losing everything he or she has ever known as home. From that place of compassion, I am urging you to contact your representatives on their behalf. It just isn't enough to treat your students with kindness or to feel satisfied that you, personally, treat them well. They need all of us to advocate for them because right now - gutted and powerless as they are feeling - they can't. Here is a place to start.  For those of us who know the power of reading and writing to get us through even the ugliest experiences, here are a couple of things for you.  The first is a reading list that may help students understand the dilemma of young people who are undocumented. It's…
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AppearancesCommunity workThe Writing Life
August 30, 2017

Want a Good School Visit? Introducing The Author Village

If you're a writer who does school visits, you know that planning details can be a killer. I've been handling most of this myself, with some good help from Candlewick in fielding requests when they first come in. But often I've felt completely overloaded by the job of organizing all that goes into making a worthwhile trip for both kids and authors. Book orders, topics, itineraries, logistics– it's easy for important things to get overlooked. So today, I'm so happy to announce that I've joined a new venture with one of my favorite authors, Phil Bildner. Check out The Author Village, where you can get info about bringing me or several other authors and illustrators to your school this year. You'll recognize some names and a few will be brand new, but we're all here to do the same:  make reading and writing at your school something that's memorable. Here's to a good new school year filled with great books to discover! Cariños de, Meg  
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AppearancesCommunity workThe Writing Life
July 29, 2017

Latinos in Richmond Exhibit at the Valentine

Angela and I got to celebrate with the other Pura Belpré winners in 2016. She's the fifth from the left. I'm heading out on this soggy morning for two good reasons. One, Angela Dominguez, who illustrated Mango Abuela and Me and is the illustrator behind the Lola Levine series by Monica Brown and several of her own award-winning titles, has moved to Richmond! We're having a "welcome to RVA" lunch, which I hope is the beginning of lots of new adventures for her in our town. Angela couldn't have arrived at a better time, which brings me to reason number two for venturing out. This weekend marks the opening of LATINOS IN RICHMOND/ NUESTRAS  HISTORIAS, a small but potent exhibit at the Valentine Museum. My grandmother's Virgen de la Caridad is on loan to the exhibit. For about a year, I've volunteered as part of an advisory committee helping Wanda Hernandez and her colleagues at the Valentine curate this loving first peek at Latinos in our city. You'll find artifacts and stories of how we began making our way here - dating back to colonial days. There is a little bit of everything, including a terrific graphic that shows the fairly recent political lift-off of Latinos here in the Commonwealth. YAQUI DELGADO 's marked manuscript is on display There's food, music, and free admission today, so maybe I'll see you.  But if not, I hope you'll take a minute to walk through in the coming months and read the stories…
Meg Medina
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Community workThe Writing LifeWhat I'm reading
June 23, 2017

Girls of Summer 2017 in pictures

What a night! Girls of Summer 2017 launched into the world on Wednesday, June 21. Dancing with Rita Williams Garcia! Book talking with Stacy Hawkins Adams, Beth Morris, Amanda Nelson, and Gigi Amateau. Eating ice pops with girls from all over Richmond. Here's a peek at how it went down! How's this for a good idea on vinyl? Look closely: the book jackets are the record labels More vinyl Part of the dream team. Stacy Hawkins Adams and Amanda Nelson. Check the gift bags this year, compliments of Georgi Green Gigi arrives with the hand-made bags for the girls of summer winners, courtesy of Betty Sanderson The annual basket of book cover buttons With the ever fabulous Patty Parks, visionary branch manager of the Richmond Public Library Some of our guests... Our audience continues to grow Our third attempt at a selfie with Beth Morris, part of the GOS 2017 selection committee Rita Williams Garcia interviewed by Maeve and Alex from Richmond Young Writers. Stacy Adams facilitating. This is what it's about. With my friend and co-founder, Gigi Amateau.   To see our entire Girls of Summer list and to start following the weekly author Q & As, visit www.girlsofsummerlist.com.
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AppearancesFilm workLatino LifeThe Writing Life
May 30, 2017

On Latinx rep, NYC, and Yaqui Delgado

Much of the book world is descending on NYC this week for Book Expo and Book Con. I’ll be in NYC, too, but not for the fun (and the incredible line up) this time. I’m traveling north to help run focus groups with the producers who are developing YAQUI DELGADO WANTS TO KICK YOUR ASS into a HULU series It’s easy to get excited when a film deal is announced as an option...but it doesn’t take long to find out that there is a vast journey between an option and a show you’ll find in your “Favorites.”  That said, things are looking promising for YAQUI.  The show is being developed with mega-stars  Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) and Eugenio Derbez (How to Be a Latin Lover) as executives. But for me, an equally exciting thing is that, for the most part, this show is being conceived, written and led by a group of Latina women. And, as the cherry on top, Writer Dailyn Rodriguez (Queen of the South; Ugly Betty) is a former kid from the boroughs, too (Dailyn on Twitter). Here’s the truth: When I was approached about my interest in having YAQUI DELGADO developed as a series, I felt cautious. First, there was the idea of letting go the characters and storylines in the exact way that I had conceived them. Surprisingly, I felt okay with that fairly quickly. In my view, I wrote the book that I wanted to write. Now, the film makers ought to be able to make the…
Meg Medina
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Uncategorized
May 1, 2017

What the real reading heroes look like

I’ve talked about soft censorship of my novel, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass all over the country: how the book isn’t purchased at all, or is kept with the librarians, or is shared with only a select group of kids. And of course, I occasionally still get comments on my website that look like this: Still, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a full-on challenge that required so much time and advocacy on the part of teachers and school leaders. Last week, I had the pleasure of spending the day at South County Middle School in Lorton, VA, where the entire eighth grade read Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. They invited me as a visiting author to talk with the students about the book. A welcome gift: a charm bracelet honoring the novel South County Middle School is in Fairfax County, one of the most forward thinking municipalities in my state. The school is basically a little jewel, too. Clean building. Peaceful vibe. Decent kids from all backgrounds. Teachers who get giddy talking about new teaching ideas. Parents who show up for virtually everything. As schools go, it doesn’t get much better. So, it’s interesting to me that it’s also the place where use of my novel was so hotly debated. It was officially challenged by a small group of parents in a fight that dragged on and made its way up through the ranks of the School Board. The fearless team. Ms. Manning is…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
April 2, 2017

Hey book lovers: A LitCrawl Comes to RVA

Sometimes, it pays off when somebody loses their mind. That's certainly true for Richmond, which is going to host its first LitCrawl on April 21 and 22, 2017 thanks to what founder Cheryl Pallant calls "writerly insanity." A LitCrawl is a city-wide event where readings and performances are led by area authors in a variety of venues, from prisons and bars to bookstores and record shops. It's a movement that grew legs in San Francisco and is spreading far and wide (Here's how other cities have done it.) But how it reached us here in Richmond, VA, boils down to Cheryl, who was busy planning her wedding, writing a non fiction book and getting ready to publish both a book of poetry and a memoir about her time living in South Korea. "I reached a point in my writing day when I needed a distraction. I too readily checked out Facebook and saw that a friend of mine was involved in a LitCrawl in Denver. I immediately recognized it as a great event and queried if anyone in Richmond was interested. Within an hour, I heard from about 50 folks saying yes." "Did I really need another sizeable commitment?" Well, no, but she grabbed a few friends anyway and here we are....LitCrawl RVA Now that authors are signing up and making plans for their contributions (website here), she's sharpening her vision and looking forward to this becoming an annual event with sponsorship behind it. For me, it's exactly the right idea. Now…
Meg Medina
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The Writing Lifewriting advice
March 13, 2017

Milagros and Middle Grade: Bookends on my career so far

Meg's first book signing 2008, Narnia Bookstore, RVA I found a picture of myself at my first-ever book launch. Back in 2008, my first middle grade novel, Milagros: Girl from Away, was published by Henry Holt. To celebrate, Narnia Bookstore (which would later become bbgb books in Carytown) hosted my friends and family in the shop. "If I die tomorrow," I told my husband, "know that I was happy, and that I did what I always dreamed I would." Well, I'm not dead and I'm glad  because there are still things left to do and books left to write. And while that sentiment still holds true, I look back and realize it was euphoria talking. But that's the beauty of a first book, I suppose. I wrote Milagros in the beautiful bubble called The First Novel – that wonderful space where no one was waiting for a manuscript, where there were no expectations, no real notion of what reviews meant, and where the process of writing a manuscript all the way to the end was my crowning accomplishment. It was all wonder and hope. The other thing I know is that I mostly wrote with no idea of what I was doing, which is maybe exactly the wild abandon we need, especially early in our careers. If we get bound up in our heads and in the business landscape of publishing, I think we risk losing the book that is coming from our heart. In my case, I had taught creative writing,…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesLatino Lifepicture booksThe Writing Life
February 26, 2017

March Madness – Bookish-style

I've been writing like a crazy woman against an upcoming deadline for a new middle grade novel. Right now, I'm at the point when I'm turning to algebra for some sort of comfort –which is a stretch, considering that math was always my worst subject. Still, in my head, I keep looping a word problem that goes like this: "Meg has 140 pages written. If she writes 2 pages a day for 3 days per week and then tosses one page a week, when will she reach an arbitrary  (but kind of respectable) number like 250 pages? And, more important, will they be good?" Anyway, I've been working fairly close to home since December, which has felt like a blessing. It's quiet. I have the comfort of my coffee pot, my dog, stretchy pants and fuzzy slippers. I can slip into someone else's wonderful book when I'm lost. (Thank you Kelly Barnhill for The Girl Who Drank the Moon.) My spring calendar is almost all within the mid Atlantic, too. But there are a few presentations to mention. As I look ahead to March, I have a day trip to Orlando for a Girl Bullying and Empowerment Conference and  a few school visits. (Schedule here). In the spirit of staying close to home, though, I especially wanted to highlight two events that are happening in my area, in case you want to join in. The first is a shared book talk at the University of Richmond with my good friend, Lila…
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AppearancesAwards and newsThe Writing Life
February 22, 2017

Take that winter! Burn Baby Burn a 2016 LA Times Book Prize Finalist

A wonderful surprise to beat back my February blues, which have really been a challenge this year. Burn Baby Burn was named a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize today. It's quite a list, including the award-sweeping MARCH by John Lewis, so I'm especially honored - and also not envious of the judges. The fun/harrowing thing is that you don't know who actually wins until the day of the event. So stay tuned for April 21 at the kick off for the LA Times Book Festival this year. Thank you, LA Times, for inclusion on this lovely and thought-provoking list. And thank you, Candlewick, for my brand NEW pair of disco ball earring to wear for the occasion. I'll be traveling west with my editor, Kate Fletcher, to attend the ceremony. Fingers crossed ( and TUMS in my purse.) Press release here. Young Adult Literature Socorro Acioli/ Daniel Hahn (Translator), The Head of the Saint, Delacorte Julie Berry, The Passion of Dolssa, Viking Books for Young Readers Frances Hardinge, The Lie Tree, Harry N. Abrams John Lewis. Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell, March: Book Three, Top Shelf Productions Meg Medina, Burn, Baby, Burn, Candlewick
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AppearancesCommunity workThe Writing Life
January 24, 2017

#CelebrateYoungReaders grand opening at the Library of Congress

    The Young Readers Center at the Library of Congress is having a grand opening for its Saturday hours this weekend. That means, when folks visit the capital, their kids can have a place to rest from museums and seek shelter in a story time with mom and dad. I'll be kicking off the festivities with our beloved Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden. I've planned a Mango, Abuela and Me read-aloud and book talk, followed by Q& A with kids from around the country. There will be games, book talks, and performances led by Erica Perl author of Capybara Conspiracy, for older kids, as well. I hear through the grapevine that there's a wrap up that honors the Chinese New Year (Rooster), too. I plan to stay the whole day, so whether you're a fan of picture books or a YA reader, please come keep me company! Now more than ever is the time to celebrate books, reading, and knowledge. Our twitter hashtag for the day: #CelebrateYoungReaders PDF for you to download: yrc-grand-opening  
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Awards and newsThe Writing Life
January 23, 2017

For All the Nasty Women and Girls: The 2017 Amelia Bloomer Top Ten

I can't tell you how exciting it feels to have Burn, Baby, Burn included in the Amelia Bloomer Top Ten list of 2017, especially on the heels of such an awe-inspiring weekend when we witnessed the mobilization of thousands upon thousands of women across the globe.  We have work to do - and we're willing to do it. And for those of you who foolishly slept in this morning, here's the link to the results of the ALA Youth Media Awards. I didn't win any shiny stickers from ALA this year, but there are so many amazing titles here that did. Time to order up, folks. Congratulations to all the winners and their publishing teams!  
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Community workThe Writing Life
January 16, 2017

A letter to RVA about Girls of Summer 2017

January 16, 2017 It’s MLK Day in our nation, during a time when our country is heartbreakingly fractured. On Saturday, January 14, 2017, the two of us took a stand and walked in the March on Monument, a peaceful coming together of the various social justice groups that serve the Richmond community.  Two thousand or so of our neighbors stood shoulder to shoulder chanting a call and response: Show Me What Democracy Looks Like! THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE! What do we need? LOVE. When do we need it? NOW. What do we need? Unity. When do we need it? NOW. There were older women and men. Parents pushing strollers and carrying signs. Old Basset hounds. Seasoned activists and college students. Wheelchair users. Artists, writers, musicians. And, members of the faith community. Looking around, we saw our community celebrating diversity and inclusion at the statue of Robert E. Lee asking, How do we knit ourselves together in strength? How can we make our community a place where all people are respected and cared for? What can each of us offer? We had been thinking long and hard about Girls of Summer, our curated reading list for strong girls, now approaching its seventh year. To be frank, last year, we wondered if it might be time to let the list go. Exhausted and overscheduled, we could point to dozens of other reading lists for girls to choose from. But then the world got upended in deep and disturbing ways, most…
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AppearancesAwards and newsThe Writing Life
November 16, 2016

Photo round-up of my post election travels

Hi all - I'm heading to NCTE in Atlanta tomorrow, but my head is still buzzing from the election and all that it means for many of the vulnerable children and families that I meet in my life as an author. In the days to come, I'll especially need to remind myself to balance aggravation with joy.  So here is a bit from the joyful side. Yesterday,  Burn Baby Burn was named a Best Book of 2016 by School Library Journal and also by Amazon. As you know, I was in NYC last week. My trip offered me really beautiful experiences at Bank Street College and also at the ever-fabulous Book Riot Live Conference, where people came from as far away as Australia and Sweden. I've pasted some of my favorite shots below - everything from political protest to utter joy and silliness. Other than that, my friends, I'll touch base with you again in a few weeks. Hide the knives if you have to and enjoy a peaceful Thanksgiving with your families. Scenes from the Union Station subway station where citizens voiced their opposition to the election results The wall of sticky notes extended so long... With RJ Palacio and Jennifer Brown, talking about childhood friendships and how they can lead to a literary life With Jennifer Brown and Dr. Cynthia Weill at Bank Street. Photo credit Cheryl Simon There are no friends like the ones we know and love from childhood. Photo credit: Cheryl Simon She found an old picture…
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
November 3, 2016

Kirkus, Book Riot, Bank Street and more: Keeping my sanity despite this election

I'm at the airport in Richmond right now, getting ready to head out to Austin for the Texas Book Festival, which is huge and wonderful as always.  I hadn't been on the roster, but this year Burn Baby Burn is a finalist for the Kirkus Prize for Young People's Literature. The ceremony where the winners are announced is tonight, so Kate Fletcher (my editor) and I are getting "gussied up" and heading over. Ay...I don't know what to think about what's going to happen; the whole idea makes me queasy. Whatever the result, though, I just want to say this: Thank you to everyone who has read my work and told others about it. You have so many good books to choose from on any given day, and I'm so grateful that you've given my work some space in your life and on your bookshelf. If you're at the festival, I hope I'll see you at the literary gala where we'll be guests of my friend Maya Smart, a woman who is still sorely missed here in Richmond. I can only imagine a fun night because not only is there Maya, but the whole thing is being emceed by Jon Scieszka! If not at the gala, then maybe we can see each other on Saturday during the Kirkus finalist panel, where each author will talk about their book. After Election Day, I'll head to NYC for so many wonderful things. (Hopefully, I'll be in good spirits.) I'll be visiting Mamaroneck Public Schools, having dinner…
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
October 7, 2016

Long Lists, Scholarships, Rock Star Librarians, and Meat: What my last three weeks looked like

Like everyone else, I'm glued to CNN and hoping for people's safety this morning. I've been on the move and squeezed with family health things, too, so I've had very little time left to write many blog posts. Here's a wrap up of favorite moments of the last few weeks. Award news: First, here's an article on Tumblr regarding all the long list titles on this year's National Book Award. The question was, Who did you write this book for? Burn Baby Burn didn't advance to the short list. (Yes, that's me sniffling...) But here's what all the authors on the long list had to say about their books last week. Scholarships: If you're an aspiring author or an author early in your career, a reminder to consider applying for the Meg Medina Scholarship at Highlights Foundation. Applications are due by Dec 15. Here's the link with information and background on the award. (The how-to is at the end.) With Marilisa at NCTE 2015 Related to Highlights, I also want to share a sweet blog post by Dr. Marilisa Jimenez, a Pura Belpré scholar who joined me at Highlights last month. She started work on a pretty compelling article and used the time to talk through some of her ideas. Check out the research she's doing on YA literature in the US and trauma/displacement in immigrant Latino communities. I love to follow Marilisa's work because (1) she's usually laying the groundwork for research about Latino literature that hasn't been done before, and (2) she's passionate about the topic from a…
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Awards and newsThe Writing Life
October 6, 2016

To read your own or hire actors? My first audio book experience.

A happy day and a slightly disappointing day. First, a huge congratulations to all the authors who made the short list for the National Book Award this morning. Kate DiCamillo, Jason Reynolds, John Lewis/Andrew Ayden/Nate Powell, Grace Lin and Nicola Yoon have written beautiful books. I wish I had made the cut, too, but the truth is that every one of those authors is deserving. Standing ovation from over here in Richmond. Richmond 2016 So, this is how I spent my morning instead. I did my first audiobook recording at Red Amp 9WG Studios. I was reading the short story "Sol Painting Inc," from Flying Lessons & Other Stories. The middle grade fiction collection, edited by Ellen Oh, is due on shelves in Jan 2017. So far, it's gotten two starred reviews, so I'm hoping it makes its way into classrooms far and wide. I love the stories inside - so many styles and perspectives, which we sorely need. I wasn't sure I could do an audio interpretation, but the draw for me was that it has always been strange to hear the characters inside my head in someone else's voice. Still, there was the issue of whether I could stomach the sound of my own voice on an audio track. In the end, it was pretty painless, and the engineers and audio directors were great. This may turn me on to reading my own novels as audiobooks. Who knows? 
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
September 16, 2016

The High Holy Week for Book Geeks (Like Me)

So much is going on in DC for book lovers next week that my head is spinning in that good way of little kids doing the helicopter for no reason. Children's book icon Katherine Patterson is speaking at the Washington Children's Book guild on Thursday, September 22, after which I will zoom over to the Library of Congress to be in the audience for the the Americas Awards at the Library of Congress that will honor Pam Muñoz Ryan (Echo) and Ashely Hope Perez (Out of Darkness) - two authors who published exceptional books last year. If you're a teacher, you might want to register for the workshops with the fantastic Alma Flor Ada to be held that night. Co-sponsored by Teaching for Change, it's inexpensive, and you'll be in excellent hands. Then, of course, comes the big one: The National Book Festival  on Sat., Sept 24. I'm honored to be on the roster of authors this year, where I'll bring a little disco inferno to the capital with a talk about Burn Baby Burn.  That ought to be enough, but this year, I'm staying into the night because (DRUMROLL) I'm a judge for the teen poetry slam, a standing room only event. (Here's info and video from last year.) Aaahhh! I can't tell you how much I love spoken performance (and how much I secretly long to do this myself.) In this case, teens from around the country will come to compete in this event. There's a special guest judge, too -…
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Awards and news
September 12, 2016

!Ganamos! [Translation: We Won.] But, hmm, how about triunfamos?]

You might have seen that the International Book Awards were announced on Friday. I'm a little late to the game because I was in Pennsylvania, But behold the (seriously long) list of amazing titles that have won and take note, mi gente, of the new voices coming to the table. If you’re unfamiliar with the work of these authors, please take the chance now to gather their books and enjoy. All the winners – some of them my heroes and dear friends (...looking at you Isabel Campoy, Pam Muñoz, Sonia Manzano, Margarita Engle, Daniel José Older, and more...) have my deepest respect and congratulations. So, I am excited to say that Mango Abuela and Me earned second place as best picture book in English, and Burn Baby Burn earned an honorable mention in Young Adult. But I am hugely proud to announce that Teresa Mlawer won first place in translation for both Mango Abuela y Yo and Yaqui Delgado Quiere Darte Una Paliza.  An industry veteran, Teresa has translated the likes of Where the Wild Things Are and Harold and the Purple Crayon. I had the pleasure of meeting her on the faculty of the 2014 Latino National Children's Literature Conference at the University of Alabama. (Proof positive of the value of going to conferences...) So, when Candlewick hired her as my translator a couple of years later, I knew I was in good hands. Having the work of Latino authors available in translation matters. It's a statement of respect for multiple literacies,…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
September 9, 2016

YA Lit Virginia style in RVA and DC

Nice press in Richmond Family Magazine I'm taking to the road with Hannah Barnaby and Kristen Paige Madonia, two fellow Virginia YA authors next week. If you're close to Richmond, stop in at Fountain Bookstore on Tuesday, Sept 13, 6:30 PM. We'll be talking about what's happening in YA lit these days, from our own perspectives.  After, we'll be driving up the I-95 corridor to Politics & Prose on Thursday, September 15, 7 pm for our Washington friends. Lovely KP I love both these authors for the top-notch work they're producing. (Both are previous Girls of Summer guest authors, with Wonder Show and Fingerprints of You, respectively.) Their newer works:  Some of the Parts and Invisible Fault Lines are fantastic follow-ups. But these women also bring a sensitivity that I like when we talk about YA. Hannah is a former editor, and KP teaches Creative Writing at JMU and UVA.  So, I always feel like the conversation they bring about Young Adult lit is deeper than just a review of storyline or  process, etc. In fact, I feel like I learn something new from them every time we're together. Hannah signing books at Girls of Summer 2015 Anyway, I know the fall is a busy time, but if you can squeeze in some book and author love, come on out!
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
September 8, 2016

Get Down 2night: Burn Baby Burn on #2Jennsbookclub twitter chat

I'll be in the woods of Pennsylvania tonight, but not even tall trees, ticks, and lousy internet can stop me from slipping  on my disco ball earrings and sitting in on a twitter chat at 2jennsbookclub. It's all about Burn Baby Burn there. Do you know these librarian superheroes? Here's a link on their website as an intro. Basically, they're two fierce YA librarians on a mission to, well,  quench their envy of Mr.Schu while there showing teen fiction some love. I actually met one of the Jennifers ( Jennifer LaGarde) a few years ago, when I heard her speak at the Virginia School Libraries conference in Williamsburg. She was so wise and funny as she described her role as "librarian at large" for North Carolina. I especially remember her urgency around the idea of making the library the heart of a school. That idea has stayed with me in the years since, and I'm always impressed when I find librarians doing exactly that. Here's  Jennifer Northrup's site for you, too. I love that they collaborate and that they have harnessed social media as a way to connect bookish ones and keep their spaces relevant. OK,  the hashtag is #2jennsbookclub. Tonight, Sept 8, 2017, at 8 PM. Spread the word and let's boogie.
Meg Medina
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Awards and newsThe Writing Life
September 2, 2016

Burn Baby Burn voted YA book of the year by NAIBA

  Big news for me today: Burn Baby Burn has been chosen by the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association as their book of the year in the Young Adult category. I'm in some good company here. But the fact that this honor comes from independent bookstores is what's cool.  These are the people who truly know and love books and authors. And they're the people who have refused to lie down in the face of Amazon and (before that) other large chains. How are they doing? Take a look. I wish I could be in Baltimore for their conference in October to accept the award in person. But I'll be traveling back from the Oregon School Library Association conference and won't make it back in time. So, all I can say is thank you so much NAIBA for choosing Burn Baby Burn. Party on in my absence and please know how much I appreciate every one of you for loving books and authors as you do.  
Meg Medina
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Awards and newsThe Writing Life
August 29, 2016

Are you a YA author from VA? Win $2K here!

Richmond Public Library has stepped forward to promote young adult books in Virginia - and I mean in a big way. Actually, in two thousand big ways. If you're a writer for teens in the Commonwealth, you may be eligible to win the $2,000 literature prize. (WOWZA!) YAVA (Young Adult Virginia) is an annual teen book event, now in its fourth year. It features the works of Virginia authors who have had an upper middle grade or  young adult novel published that year. It's free and open to the public for teachers, librarians, and book fans who want to meet and hear from our state's fine stable of authors, whether new to publishing or seasoned.  The event is scheduled for October 12, 2017, 6- 8:30 PM at the Main branch of the Richmond Public Library. Here's the Facebook page. The award is selected in a combination of public voting and judges, who pick the winner from among the finalists. Last year, Anne Holton was the honorary judge. (Yep, Tim Kaine's spouse and our Secretary of Education.) She selected Gigi Amateau's Come August, Come Freedom as the winner. Important rules to note: Winners are selected from the previous year's publications. Plus the author has to have been present at the live YAVA event at the library to be eligible. PLEASE take the time to vote on the 2015 title you think is most deserving. Then, do your YA authors a favor and circulate the survey widely. (Nobody's allowed to launch vote-for-me campaigns, though.…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
August 15, 2016

Peace, Quiet & Writing: An invitation to the woods

For a few days after Labor Day, I’ll make the trek back up to rural Pennsylvania to the campus of the Highlights Foundation, where they’ve begun an artist-in-residence program. The inaugural writers are Jerry and Eileen Spinnelli, Suzanne Bloom, and me. Check out High Five Spanish edition! You know Highlights, of course, from their magazine and the years you probably spent doing the hidden picture search at the dentist office. (It has been the favorite magazine feature since 1946.) But, what I learned a few years ago is that they have a beautiful campus where writers come to workshop and compose away from all the distractions of their daily lives. I've been there twice:  once as a guest author with Kathy Erskine and Rich Wallace. The second time (sort of) last spring as part of the faculty for SCBWI Pennsylvania, which rented the space for its annual meeting. When I was approached in June, it took all of five seconds to say sí, como no, even though I'd already closed my calendar to anything new until 2017. Who could resist? The idea is that I hide away in the beautiful mountains, where my biggest personal worries will be reduced to ticks and which ice cream to choose as a snack. Other people will cook to feed me. I will not walk a dog, throw in laundry or respond to email. At night, I will look at the stars through a telescope in the Lodge and listen to bullfrogs. The rest is…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
August 8, 2016

A conference from your living room couch: SLJ Teen Live

Librarians, Teachers, Book Lovers: Are you registered yet for SLJTeenLive? Hurry. It's this Wednesday, August 10, all day, and it features the likes of Leonard Marcus, Reyna Grande, Maggie Stiefvater, me - and countless other authors and book heroes that you shouldn't miss if you're serving teens. I'll be honest, I love that I don't have to travel for this conference. In fact, what I like best of all, is that it's a completely free online webinar - which means you can enjoy it with your earbuds and your air-conditioning - and not go broke. Maggie Stiefvater kicks us off at 10:15 am, and I'll close us out at 4:15. In between, there are all kinds of sessions. (I'm really interested in the one about portrayals of mental illness in YA lit, moderated by Hannah Gomez.) As for me, SLJ asked me to talk about how we make all kinds of people feel like they belong in books and in the library. How is it that somebody comes to feel welcome inside a building, a book, or really, a literary establishment? I've never done a webinar, so it should be interesting to talk for 30 minutes to the green camera light on my computer. Please God, don't let my face freeze in one of those horrendous Skype-type grimaces. Okay - go register. Hope you can make it on Wednesday - Meg  
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
June 20, 2016

ALA Orlando: A Bittersweet Affair

I head to ALA this week, but it's with a mix of emotions. Traditionally, the ALA June conference is a joyous time to celebrate the books that were awarded medals, touch base with our far-flung colleagues, and gather new advanced galleys for our to-be-read piles. I can't go every year, so when I do get the opportunity, it feels like a truly special occasion. But it's hard to feel lighthearted this year. After the terrorist attack we saw unfold against the LGBTQ community - and the maddening debates over terrorism, hate, and gun safety that (once again) ensued, I'm feeling numb. I watched the names and faces scroll - overwhelmingly Latino in this case - and my mind went to the families and friends who have been left broken and wondering about how we've been dislodged from our shared humanity. I'm grateful to see that the ALA conference organizers have several activities planned in support of the Orlando community, including a memorial service for the victims being held at the Orange County Convention Auditorium from 8 - 8:30 AM on Saturday, June 25. I'll be there with my husband and oldest daughter, who will be traveling with me this time. Maybe as we reach for joy this year, we can do so with a mind to continuing to build unity and understanding. I've put my signing and speaking schedule down below, but I would especially like to invite you to join me at the Pura Belpré celebration. Mango Abuela and Me will be awarded the honor medal for narrative and…
Meg Medina
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The Writing Life
May 31, 2016

Books as Ballet: Milagros at Latin Ballet of Virginia

Youth arts fans:  This weekend, the Latin Ballet of Virginia  presents their interpretation of my first novel Milagros: Girl from Away. It runs Friday through Sunday at the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center, and tickets are free for kids under six. (You can get more info on their website or on Facebook.) The student company performed this colorful ballet several years ago. (By now some of these kids are college graduates. Yikes!) Then as now, it's such an honor to see a work that I wrote for children being performed by children in another art form. And I'm so grateful to the LBV for always supporting me and other Latino artists in the community. They were kind enough to perform at my Hope Tree project at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in 2012, which lent a beautiful touch to the launch party for The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind. You can catch LBV this summer at the Dogwood Dell Festival of the Arts, too. Here's the schedule. A walk down memory lane from the original is below, but I can't wait to meet the new dancers during their rehearsal today!  
Meg Medina
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Awards and newsThe Writing Life
May 27, 2016

Thank you, Nevada Readers!

I just received the fun news that Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass has won the Nevada Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award. I'm so grateful to know that readers continue to connect with the story. Thank you everyone for reading and voting. Very cool! Congratulations to Bridget Heos, Carol Weston, and Jonathan Stroud on their wins, too!
Meg Medina
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AppearancesCommunity workThe Writing Life
May 16, 2016

I’ll Be Asking the Questions Around Here, Bud: Moderating at the Library of Congress

Will you be near Washington, DC on May 25?  If so, I invite you to join me for an hour at the Library of Congress where we'll talk about the role of heritage in storytelling. Last year, Karen Jaffe, Executive Director at the Young Readers Center, convened a successful symposium on strengthening families through diversity in children's literature. It featured Kwame Alexander, Tim Tingle, Ellen Oh, Gigi Amateau and me. (Here's the video). We had such a good time that we've decided to do it again this year, adding to the menu of interesting initiatives the YRC is up to. (Hosting the recent Walter Awards, adding a new teen board, to name just two.) So this year, I'm back to help as moderator, asking questions and learning along with everyone else in the room. Some of my favorite up- and-coming voices in children's lit are on this panel: Wendy Shang, Aisha Saeed, Rene Colato Lainez, and Elizabeth Zunon. All are authors and/or illustrators whose personal stories and experiences have shaped their nuanced and honest books about how we come to see ourselves as part of the American family. How do we face unflattering characterizations?  What is the balance of writing culturally specific stories and writing the universal?  How does the outsider come to feel like the insider, if ever? What are the challenges of naming and embracing home cultures in works for mainstream classrooms in the US? All that and more on the 25th. Hope you'll join us.    
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
May 9, 2016

Filler Up: Two book talks, including one at… a gas station?

When I tell people that it's important for authors to love their own community, I mean it. So with this mind, I have the pleasure to invite you to my next two appearances in Virginia - one at WriterHouse in Charlottesville, and the other at my local Exxon station in Richmond. First up: WriterHouse in Charlottesville is hosting Kristen Paige Madonia (Invisible Fault Lines) and Hannah Barnaby (Some of the Parts) and me (Burn Baby Burn) on Saturday, May 14. I've loved Hannah and KP's work for a while now. (You might remember that they were each selected for past lists of Girls of Summer. Here's the flyer with all the details: WriterHouse Flyer May2016 As for the gas station...Crazy, you say?  Not really. Hope Whitby is a member of the Poetry Society of Virginia, a member of James River Writers – and also the service manager at Village Exxon in Richmond. (It's the one at the corner of Three Chopt and Patterson, for those of you who live in RVA.) Sure, they'll fill up your tank and sell you junk food for the road. But Village Exxon also hangs art by local artists in their lobby, and - with Hope's help – they run Books in the Bay Book Club to celebrate the work of local authors. That's where I come in. Their next read is Burn Baby Burn, which they'll discuss on Sunday, May 15, at 3:30. I'm a sucker for innovation. I love Hope's idea and the fact that she's figuring out how to make the arts part…
Meg Medina
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Guests
May 2, 2016

Traitor Angels: How motherhood helped Anne Blankman tackle Milton and Galileo in a YA novel

I have a new neighbor –  and it's none other than the fabulous YA author, Anne Blankman!  Anne, a former youth services librarian, is the author of three historical novels for teens, including her latest -  Traitor Angels - starred by Kirkus.  I invited Anne to post on writing the strong girl in history - and how she manages to tackle even the most sophisticated content so that teen readers can relate. Milton's Paradise Lost? No problem... Here's Anne Blackman.   My daughter was six months old when she gave me the courage to write. Yup, you read that correctly. Although I’d wanted to be a writer since I was a little kid, as an adult I couldn’t find the courage to “put myself out there.” Once I’d had my daughter and the first few sleep-deprived foggy-minded months had passed, though, I found myself gazing at her tiny, perfect face and knowing I wanted to be a good role model for her—which meant I had to stop surrendering to fear. I needed to start writing. Fast-forward a few years and two books later, and it was time for me to start drafting my third novel, the YA romantic historical adventure Traitor Angels. The idea had been growing in my mind for a decade, ever since I took a college course on English poet John Milton. One day in class I noticed something strange about the poem we were studying. Milton’s famous epic, Paradise Lost, is supposed to be about Adam and Eve in the Garden…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesCommunity workThe Writing Life
April 28, 2016

When Reading Across Generations Works

A few photos for you from my wonderful time in Herndon Virginia as part of their Big Read event.  Thank you Signe Fredrich's and all of Arts Herndon for the kind invitation! The highlight, by far, was my time with the students - of every age. I visited Herndon High School and Herndon Elementary, plus a special off-site program that stole my heart. It's called All Ages Read Together, which is housed at the Herndon Senior Center. It pairs senior volunteers with a group of off-the-chart adorable preschoolers. (See for yourself.) It seems like such a smart way to help little ones get ready for kindergarten, while also engaging our seniors meaningfully so that isolation doesn't creep up on them. I am so grateful for the welcome I received everywhere. (I'm looking at you, too, library staff at Fortnightly!) Special thanks to Julie Brunson for all the preparation she did to help bring Mango, Abuela and Me to life for both the students and the volunteers. The students worked on parrot projects before I came to visit them. Adorable beyond belief. Kids run the range from readers, like this young lady, to children who are learning to hear the sound of their voice and the names of letters Telling us about the picture they drew of themselves and their families Just back from El Salvador, where he visited his abuela and ate pupusas! The senior volunteers who work with the children in ALL AGES READ TOGETHER. (Lead teacher Julie Brunson…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesLatino LifeThe Writing Life
April 25, 2016

Playing Dress Up and other important author duties

I'm part of the kick-off event for Herndon's All County Reads this week. Their selected book is Rudolfo Anaya's, Bless Me Ultima. So, I'll be talking about Latino lit in general and how my work deals with some of the themes in that classic novel. Disco meets Anaya. (Don't underestimate me.) Anyway, I hope you can join Kwame Alexander and me on Wednesday night at the Fortnightly Library in Herndon. (Flyer below.) After, I'll be heading into the middle of the woods, aka Hinsdale Pennsylvania/Highlights Foundation, to work on the faculty of the Eastern PA SCBWI conference. (Register.)  I'm almost done with preparations. Speeches, workshops - all drafted and packed up. My lingering homework is the character costume for Friday night, clearly the most important thing. The finalists: The Paper Bag Princess:  Love the retro, strong girl idea, but the downside...it's still so cold in PA. I'll freeze wearing a paper bag (or, ok, a few paper bags.) Still, I love this book.  Here's the audio of the story so you can see why. My kids and I read this so many times...and even then the story was already a classic. 2. Nora Lopez (from my very own Burn Baby Burn):  OK, it should be the frontrunner, but me in lycra and platforms? Once was probably enough. From Party City's costume stash! 3. Harriet the Spy:  My favorite so far. We're about the same age, this book and I.... We have a similar fashion sense. A certain odd need to observe others... 4. Amelia Bedelia:  Don't…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesCommunity workThe Writing Life
April 11, 2016

Who Are You to Say? Why I’m part of a censorship panel at Bank Street College

If you care about kids and the books they read, maybe you can make room in your schedule for a half-day conference on censorship this Saturday at Bank Street College in NYC. I'm no stranger to dust ups about what's inside my books, sadly – mostly in the form of soft censorship. Just shy of an out-and-out challenge, it means that barriers are thrown between the reader and the book. Barriers like being disinvited to schools. Or having the title of my book changed to dollar signs for the s's in ass. Or requiring parental notes to read the novel. Or simply not carrying the novel in the library, despite its recognitions by the ALA and other reputable sources. And I'm guessing that someone will find plenty of reasons to oppose my latest historical fiction novel, Burn Baby Burn, too, for its mention of contraception, Planned Parenthood and maybe even foul language. I'll need my brain and my crocodile skin, so this conference actually comes at a good time for me. What's especially appealing to me about this particular conference is also this:  As the conversation about diverse representation deepens, new and compelling controversies have erupted. The only solution that makes sense? Think, learn, and talk. Here's the set up for the day: We'll be given a brief look at the history of censorship in books for young readers by the eminent children's book scholar, Leonard Marcus. The panels that follow will consider how authors come to these stories to begin with; the…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
April 6, 2016

Burning at the LA Times Book Festival

  I'm heading to the King Kong of book festivals this weekend: the Los Angeles Times Book Festival 2016. Weighing in at 500 authors, it's big enough that I'll have to pack sneakers along with an umbrella for the predicted drizzle. I did get some practical advice from my friend and fellow author Lilliam Rivera of Radio Sombra, where she deejays Literary Soundtrack. "It's huge, and it's always hot. I have no idea why. Wear light clothes." Anyway, my schedule is this: Saturday: 1:30 PM, YA Stage: Perspectives on the Past: Writing Young Adult History MODERATOR: Aaron Hartzler PANELISTS: Monica Hesse (Girl in the Blue Coat), Meg Medina (Burn Baby Burn), Cat Winters (The Steep and Thorny Way) (Signing follows at 2:30)   Saturday, 4:30-4:55 PM, Children's stage                       Reading/presentation of Mango, Abuela, and Me  (Book signing to follow at 5 PM) So, in preparation, dig out some platform shoes tomorrow - Thursday, April 7, 9:30 EST (6:30 PM PST), and tune in to my newest interview with Lilliam on Literary Soundtrack. We'll be talking about New York's scariest year – and listening to some of the songs that brought me into the world of Burn Baby Burn.     
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
April 4, 2016

What I Was Up To: Advocacy, San Antonio, and Frito Pie

The beautiful graphic created by my sweet friend R.J. Palacio If you follow kid lit, you probably know by now that a group of almost 300 authors took a stand on behalf of readers in North Carolina. This direct letter of support kids in NC was spearheaded by R.J. Palacio, and both Phil Bildner and Alex London did some seriously heavy lifting in terms of drafting the letter and gathering names. Thanks to SLJ for picking up the story; to the authors who we contacted on such short notice for their support; and to everyone who retweeted and showed support by sharing the message on social media. As all this was unfolding at lightning speed, I was also on my way to San Antonio - land of the River Walk and Frito Pie. It was a wonderful weekend of meeting old writing friends and new. I also got to read Mango Abuela and Me together with my illustrator, Angela Dominguez. Such a sweet moment. Authors sometimes don't meet their illustrators, so this was a rare blessing. Anyway, here are a few other highlights. At the opening cocktail party with Xavier Garza, Emma Virján, Sonia Manzano, Pam Muñoz Ryan and John Parra My first-ever ingested Frito pie. I hate to admit how good it was. Strolling the river walk that ran alongside Hotel Havana, where I stayed With Aurora Anaya Cerda at Ocho. Don't forget that La Casa Azul is still an online bookstore. My swanky frig in my 1950s inspired room. Check out…
Meg Medina
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The Writing Lifewriting advice
March 31, 2016

How do I get in? Why a lousy beginning can still help you write a good novel

In between promotion travel for Burn Baby Burn, I'm turning my attention to writing my next projects with Candlewick. I have an anthology story due soon, and a middle grade manuscript due in December. I have friends who have mastered the art of airplane and hotel room writing. Some even write for as little as six minutes before going off to jobs in offices every day. But writing on the run has always been a struggle for me. I need a lot of quiet to sink deeply enough inside my imagination to connect with my characters, especially at the beginning. So, I was cleaning up my computer desktop - which is what I do when when I'm trying to avoid something unpleasant, like battling my writing insecurities. The process of beginning never seems to get easier, even after all this time. (The only thing worse is writing endings, but more on THAT another day.) I still spend weeks circling like a vulture above the story. I can see the characters vaguely. I can see their neighborhood, their school, the general shape of their lives, but I can't quite zero in on where to start. I can be caught like this for a long while, writing and rewriting the first 30 pages as I flesh out the book's world, looking under every rock for the heart of my main character. I bring this up because I stumbled upon hard evidence of why I should just embrace this wandering and stop worrying. Right…
Meg Medina
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Latino Lifepicture books
March 30, 2016

Coming your way San Antonio!

I'm packing my bags and getting in the mood for my trip to San Antonio this weekend where I'll meet up with 90 authors for the city's fabulous one-day, free-and-open-to-the-public book orgy: the San Antonio Book Festival  on Saturday, April 2, 2016. There's a bunch of kid lit authors scheduled– including some of my very favorite Latino picture book authors and assorted book people. I haven't crossed paths with a few of these guys in a long while. (I'm looking at you, John Parra and Aurora Anaya Cerda.) So, we're all a looking forward to our Latino kid lit family reunion. If you're in San Antonio this weekend, please come by the children's tent and say hola, que tal. Angela and I will be talking about how we worked together on Mango, Abuela and Me - and we'll read your little one the story ourselves. (In the meantime, here are some fun facts I found for you about the "most romantic city." I say that it pays to know what you're getting into...)          
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
March 22, 2016

Thinking Outside the (Big) Box? Burn Baby Burn at Costco

I'll be signing Burn Baby Burn at the most unexpected place this Saturday:  Costco in Chesterfield, Virginia. Nope, not my usual stomping grounds for books. But here's what has me curious. Costco IS the country's largest membership big box retailer, and one that has its own bookclub as well as a magazine (Costco Connection) with a distribution of 8.3 million copies. And last summer, former president Jimmy Carter wowed people by signing at the Glen Allen store. So while most of us associate Costco with the 60 million rotisserie chickens the retailer sells each year, when it comes to books, it's probably smarter to think about their members. They're typically college-educated, earn nearly $100K and own a home. Does that translate into readers? I'm about to find out. I honestly have no idea what to expect, other than reaching out and talking to people I don't know. Book signings can be scary - as every author knows - even at our favorite indie store. (Pick your drama: The kid cries because you wrote in her book. Or nobody comes. Or you forget/misspell somebody's name. Or your stomach hurts. Or there's a better event across town.) But maybe ours isn't the only discomfort we should think about. Not everyone feels comfortable buying their reading material at bookstores. You (and I) may love the smell of books, the crack of a new spine, the help of a knowledgable bookseller. But there are also those who like to browse on their own and who'll take a risk on a book that they…
Meg Medina
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Appearances
March 20, 2016

Lord I Was Born A Ramblin (Wo)maaaan

By far the busiest week I've had in a while: 6,412.8 miles in ten days. Whew! Some photos from the road...as many as I remembered to take, starting at the Tucson Festival of the Book. The view from my window in Tucson One of the courtyards at the Lodge on the Desert Beautiful pots all over the place This saguaro cactus towers over you. I'm told that the "arms" don't grow on it until it's old...60 years or so. The hotel is one of the oldest in Tucson and was recently remodeled. Lots of lovely alcoves and tile work Crystal Allen, Monica Brown, Kirby Larsen, and Natalie Lloyd made up the Mighty Girls panel. I couldn't resist sitting in on a panel with such a good title! What a panel! With Dan Gemeinhart and Ruta Sepetys (who taught me how to say her name) At the author dinner with Kendal Washington White, Ass't VP of Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the University of Arizona (and her son Robert) The juniors and seniors from Tucson High School who interviewed me about Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass and Burn Baby Burn Some teenagers really know how to win me over!   On to the Virginia Festival of the Book... The students' country of origin are celebrated on the ceiling tiles of Jack Jouett MS in Charlottesville VA Great VA Book Fest panel on writing family with Lamar Giles (Endangered), Kelly Fiori (Thicker Than Water) Hannah Barnaby (Some of the…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing LifeWhat I'm reading
March 18, 2016

Why I Wish I Could Be Split in Two

It’s too early to be in this airport, but I'm on the way to the Southwest Florida Reading Festival. I’ll step off the plane and head to right to a school to read Mango, Abuela and Me. Then, it’s all preparation for my time outside tomorrow. The downside to being in the Florida sunshine, though, is that I'll miss the presentation of the inaugural Walter Award at the Library of Congress. We Need Diverse Books's judges picked three of my favorite reads of 2015. I want to send a huge congratulations to winners Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely (All-American Boys), and honor winners Margarita Engle (Enchanted Air); Kekla Magoon and Ilyasa Shabazz (X). I am in DC in spirit!
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
March 14, 2016

Diverse Book Love in Virginia This Week

I'm on a plane back home this morning, but I'll have just enough time to toss the dirty clothes in the washer and head west on I-64 to Charlottesville for the Virginia Festival of the Book being held this week. Here's the schedule; as usual, something for all tastes – from chefs and cookbooks, to cultural icons and children’s book authors. No need to worry that you’ll feel out of your comfort zone. Just get out there and support the literary life of you home state, friends. My own visit is quick this year. Two school stops (Southwood Boys & Girls Club and Jack Jouette Middle School) but also an important Thursday evening panel that comes against the backdrop of the alarming national conversation (if we can we still call it that) about immigrants in this country. I hope you’ll attend Beyond Background Characters: Life in Hyphen-American. Check out the author bios, and join us! When: Thursday, March 17, 2016, 8:00 PM Where: UVa Culbreth Theater (109 Culbreth Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903) Who:  Sara Farizan Sara Farizan, author of Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel, is the daughter of Iranian immigrants, and was born in Massachusetts. She is an MFA graduate of Lesley University and holds a BA in film and media studies from American University. She is also the author of If You Could Be Mine.   Lamar Giles Lamar Giles, author of the YA thrillers Endangered and Fake ID, which was a 2015 Edgar Award nominee, is a…
Meg Medina
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The Writing Life
March 10, 2016

Where 2 Get Signed Copies of Burn Baby Burn in #RVA

Before I hit the road, I am leaving behind some signed copies of Burn Baby Burn in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Please don't forget to support your bricks-and-mortar bookshops. They're the most knowledgable and can turn you on to lots of other authors you might love. Here's where you can get your signed, first editions:   West End: Barnes & Noble (Short Pump) 11640 West Broad Street, Henrico, VA, Phone: 360-0103 Carytown:  bbgb books 3003 West Cary St, Richmond, VA, 23221, Phone: 804 353-5675 Chopsuey Books, 2913 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23221, Phone: 804 422-8066
Meg Medina
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AppearancesLatino LifeThe Writing Life
March 8, 2016

Off to the Desert: Tucson Festival of Books

March 11 - 13, 2016 I had twins today - sort of. That's because it's my book birthday for Burn Baby Burn and also for the Spanish edition of Yaqui Delgado Quiere Darte Una Paliza (translated by Teresa Mlawer). Thanks to everyone who is sending and tweeting good wishes! So how am I celebrating the releases? By dreaming of 80 degree sunny weather and packing for the first leg of a mini book tour. First stop: Arizona – for the wonderful Tucson Book Festival this weekend.(Hopefully, it's the book and not my winter-pale skin that's going to burn, baby, burn.) Here's my schedule... everything from crafting historical fiction (with the likes of Ruta Sepetys) to breaking the culture and color barrier in publishing.   Hot Off the Press Sat, Mar 12, 8:30 am - 9:30 am By invitation only: Meet ten marvelous authors releasing new books the week of the Festival. Student Union South Ballroom (Wheelchair accessible) Panelists: C. J. Box, Douglas Brinkley, Jeffery Deaver, Amy Hatvany, J. A. Jance, Lisa Lutz, Meg Medina, John Nichols, T. Jefferson Parker, Chris Pavone; Moderator: Jennifer Lee Carrell Fight or Flight: Surviving School Sat, Mar 12, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm High school and middle school can be extremely difficult for teens who daily face bullying by peers and cliques that exclude anyone seen as "different" or "weird". These YA authors will talk about how the characters in their books respond to rejection, exclusion, and bullying and why these books matter to teens. Education Room 351…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
March 7, 2016

Poets, Hope, and the Writers at the Furious Flower

The Furious Flower Mirror and Windows Conference 2016 I'm back from the Furious Flower where I had the honor of sitting in on a poetry slam as part of the Mirrors and Windows Conference.  It was a collegiate summit, so the attendees were all college undergrads and grads - MFA'ers and prospects, alongside other writers who haven't yet identified as poets. They came from Howard University, JMU, Lincoln, Salisbury, Blue Ridge Community - all hungry for time with other young artists who have discovered the power and healing that is found inside the hard shell of poetry. Dereck Rodriguez and Gabriel Ramirez with the Executive Director Dr. Joanne Gabbin (photo by Tony Medina) It was, of course, an honor to be part of the faculty with Mahogany Brown, Tony Medina, and Kwame Alexander. But to me, the true stars of this weekend were the young poets. The poetry slam was our culminating gathering, and it was, for me, one of the most beautiful experiences I've had as an author. These young scholars brought it all, and as I watched each one take a turn at the mic, I found myself hanging on words that named their experience, their fears, their strengths, their reality. Whether the poem was about turning to Payless sneakers, life with a brother suffering from mental illness or about shaming a girl who has been raped, they rang true. I'll tell you straight: It has been a season of despair for me as we inch toward November. The ugly, racist and bullying…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
March 1, 2016

We’re Making (Badass)History: A Google Hangout with YA authors

I'll be joining three amazing authors for a Google Hangout on Sunday, March 6. Check out the details and mark your calendar.     Who will be there?     Sharon Biggs Waller The Forbidden Orchid Synopsis: 1861, Kent, England. 17-year-old Elodie Buchanan is the eldest of ten girls, all named for flowers, and daughter of a world-famous Victorian plant hunter and Darwinist. When an accident leaves her father immobile and badly in debt, Elodie herself must journey to China in search of a rare orchid to save her family from debtors prison. Along the way she finds danger, deception, and first love. Published by Viking, February 2nd, 2016. Starred in PW and School Library Journal "VERDICT A historical romance with a strong female protagonist, sure to find fans.–School Library Journal Jessica Spotswood A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Stories of Belles, Bankrollers, and Other Badass Girls Synopsis: Join fifteen of today’s most talented writers of young adult literature on a thrill ride through history with American girls charting their own course. They are monsters and mediums, bodyguards and barkeeps, screenwriters and schoolteachers, heiresses and hobos. They're making their own way in often-hostile lands, using every weapon in their arsenals, facing down murderers and marriage proposals. And they all have a story to tell. Starred review in Booklist "Readers of historical fiction and adventure need look no further." ~ Kirkus Cat Winter The Steep and Thorny Way Hanalee Denney's hometown is not a welcoming place in the 1920s. Hanalee is the daughter of…
Meg Medina
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The Writing Life
February 29, 2016

Cover Reveal: Been There Done That, Book 2

There is no end to the childhood humiliations that I can draw from to write fiction. That's especially true about the year my mother made me gift a pair of pantyhose to my favorite third grade teacher. You can read about that horror - both the true story and its fictionalize form - in Been There Done That, Book 2, an anthology (ed. Mike Winchell, Grosset & Dunlap, 2015) that features short fiction by some of your favorite middle grade writers. Each author offers a story along with a personal essay about the real events that inspired it. Just how tortured were we as kids in school? There's only one way to find out... If you work with young writers, consider preordering. The first in the series pubbed in November 2015, and Book Two "School Daze"  hits bookstores in August. Check out the website and support material here.   "A fine collection and a boon to writing teachers everywhere." ~Kirkus  
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
February 27, 2016

Spend a Weekend in VA with Poets – and, um, me

A blue 1973 Camaro - like the one Pablo drives in Burn Baby Burn. Wish I had these wheels for my travels! After a long rest at home this winter, which featured DIY painting several rooms of my neglected house, I'm getting ready to hit the road with Burn Baby Burn.  I won't be in town for the official publication date, so I guess I'll celebrate on the move this time. On Wednesday, March 2, I'll drive up to Bridgewater College to visit YA literature classes that have been reading Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, and then I'll lecture that evening at their March convocation. (Details here.) My visit is made possible by the Alison Yowell Pazmino Memorial Fund, named for a young woman who had planned to dedicate her life to teaching children with challenges. On Thursday night, March 3, I'll drive up the road to James Madison University for the Mirrors and Windows Conference at the Furious Flower Center, which, if you don't know, is our country's first academic center devoted to African American poetry. It provides education, research, and publishing to JMU and the surrounding area of Harrisonburg. As a kid lit advocate, I like that it also offers summer poetry camp for kids and opportunities for slams - among much more. When Dr. Joanne Gabbin, the FF's executive director, invited me last year, I was sure she'd made a mistake. Me? I write novels and picture books, with only a few poems here and there. "You're poetic," she…
Meg Medina
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The Writing LifeTrailers
February 15, 2016

A Playlist for Burn Baby Burn!

It's snowing outside and freezing here in Virginia. So here's something that can get you up and moving inside. Every decade has music that defines it. The 1970s was disco, punk, and the early work rock legends. I loved it all, to be honest. Copyright laws keep me from posting clips of all the songs mentioned in the novel, but here's a slideshow of the albums and artists that made their way into Burn Baby Burn. Whether you loved the dancing queens or said that "disco sucks,"  there's something to dance to here. Enjoy!
Meg Medina
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Awards and newsGuestsLatino LifeThe Writing Life
February 8, 2016

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Pura Belpré!

Pura Belpré storytelling at La Casita Maria community center in East Harlem This week marks the birthday (as far as historians can tell) of Pura Belpré, New York City’s first Latina librarian after whom the esteemed award is named. The Pura Belpré award was established in 1996 and celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. So you see, it's time to kick off this year-long party! To honor this special day, I've invited guest blogger Dr. Marilisa Jimenez Garcia of Hunter College. She is a passionate advocate of Pura Belpré's legacy and studies issues pertaining to Latino children's lit. Here Dr. Jimenez Garcia examines the lasting impact of an author visit – and how it led to her own interest in this fascinating librarian. As a child, one of my favorite book series was Kids of the Polk Street School by Patricia Reilly Giff. I am almost certain I found the series by looking through my sister’s books. She was three years older, cooler, and always had the best books. She was beyond the little frogs and cats learning to dress themselves and brush their teeth in the books I read. Her books had full-blown characters that went to school, got into trouble, and made plans for the future—things I found much more intriguing. I know now that my love for these books was greatly due to Giff’s ability to engage me as a young reader. One day my mother found out that Giff was going to be at a local library in Long Island. My…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesCommunity workLatino Lifepicture books
February 1, 2016

In Service to Richmond: How I choose where to go for free

Here's what I know about children's book writers in my community. We believe that kids matter, and we believe that books and stories help strengthen them and their families. With that in mind every year, I help lead literary events, such as Girls of Summer and YAVA (as in, Young Adult Virginia) at the Richmond Public Library. But I also donate visits to a few schools and community organizations that might not otherwise be able to afford an author visit.  I'll be doing two of those visits this month. I can't usually do school visits for free. Like most writers, I keep a roof over my head by cobbling together both advances (which can be years in between) and appearances. Most organizations understand that reality, and they find ways to pay, either through generous PTA groups, grants, partnerships with other organizations, or school improvement funds. Still there are always some that just can't find the funds. Ay! What do we do then? The task of picking where to go for free is awful, mostly because there are just so many places where economics stand in the way of good things for kids. Also, for me, I always feel the urgent weight of exposing kids to authors from diverse backgrounds. It matters not only because they'd benefit from sharing stories that represent all experiences, but also because meeting an author might inspire kids of color to consider careers in the literary arts, which they may not have considered viable for them, too. (Certainly, we're not there yet as you can see in Lee…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesLatino Life
January 25, 2016

Ah, those Dixie Latinos: U of R celebrates with an NEH grant

OK, February is going to be one big, long Valentine to Latinos. That's because the University of Richmond was one of 203 recipients nationwide (and one of only three in Virginia) to get a piece of $1.48 million earmarked by the NEH and the American Library Association for "Latino Americans: 500 Years of History." As part of the grant, the university will host host public screenings of a six-part documentary about the rich and varied contributions of Latinos to our country - plus they'll add other public programming, including discussion groups, oral histories, local history exhibitions, multi-media projects, performances, and other programs on Latino history and culture. (Here is the link to what will be going on at the University of Richmond all month long.) I especially love that Dr Laura Browder and Dr. Patricia Herrera, who secured the grant, have created events specifically around the Latino experience in Virginia. The south has seen an enormous growth in the Latino population, and certainly that is true of Richmond. Who are the Latinos who call the commonwealth home? What are the perceptions and misperceptions of us as a group?  What impact have we made on our city and counties? And, the ever-elusive question:  Will any of us ever learn how to make a proper ham biscuit? It's such an honor to be part of this, both as an author and as a Virginian. Not many people know that I was born in Alexandria, Virginia, where my parents first settled when they arrived from Cuba.…
Meg Medina
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The Writing LifeTrailers
January 15, 2016

Stars & Thoughts: On the New Trailer for Burn Baby Burn

After months of some serious anxiety over my upcoming novel, I've been getting some good news about Burn Baby Burn, which is due in bookstores on March 8.  Book Riot gave it a nice shout out last month, and it was listed as an anticipated 2016 title on the Barnes & Noble Teen blog by my pals at We Need Diverse Books. It's also been named a Junior Library Guild selection and has earned a starred review on Kirkus. Today, Shelf Awareness premiered the trailer. In case you aren't subscribed to the industry newsletter, here it is below. Please feel free to share the trailer if you like what you see. I finally hired a professional to handle the production this time around. Why? You've seen my past trailers:  super basic via i-movie or keynote and Quicktime.  I started making trailers a few years ago thanks to SCBWI's Chris Cheng who gave a terrific workshop on how to make DIY ads for your books. Over the years, I've enjoyed doing them, but the truth is that they're a stretch for a novice like me. When you're a rookie, it shows. (No need to spare my feelings. I know.) Rich Bailey of Shooting Richard produced the Burn Baby Burn trailer - which is to say he had to deal with a very persnickety author offering ideas and opinions. (Poor guy.) To keep costs down, I came to him with the basic storyboard concept and text. He made the magic. Here below is a Q & A…
Meg Medina
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Awards and newsThe Writing Life
January 11, 2016

Huge Win for Latino Authors at ALA: Mango, Abuela and Me Among medalists

It's been a huge and unexpected day for me, to say the least. But it has been a HUGE day for Latino authors and illustrators all the way around.  A ceiling-shattering day.  A day that represents such an astounding shift in respect and perception that it brings tears to my eyes as I am typing this. For the first time, we have Latino winners and honor books in so many of the major awards - the Feldman, the Seilbert, the Printz, the Caldecott, the Odyssey, non fiction awards and the very highest one, the Newbery. I am so very proud of my friend, Matt de la Peña, for his gorgeous book, Last Stop on Market Street. (The full list of ALA winners is here.)  If you were watching the ALA awards this morning, you know that Mango, Abuela, and Me was given the 2016 Pura Belpré honor book award for literature, as well as receiving an honor for the illustrations. Congratulations, Angela! (Full list of Pura Belpré winners here.) This award celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.  Since its inception, the Pura Belpré award has sought to shine a light on the Latino experience in children's literature. In so many ways, this has become my life's work. To have this medal on my book - this year in particular - is such an affirmation. A huge congratulations to Margarita Engle and Rafael Lopez winners of the Pura Belpré medal for literature and illustration, respectively. I feel so humbled to have my work included alongside yours. Congratulations to all…
Meg Medina
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Awards and newsLatino Life
January 4, 2016

January Bargain at E-Volt: The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind

This month E-volt – where you can get books for $2.99 or less – is offering  The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind on sale for $1.99. You might not remember the novel – quiet as it was – but it's the book that has made the biggest impact on me as an author. The synopsis is here, but I describe the novel as a mix of magical realism and telenovela mostly because it’s one of those sweeping stories with large casts and a few spirits. It's about secrets, traitors, and love stricken heroes, all hopefully drawn with some depth. But at its core, The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind is actually realistic fiction, too. That's because it's a tale of migration and why young people take unimaginable risks to move toward better circumstances. It names that terrible brew of longing and violence the powerless often see in this life. I've heard said that each novel you write teaches you how to be a better writer. If that's true, this one was a strict SOB of a teacher. I rewrote The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind more times than I care to count, trying to preserve a stylized storytelling while getting at a contemporary issue with honesty. What a struggle! I reworked the manuscript top to bottom, axing plot lines and characters. Several times I thought I would abandon the project altogether. I couldn't find my way somehow. I couldn't settle on what I really wanted to say about Sonia and the people in…
Meg Medina
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Latino LifeThe Writing Life
December 21, 2015

My Piece in The Horn Book

I have been circling my mailbox like a vulture for weeks now, waiting for my hard copy of the January/February issue of The Horn Book, where I've written my first piece. Today, they posted the link on twitter. I feel so fortunate to close 2015 and look to a new year with this essay. I was given the space to talk about my books and the work of others - the elders as well as the up-and-coming. There was no way to name all my fellow Latino authors in this single piece, and I hope they will forgive the omission, knowing that I did my best to shine a light on as many as I could. Mostly, though, I wrote from the personal as I explored what it has really been like to write the literature of the new American family. Here is the link, friends. Please read and share. Christmas 1964 ¡Feliz navidad!  
Meg Medina
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Awards and newspicture booksThe Writing Life
December 9, 2015

Happy Holidays, Mango!

I was one click away from shutting down my computer for the afternoon, when I checked my email to find some good news. Mango, Abuela and Me just got voted a best book by Chicago Public Library for 2015. And only yesterday, Mango also made the Reading Rockets Holiday List for young readers. Nice to think of this book being under someone's tree or menorah. Thank you, everyone, for reading my work and for admiring Angela's lovely illustrations. We really appreciate these recommendations!  
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
December 7, 2015

¡Feliz Navidad! Now, which social media platform gets axed?

Wordy mom We have a holiday tradition at our place. Our Noche Buena table is set with a holiday ornament at each place setting. Each of us has to find the ornament that represents us that year. It's a fun hunt for the perfect symbol and an interesting way to find your seat. But what I like most is that the ornaments eventually become part of our tree. When we pull out the dusty boxes, the memories are all there. The year Javier dared to build a new bathroom Well, maybe not all. Needless to say, I don't seek out ornaments to commemorate the uglier side of family life: angry disagreements, deaths, budget headaches, overbearing relatives. (It IS tempting to imagine what symbols I'd put up, though.) When Tia Isa Wants a Car was published It's not that we don't acknowledge the sadder days of life. It's just that there are plenty of reminders of that mess all the time. Instead, I choose to end the year with expressions of how each of us found a way to shine despite it all. The year Sandra fell in love with running The same is true, I suppose, for the author life. Authors use social media to make relationship with readers and to create an identity that's recognizable to the people who follow our work. It's not the whole story of us. What we toss-up is a curated version of what it takes to make a living through words. How we curate and where we do so…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
November 16, 2015

Author Rock Bands and Other Y’All Fest 2015 Craziness

  Imagine downtown Charleston, SC - easily one of the most walkable and picturesque US cities – filled with book crazed teens and the authors who write for them. Authors dressed like Harry Potter or singing in rock bands or competing in ridiculous game shows. Add in southern comfort food and hilarious panels and that's Y'All Fest. Okay, so I'll confess that I didn't really know what I was getting into when I accepted the invitation. For those of you who might be unfamiliar, Y'All Fest is just five years old and is the brainchild of mega authors Margie Stohl and Kami Garcia (Beautiful Creatures series and more), along with indi bookstore owner Jonathan Sanchez (Blue Bicycle Books). Today, it's big. It's wacky. It oozes cool. But underneath, it's mostly an amazing festival that uses books to transform a community and serve kids. If you're a YA fan, this is an event to put on your calendar every year. There was too much going on to capture everything, but here are a few shots to give you an idea... The founders...Kami and Margie My school visit at Palmetto Scholars Academy With the fabulous Nicola Yoon, author of Everything Everything The pros talk strategies for surviving the writing life. So many great suggestions, including wearing a hat with sharks stuck on it. Don't ask. Hollywood Squares with authors Our Hollywood Squares contestant Daniel Handler, AKA Lemony Snicket, losing badly at a game show despite excellent directions by Veronica Roth. Carolyn Mackler is…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesAwards and news
October 19, 2015

Kaywell Award and Texas Book Festival Photos

Running like a mad woman today, so I'm putting up some photos of last week's travels. Met so many wonderful people - educators, literary philanthropists, fellow authors. This was also the first time that Ahora Si! magazine sponsored a tent at the Texas Book Festival where Latino authors and programming were available all day. Very cool! Here are just a few shots. With Melanie Griffin, archivist at USF, Dr. Joan Kaywell, and Kaywell committee chair James Leggett How's THIS for a set of wheels? My ride after the awards ceremony in Tampa. Thanks, Donna Heath! Visiting cousin Carlos A walk along the path. I love Spanish moss in the trees. Yep. We're in Austin. The day begins in the best way: Maya Smart is my Texas Book Festival contact for the day Thank you Texas Book Festival and Candlewick Press! Maya and I handing out books after my talk with Reading Rockstars Clay tiles in Zavala ES's garden, which has chickens, goldfish, a bridge. Such a great space! rooftop with the fab Nikki Loftin and Lydia Gil The view from the amazing penthouse home of arts patrons Sandra and Walter Wilkie Jamie and the lovely Maya Smart The view from the author green room. Every party in Austin seemed to have a rooftop angle. Day 1: Renee Watson! We were both in polka dots and offered to be bestseller Eric Litwin's back up singers for Sing and Dance in Your PolkaDot Pants. We await your call, Eric. Catching up with…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
October 9, 2015

You Love Me; You Hate Me: Whiplash as an Author of Realistic YA

So, I'm getting ready to leave for the Texas Book Festival where I will hang with some of my favorite "reading rock star" authors - and with my friend Maya Smart, whose family transplanted there earlier this year to become part of the University of Texas family. But before I head to Austin, I'll be  making an important pitstop in Tampa, FL to receive the 2015 Joan Kaywell Books Save Lives Award at the University of South Florida. This year, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass is the winner, along with honorable mention of Openly Straight by the fabulous Bill Konigsberg. The timing of the award couldn't be better for my spirits. It's Hispanic Heritage month AND it was recently Banned Books Week. That means I've had my usual emotional whiplash of being received with open arms or with a full dose of ugly. L t R: David Shipler, David Levithan, Coe Booth, and me at HousingWorks If you read this blog regularly, you might know that I spent last week on the road, first to New York City and then down to Arkansas. Coming off of a few days in New York is always a little strange. This is a city where the word "ass" isn't really a problem. It's a place with Kinky Boots on Broadway (fantastic,) a painted naked lady on Times Square (not so fantastic,) and books and lecture series absolutely everywhere. Since Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass is set in Queens, there is always a sense of the…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesLatino LifeThe Writing Life
September 28, 2015

Heading Your Way, NYC: Banned Books, Latino Lit, and Mentorship

Fall in New York City. I smile just thinking about it, especially when I add banned books and Latino lit to the reasons I'll be there this week. I hope you can join me for any one of these stops: I found this on their Tumblr page. Looks gorgeous, no? Tuesday, Sept 29, 7:30 PM, HousingWorks Bookstore Cafe in Greenwich Village, where all proceeds go directly to fighting AIDS and homelessness. I'll be talking banned books with David Levithan and Coe Booth, both of whom have been caught in the iron jaws of censorship, too. I'll share experiences about Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass as it applies to soft censorship. (How many polite ways are there to get between a kid and a controversial book?  Turns out, a whole lot.) Looking forward,  I'm already bracing for the reaction to my upcoming novel, Burn, Baby, Burn (March 2016.) If the disco music and violence don't incite my critics, then girls and birth control surely will. Uh-oh. Thursday, Oct 1, 3:30 PM the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University, 239 Greene Street, room 302. As part of their 125 year anniversary celebration, the Steinhardt School is hosting a year-long children's literature lecture series. My talk is called: What’s Our Story: The role of culturally sensitive books in the lives of multilingual families. Seating is limited, but if you're a professor, teacher, librarian, or future educator with an interest in multilingual education, contact Kendra Tyson at kendra.tyson@nyu.edu for information. Cristina Garcia (Dreaming in…
Meg Medina
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Adult bookspicture book, middle grade, YA
September 24, 2015

All things wise and ghostly: Old & new titles to scare you at every age

It's coming up on October, a tough month for those of us who despise being terrified. What can I tell you? Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin did me in when I was a teen, and I don't think I ever recovered. Anyway, here's a quick list of titles (old and new) that I've loved anyway for their nudge toward all things ghostly and wise. Picture books   Middle Grade/ YA (I just couldn't leave Harry Potter out...) Adults
Meg Medina
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Appearancespicture booksTrailers
August 25, 2015

A book birthday – and time to remember las abuelas who inspired the story

Today is the book birthday for Mango, Abuela and Me - my second picture book, so sweetly illustrated by the talented Angela Dominguez.  So far, so good. It has earned very nice reviews and mentions, including stars in Booklist and PW. Plus, I got word last week that it has gone into its first reprinting, so I'm thrilled, to say the least. This time around, I'm delaying the launch a couple of weeks until Sunday, September 13, 2015, 1 PM - 3 PM. That's when my pal, Gigi Amateau (Two for Joy) and I will do a joint book event at bbgb in Carytown to celebrate our new books and, even more important, National Grandparents Day. According to USA Today, more than 4.9 million kids in America are being raised by their grandparents, a number that basically doubled since 2000. That wasn't exactly the case for Gigi and me, but our grandmothers helped raise us just the same, and we love them for it. Our own grandmothers are gone, but Grammy, Abuela Bena and Abuela Fefa continue to make impact on us as women, mothers, and authors. Bena on her wedding day in 1925 Benita Metauten was my mother's mother. She had an eighth grade education and rolled cigars for a living in her family's small enterprise. She would eventually marry a bicycle salesman, have four children, and find herself in the US. When she arrived from Cuba in 1968 –her nerves in tatters – I wasn't sure I'd like her. The…
Meg Medina
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Guestspicture book, middle grade, YAWhat I'm reading
August 4, 2015

Meet the Enchanting Margarita Engle

For more than two decades, Margarita Engle has produced award-winning work for children of all ages. Among her many distinctions, she is a multiple recipient of the Pura Belpré medal, the Américas Award, and the Jane Addams Award. She is also the first Latina author to have earned a Newbery Honor Award for her 2008 novel-in-verse, The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom. Margarita has long been known for impeccable research and thoughtful books that shine new light on figures in history. But her new project goes inward. Her memoir-in-verse, Enchanted Air (Simon and Schuster,) arrives in book stores this week. Here at the dawn of the United States's new relationships with Cuba, Margarita tells us about her book, her own relationship to Cuba, and what it means to write from the heart.  *** When we speak of reciting poems “by heart,” we mean “from memory.” That is because memories live in the heart, in emotions, in a past that remains swirled together with the present and future. Memories are the one place where time is defeated by love. Margarita and her mother Writing about one’s own childhood is a process of writing by heart. There are no guidelines, no patterns to follow, no research to depend on, no papery or digital maps of the mind. When I decided to write ENCHANTED AIR, Two Cultures, Two Wings, all I had was my own memories, and the emotions they still contain, long after adulthood has made an unusual childhood seem like someone else’s strange, impossible life.…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesGuests
July 21, 2015

Check out SCBWI from the art director’s view

Guiseppe Castellano A while back, I had the pleasure of being on the SCBWI faculty in Atlanta where I met Guiseppe Castellano, Art Director for Penguin Random House. I've been making a habit of hanging out at illustrator sessions these days even though I have absolutely zero skill in the visual arts. (Why God, why?) I go for the same reason I like to see dance performances: to be amazed by the talents of other people and to broaden my own toolbox for storytelling. There's a lot to be learned about narrative if you strip out words. You learn to see, I think, how to use negative space - what is NOT said - to your advantage. Anyway, Guiseppe is offering some good advice on his blog about how to make the most of your SCBWI experience, and he includes thoughts from a range of spiffy speakers, like Arthur Levine, Pat Cummings, and others. I'm in there, too, speaking on how to make the most of both serving as faculty and as an attendee. Check him out and follow him on Twitter @pinocastellano. Happy reading!  
Meg Medina
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Latino LifeRandom howls into the world
June 30, 2015

This month at Pine Camp: Paintings by Salvador González Escalona

I'm heading over to Pine Camp on July 2 for the opening reception of “Two Seas Merging,” which features the work of Cuban artist Salvador González Escalona. The reception is 6:30 to 8:30 p.m, and the show runs until the end of the month. From the press release: "A self-taught mixed medium master artist, González Escalona, with the help of campers enrolled in the Great Summer Escape camp at Pine Camp, just completed painting a mural titled Two Seas Merging, which symbolizes the cultural diversity of the Afro-Cuban connection." If your Spanish is strong, here he is in Cuba discussing his mural work in Callejón de Hamel , where he used African religious imagery on a community mural project - remarkable since it was initiated during a particularly repressive time. Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule a tour please call Shaunn Casselle at 646-6722. For more information about these projects, please call 646-3677."  
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
June 29, 2015

Wrapping up Shenandoah Conference

Visited Patsy Cline's house in Winchester Just got back from the fabulous Shenandoah Children's Literature Conference, and I am wrapping up loose ends for some of the participants. As promised, here are the websites of Latino children's lit that I mentioned in my talk. The summer reading list here via Latinas for Kid Lit. Here is an excellent blog, complete with a hefty list of resources to help you find the latest work by Latino authors. Latin@s in Kid Lit This general tween boy list appeared on the lovely blog, Read Brightly. Saw it on Facebook today, so I'm sharing. Don't forget to look through the Pura Belpré winners, the Tomás Rivera winners, and the Las Américas list for titles and resources. I will get back to those of you who didn't get the book talking kits that We Need Diverse Books provided. (They went like hot cakes with the librarians!) And finally, just to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt why I love pastelitos de guayaba, here is a photo of these heavenly treats. My son is dating a young woman who has a Cuban dad.  (Hay que darle gracias al señor...) They sent this yummy box of treats today from New Jersey. Thank you Louis, Mary, and Lauren! 
Meg Medina
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picture book, middle grade, YAWhat I'm reading
June 22, 2015

Caminar by Skila Brown

On Saturday, I had the chance to talk about one of my favorite reads of last year. I read Caminar by Skila Brown in the fall, and I'm so glad I finally had the chance to talk about it on Weekend Reads. I'm often asked who has permission to write Latino stories. My personal view: the person with the humility, depth, research skills, and writing chops to do it. In this case, that person was Skila Brown. Here are some thoughts on violence, children's literature, and the need to tell our histories. http://www.npr.org/player/embed/415752511/416192516  
Meg Medina
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AppearancesCommunity workThe Writing LifeWhat I'm reading
June 15, 2015

Girls of Summer’s Big, Bad, Birthday Bash

It's here! The Girls of Summer Reading list goes live on our blog today. (Click over and check out the titles and our reviews.) But what this really means is that we're at the start of a big week for us, since our live events happen this week, too. Last minute plans, airport pickups, raffle items - agh! Gigi and I are so proud of the collection this year – especially since it marks our fifth anniversary of celebrating strong girls and reading. Where did five years go? We launched the list as our daughters were making their way out of high school. Today, Judith is living her dream of running a barn in California, training horses with a sure and skilled hand. Sandra has just moved into her own apartment in Washington, DC and will take the helm of a second grade class in the fall. And Cristina has recently landed her first official office job with Midas Auto Parts - an employer whose embrace of community extends to helping individuals with disabilities make meaningful contributions. Judith and Tiny Sandra's graduation day with friends. Next stop DC! The ultimate strong girl: Cristina Gigi and I have changed, too. We continue to write and publish books about strong girls and to see our respective careers unfold in ways that we could never have imagined five years ago. Earning the Pura Belpré award for Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass has provided me an incredible platform that I hope I've used wisely. I've crisscrossed the country encouraging more…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
June 2, 2015

NY, NY: A Helluva Town

Who says you can't tell this story to a six-year-old? Before I post the photos from BEA and BookCon in New York, I have to show you what I got in my inbox. It's a project based on Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. My librarian friend, Shelley Armstrong, sent me the work of Jordan, Kasey, Myles, and Nick from Dr. Lee Bloxom's 9th grade English class at the Thomas Dale High School West Campus in Richmond, VA. What better way to teach the impact of audience on writing, than to have a group of kids adapt a story for another age group?  Here's my bad-ass YA novel as a picture book.  TDHS Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Butt. (Thanks for sending this Shelley!) Okay, the photos I managed to get my hands on. Next time you're in the city, I recommend staying at the Library Hotel, at 41 and Madison Ave., just up the block from NYPL's famous stone lions. The entire decor in the hotel is based on the Dewey decimal system, complete with an old card catalog at the reception desk. Each floor houses different categories. You can stay in the paranormal section, romance languages, botany. Even the street outside is decorated with brass plaques featuring quotes by famous literary figures. So strange and fun! I was shelved in the Slavic Languages section. I don't think New Yorkers appreciated me stopping to read all the brass plaques...   I fell in love with a little gem of…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
May 25, 2015

The Big Apple: BEA and Book Con 2015

I'll be spending almost the whole week in the Big Apple! This year I'll be part of Book Expo America and BookCon for the first time, which feels exciting. Here are the highlights, including some off-site places where I'll pop up, too. Back to the scene of the crime in Queens on May 27!  I'll be talking about Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass and my other books back at the Flushing branch of the Queens Public Library, mere blocks from where I went to junior high school - and tangled with my own real-life bully so many years ago. Flashbacks here I come. Cornelia Connelly Center in the Village, May 28:  Interestingly, this gig came as the result of a Jesuit priest who heard me speak at a Hispanic Heritage talk I gave at the Federal Reserve Bank last year. So excited to speak to the young women at this Catholic School. Speed dating at the ABC/CBC Tea, Friday, May 29, 3:30 PM, Javits Center Room 1E12/13:  Booksellers will be getting lithos of my upcoming picture book Mango, Abuela, and Me, which hits bookstores in August. Public We Need Diverse Books reception at my favorite bookstore in Spanish Harlem, Friday, May 29, 7 PM:  Join We Need Diverse Books authors at La Casa Azul, which is - hands down - one of my very favorite bookstores. Such a beautiful spot and a thoughtfully curated collection of works by Latino authors writing in Spanish and English. (143 E 103 Street, near…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesCommunity workThe Writing Life
April 28, 2015

DIA events rule my world this week

Ah, breakfast at home. I'm just back from Loudoun County Public Library in Northern Virginia, where I spoke at It's All Write, their annual short story writing contest for teens. With Bev and Wright Horton It's always amazing to me how many unexpected gifts are part of these visits. I got to see the work of young people coming up the ranks - always fun. This time around, too, I learned about how Loudoun has a book club for adults with developmental disabilities. (Guess what I'm interested in starting here in Richmond?) I met librarians who are secret playwrights and novelists. I met young people who want to study children's book illustration. And, of course, I had the honor of meeting Bev and Wright Horton, a former teacher and a geologist, who are the long time benefactors of the program that touches hundreds and hundreds of kids in their area. They do so in honor of their late son, James, who loved writing. "James would have loved this contest," Bev told me. Personal loss redirected into something positive for a community confirmed for me AGAIN that the literary arts - the stories of all of us - are a powerful force for connection and healing. So for all of that, thank you (camera-shy)Linda Holtslander for the invitation to Loudoun County and for the chance to spend time with the amazing people at Park View HS, Tuscarora HS, and the Rust Library. Writing at Park View HS! My Cuban friend -…
Meg Medina
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April 13, 2015

The art of the book display: librarians in GA raise the bar

Remember those book dioramas you used to make in a shoebox when you were little?  They were 3-D book reports, really, and I loved them. Well, come to find out, they still live! And they're bigger and more interesting than ever. Check out details from an amazing display case created by Vicki Barbre and Jane Anderegg, librarians at Cherokee High School in Canton, Georgia, where I was a guest speaker last month. The school bought copies of Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass for their English classes.  The librarians collected stuff for weeks, plucking out themes and details from the story. I'm told they make one for each of their guest authors during the year - an amazing program run and managed by teacher Dennis Jolley. This takes a ton of planning and digging around, so wow.! Thank you, Cherokee HS! Salon Corazón! recreation of Piddy's locker Ma's piano! The essay Piddy writes during detention Looks real, but it's American Girl doll-size The kittens, and hair rollers and other beauty products Lila might love Paddy's elephant charm    
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
April 6, 2015

On conga lines, a seaside library, and the surprise of a girl’s rehab center: REFORMA Nat’l Convention V

You haven’t lived until you’ve done a conga line to the strains of Miami Sound Machine with a bunch of happy librarians. That's precisely what I did during the dance party/dessert reception at the fifth annual REFORMA national conference in San Diego last week. I’ve mentioned REFORMA here before. That’s the arm of ALA dedicated to library services to Latinos - and a partner in the Pura Belpré award, along with ALSC. This year about 300 librarians, authors, teachers, and community leaders - many sporting pins with slogans like Sí - hablo español – gathered to share ideas and best practices. Photo via Sonia Bautista It had a lot of the usual conference fare: panels, keynotes (mine at the pool on a broiler of a day). But the event had the unmistakable feeling of friends coming together for support and fun, too. Maybe that's what Ana Elba Pavon meant when she called it “time with my REFORMA family.” Look, you can’t blame me for being a little giddy about going to San Diego, land of the eternal sunny-and-low-70s weather, especially after this winter. But I got a lot more than a few days in the sunshine. I was surprised to run into Teresa Mlawer, who has been duking it out with the translation for Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, which she says is the hardest book she’s ever had to translate. (She’s done quite a few, like classics, Where the Wild Things Are and Caps for Sale.) She's trying her…
Meg Medina
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picture books
March 23, 2015

My new book trailer: Mango, Abuela, and Me

Do you need a book trailer? Plenty of authors will say no, but trailers are fun to make, even if you don't have any visual art skills. The one below was made on i-movie, plain and simple. Personally, I like the exercise of distilling an entire book idea down to a minute or less.  It's a visual "elevator pitch" and another way to get readers engaged in what's coming. Anyway, here's the trailer for my next picture book, Mango, Abuela, and Me, due from Candlewick Press on August 25, 2015. Illustrated by the lovely Angela Dominguez.
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The Writing Life
February 16, 2015

Short Stories and the JTCC Literary Festival

Sorry I've been quiet lately. I've been knuckling down on edits for my novel before it finally goes into copyediting. This is my panic mode, the last chance I have to make substantial changes to a piece. I'm both eager to let the book go and terrified, same as always. So maybe it's a good thing that I'm taking a couple of days away from that intensity to get to John Tyler Community College next week, where I'll be part of their 20th Literary Festival this week I have a soft spot in my heart for college writing, mostly because it was during my college years that I really started to consider writing as a serious pursuit. I had always enjoyed it, but it was Professor Judith Summerfield at Queens College in New York who really started me thinking that a passion could in fact become a career. Unfortunately, it would be 20 years before I had the courage to actually take the plunge to write a novel for young people,  but I remember so well how much I loved going to her class, the relief I felt when I'd sink into one of her assignments. All these years later, I am still so grateful that I was one of her students. Maybe that's why I'm so excited about teaching two short story workshops as part of my time at JTCC. It comes at a perfect time because the form is fresh in my mind. I don't know why, but in the past year, short stories…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesAwards and newsCommunity workLatino LifeThe Writing Life
February 1, 2015

What are you doing in Arkansas? Thinking about Pura Belpré, of course!

The Arkansas River That's pretty much what everybody asked me this week.  Maybe it's because it's hard to imagine a Cuban from Queens hanging out near Oklahoma where the wind does, in fact, come sweeping down the plain. But there I was: Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Fort Smith is a quiet place with one of everything, as Ines, one of the district's English Language Learners coordinators, told me. One Staples. One bridal shop. One mall. Church life is central to life here, which made me laugh when I toured their visitor center -  a restored brothel called Miss Laura's Social Club. You can walk along the beautiful Arkansas river here, eat something called a Frito Chili pie, or find excellent Vietnamese food. You can experience a tornado drill on a moment's notice or tour gallows and other bone-chilling artifacts of the "wild west." Such a mix of unexpected things. Including people. Miss Laura's living room Like a lot of small towns in the US, Fort Smith is warm and close-knit - and it now finds its demographics shifting. Schools that were once 90 percent white, now have Latino populations of over sixty percent, compounded in some cases by significant financial need. The challenge, of course, is to embrace change as normal and to pull from it the rich experiences that a truly multicultural community can provide. With my talented and wonderful handlers: Amanda Baker and Ines Robles-Hough As I've had the chance to do  elsewhere, I spoke to kids about my books, culture,…
Meg Medina
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Random howls into the world
January 19, 2015

My favorite MLK celebration: the Virginia way

This weekend I traveled from one corner of Virginia to the other - from the rural mountains of Farmville all the way to Arlington/Washington DC area. I can't think of a better way to have celebrated the spirit of Martin Luther King Day. My first stop on Saturday was in Farmville. I was invited by the folks behind the Virginia Children's Book Festival to tour  the Moton Museum and other sites for the upcoming VCBF (Oct 16 - 17, 2015). The Museum, as part of its commitment to children in the Farmville area, is a founding partner in the festival. The Moton is also an absolute gem. It's the former Moton High School – and the historic site of a student walkout led by 16-year-old Barbara Johns and fellow students who demanded better conditions. Their case eventually got picked up by civil rights attorney Oliver Hill and became part of the five cases that made up Brown v. Board of Education.  Justin Reid, the museum's associate director for operations, led us through the exhibits, which are a visual chronology of Virginia's role in the early civil rights movement. Many of the families who were part of movement - as well as those who wished to keep schools segregated - still live in Farmville.  Prince Edward County participated in Massive Resistance, of course, shuttering schools rather than integrating, so there is an especially poignant personal element to all the photos and artifacts. But there's also a spirit of forward movement and strength. Places like the Moton…
Meg Medina
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Awards and news
December 27, 2014

The Little Paperback That Could: Thanks NBC

  So cool to be included in  NBC's Top Latino picks for 2014. Super way to end the year with a celebration for the paperback publication of Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass (Aug 2014)...and with great hope for the Spanish edition that's coming soon. And now I have some fantastic reading to do.  
Meg Medina
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Guests
December 20, 2014

An audio documentary on migrant deaths on our border

Catherine Komp, radio producer at Virginia Currents on NPR (locally WCVE 88.9 FM,) recently sent me the audio documentary below. Created by her colleagues for a show called Making Contact, it examines migrant deaths on our borders. A look at migration through magical realismFinalist International Latino Book Awards, 2014 When I was writing The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind, I struggled many times as I wrote scenes of unspeakable violence.   Should I write such gruesome things for young people?  Was it necessary or gratuitous? In the end, I chose to include the awful details, leaning toward telling fiction as honestly as I could. I hope you'll carve out a little time to listen to the audio. January ushers in a new Congress and a fresh immigration battle. The debate will be heated on both sides, a healthy - if painful - exercise. What I continue to ask is that we remember that, in the end, we are talking about people, about human beings, and about the ethics of addressing suffering.
Meg Medina
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Random howls into the world
December 8, 2014

The Candlewick Holiday Video

It's not every day your publisher sings their holiday greetings. But here you go – another small example of why I love Candlewick.  (The bloopers especially give you a sense of their personality.) Enjoy! And if you are on Pinterest and want a list of the books they used, go here. Remember to tuck in a book or two as holiday gifts for the little ones!
Meg Medina
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Community work
December 6, 2014

The Snowy Day makes a big hit at the Christmas Parade

My cheeks are hurting from all the smiling and waving. A great parade! Thanks, Maya, for being such an awesome force in Richmond, VA!     Maya overseeing her punch list and elves     It takes a lot of elves (armed with staple guns and power tools) to make a float... One of my most treasured memories with the truly beautiful woman, Maya Smart   The float from the front ....and the rear! Maya getting a bear hug and preparing to give out Peter plush toys and copies of The Snowy Day to parade watchers   The lovely young women who carried our banner in the rain. White jacket, red hoodies, scarves and gloves supplied by the Christmas Mother. (All items will be donated.)   Richmond's ever-expanding diversity was on display! I don't have a shot of it, but I swear there was a dancing fruitcake float. Seriously... The Segway riders felt the need to be understated this year. Yes,horses in Santa hats Freeman HS band The Peppas! VCU Pep band, all amped up for the VCU/UVA game at 2 PM. They were singing Ram songs while talking this photo...Go RAMS!
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Community work
December 5, 2014

I Love a (Bookish) Christmas Parade

I'll admit that I haven't gone to Dominion's Christmas Parade since my kids were very little. Photo courtesy of The Richmond Times Dispatch But this year, my friend Maya - part of the beloved Maya and Shaka Smart duo – was named the Richmond Christmas Mother, the youngest one in the program's 80-year history. In one fell swoop, the annual donation drive that once felt like a throwback to another generation suddenly felt contemporary, electric and fun. (To donate click here.) One part of Maya's motherly duties is to march in the annual Christmas parade to be held tomorrow, Dec 6. And guess who's coming along? True to her passions, she has chosen a theme built on Ezra Jack Keats'  The Snowy Day, the ground-breaking 1962 classic. It's a universal story about the joy of being little and walking through a city winter wonderland. But in a year when there has been so much conversation about books that speak to all children's experiences (and why all kids need all stories,) the choice is perfect. I'm proud to say that Maya asked me to join in the parade as a past winner of the Ezra Jack Keats Award, which celebrates new authors and illustrators whose books feature diverse children as the main character. You can take a look at the list of all EJK award winners if you're looking for meaningful stocking stuffers this year. So look for us tomorrow - rain or shine. We'll be the super-enthusiastic book lovers dressed in our own version of red…
Meg Medina
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Appearances
December 1, 2014

A Book Club from the Comfort of Your Phone

You're invited to join me at a book club tonight and the best part is that you never have to leave the comfort of your stretchy pants and living room. That's because I'm going to be part of the Las Comadres Young Adult Teleconference Book Club at 8 PM. Here's the number and code: Dial in #: 1-877-383-4771 Code: 120120143 If you're not familiar, Las Comadres is a nationally known Latina organization whose mission is to "empower women to be actively engaged in the growing Latino/Hispanic communities through online and face to face networks." What I like about Las Comadres is that its spine is mentoring. The idea is to share information, to help each other succeed, and to celebrate our cultural heritage along the way. Last fall, I had the pleasure of being part of the Las Comadres Writers Conference at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, a gathering of established and up-and-coming Latino authors, editors, and agents. It was such a great time for me to work with writers who are coming up behind me and also to connect with people, like Esmeralda Santiago, whose work I've long admired. (José Vilson, was another highlight. Check out his bad ass teacher blog, particularly valuable in the wake of the events in Ferguson.) Anyway, for tonight, founder Nora Comstock is going to lead the conversation about Pura Belpré - the woman and the award that so many people just can't pronounce - and how I've used my year to honor her memory. We'll also talk…
Meg Medina
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Appearances
November 21, 2014

The Old English Teacher in Me goes to NCTE

I'm heading for my last appearance of 2014 this weekend, and it's a celebration of a few things and, in a way, a full circle. Our big day at St. Andrew's in Flushing, Queens First, it's my husband's birthday.  Here we are over 30 years ago when we got married - much against everyone's advice due to our age, the fact that we hadn't finished college yet, that we were broke, and that, frankly, we were somewhat incompatible in terms of our interests. Well, we finished college; the rest is kind of the same. I honestly can't remember not knowing Javier. We met at the factory where both our mothers worked when they first arrived in the US. It would later be the same factory where we got our first summer jobs being bored to death testing transistors alongside our mothers. Those of you who have already met him know that this hot-headed mess is a truly lovely man, a solid dad, and for me, the whole world. Unfortunately, he's stuck with a birthday that falls on the same day that President Kennedy was shot, and also so near Thanksgiving that he often has to share the fun with the dead bird and its dressings. This year, it also falls during the NCTE Annual Convention, too. Miss his birthday? Yikes! So, since the conference is being held at the fancy schmantzy Gaylord Resort in Alexandria, he's coming along. Javier isn't a book man. He works in health care. So, the guy who…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesCommunity work
November 7, 2014

Philly, Vicks VapoRub, Kids & Me

The view from my hotel room ...across from the Free Library Pretty enough to eat...so I did... I'm back from Philly where I stayed at the lovely Four Seasons Hotel, a guest of the Free LIbrary of Philadelphia. The hotel is every bit as cushy as you'd expect. Chandeliers, thick rugs, polite people at every, single turn.  The staff even made me a beautiful candy version of the book cover for The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind - which was both astoundingly lovely and funny. I was there to speak about Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, after all. Hmmm. I would have LOVED to have been a fly on the wall when the dessert guru had to decide what to do.   Anyway, I spent the day as part of library's well-regarded Field Family Teen Author Series, an endowed program that brings authors and books to students at no cost to their school. (Attention People of Means and Nice Shoes!  Consider doing this in your community, too!) The high school students in my groups were amazing. A sampling: Students with visual impairments who heard the audio version of Yaqui. Young people who were in a GED program and trying to get themselves back on track. A charter school that is over 90% Latino – and their teacher who is an aspiring author, too. We met at a branch in the Kensington area - decidedly NOT the Four Seasons ambiance. But it's a dead ringer for the Queens that I knew growing up, right…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
October 30, 2014

Happy Halloween: Cool stuff I saw this week

Welcome to Thomas Dale High School? It's odd that I like high school visits as much as I do - especially since I loathed my own experience. But what can I say? I run into hilarious librarians, teachers who dream up good projects, and (most importantly) amazing young people all over the place. Here's some proof.  These are some shots I took today of my shared day at Thomas Dale High School and Meadowbrook High School, both in the Richmond area.   Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass re-written as a picture book by TD high school students! Great way to study impact of audience on writing style... Don't be fooled. They aren't mild mannered librarians... ...they are zombie lovin' biblio-freaks A truck loaded with an English teacher's requested titles at Meadowbrook HS. So many diverse voices! Winnie the Pooh recycled into a new art form at Meadowbrook Loved the inky black on this one...   Abstract! The library team at Meadowbrook HS.    
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AppearancesThe Writing Life
October 29, 2014

Notes from the road: writing with depth, finding the joy & honoring your roots

I'm finally home after a long stretch in Northern Virginia. This weekend was the SCBWI Midatlantic annual writers conference, where I taught an intensive for the first time on how to write characters with depth, and how to develop a compelling voice in writing. Yikes. I had forgotten how hard it is to teach writing - and how much you learn from doing so. What I came to was this: Layers, depth and voice in writing really come from how deeply you want to go inside yourself and how honestly you can lay bare what you find.  I hope my SCBWI colleagues who attended were able to find something useful during our session. I'm wishing them lots of time to remember, to record, and to write. Then it was on to the Arlington Central Library. You could fit all of my hometown, Richmond, inside the hip pocket of Arlington. What a busy and vibrant place - especially its library. (Favorite feature: a vegetable garden planted in the beds that border the entrance.) Lisa Cosgrove-Davies, Youth Services Librarian, worked with the Arlington Teen Advisory Board to coordinate two school visits at Jefferson Middle School and Washington Lee High School, followed by an evening talk at the library. Now, was I feeling confident? No, I was not. It's always a crap shoot on whether people come to an evening library event, and Dallas was playing Washington to boot. But I kept channeling the words of Pat Cummings, who reminded me at the conference that the real joy in…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesCommunity workThe Writing Life
October 13, 2014

Teen Read Week & More in #RVA

It's a great week to love books in Richmond, Virginia - especially middle grade and YA fiction. That's because it's not only the Library of Virginia's Literary Festival, but it's also the American Library Association's TeenRead Week. Wao! So much going on, so what can I say except, Tengo los patines puestos! (I've got my roller-skates on!) Here are a few highlights of where I'll be during the week: Meadowdale Library/Tomahawk Creek MS:  I'll head down to Chesterfield County for a library book talk that is off-site on Wednesday, Oct 15, 7 PM.  We'll talk The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind and Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. Here's the info and where you register.  Especially nice to see a partnership between the school and public libraries in a community.   Teen 14: Locals already know that the main branch of the Richmond Public Library on Franklin Street is always figuring out ways to make reading come alive, especially for kids. So, they're going to play host once again for a teen author event. Join Virginia authors who have works for teens published in 2014. It's a ready-made night for librarians, teachers, and readers who want to meet and make friends with the truly kick-ass authors we have in the Commonwealth. PLUS, food, music, giveaways.  If last year's event was any sign, it's going to be a really fun night. Details on their Facebook page or click on the jpg poster here. Hermitage High School Anti-bullying Book Event with Erin Jade Lange. You know her novel?  It's…
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AppearancesCommunity workLatino LifeThe Writing Life
October 4, 2014

Happily Disobedient

That silly school board in Colorado got me feeling especially proud of young people - and also appreciative about my great day this Friday. While their school board continued to pit patriotism against informed thought in its AP History classes, I was surrounded by people who dedicate their lives to doing the opposite. I got to teach a workshop with the fabulous Duncan Tonatiuh, where we both discussed our writing/creation process and how we bring difficult topics to young people. Here's a video that fourth graders did in honor of his award-winning picture book, Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale.   Just after the workshop, I got to peruse the children's and YA collection at Busboys and Poets in DC, hands-down the most diverse offerings I have come across in our area. If you're serious about including all points of view, this is the place to be. I was especially fond of the free downloadable lessons and books lists available through Teaching for Change. Met the wise women who wrote Parrots Over Puerto Rico (Lee and Low), this year's winner of the Las Américas Award.  They had the nerve to write a nonfiction book without a single photograph and without even putting the title on the book cover. That, plus a look at the ga-billion scissors and scraps of paper that it took to make all those collage parrots makes me bow low in respect. ¡Felicidades, Susan and Cindy! Toured the Children's Literature Center at the Library of Congress for the first…
Meg Medina
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AppearancesAwards and newsThe Writing LifeWhat I'm reading
September 30, 2014

Birds of a Feather…

I'm checking out another great indi bookstore. It's Busboys and Poets  in Washington, DC, and I'm going to their 14th and V location for the first time this Friday. That's because it's time for the awards ceremony for the Las Américas prize. This year, top prize went to the lovely picture book Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan Roth and Cindy Trumbore, an especially delightful pick from Lee and Low, a smaller publisher that has long been advocating and promoting diverse children's literature. It's the story of the near extinction of wild parrots in Puerto  Rico and how that sad situation was turned around. I hope you'll stop in to the Young Readers Center at the Library of Congress to see an exhibit of the book and its art, which runs through the end of October. As part of the festivities, Las Américas also sponsors an annual educator workshop - hosted by Busboys and Poets – where teachers and librarians can get hands-on ideas and materials for bringing high quality Latino literature into their classroom or library. I'm so happy to be able to present alongside Duncan Tonatiuh this year. (9:30 - noon). Duncan won honorable mention, as well as a Pura Belpré Honor medal, for his exquisite book Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale. My own novel, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, was selected as a commended title this year (along with all of these). If you're a teacher or librarian, it's not too late to register. The reasonable $25 registration fee…
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Adult booksAppearancesLatino Lifepicture book, middle grade, YAThe Writing LifeWhat I'm reading
September 29, 2014

Book Hoarding and other things I admitted to on Book Riot

My heroes at Book Riot have a new podcast series called Reading Lives, where authors talk about pretty much anything except their own books. I'm on there today, episode #2, where Jeff O'Neal and I talk about my book collection fetish, as well as all the titles and authors (some surprising) that have shaped everything from my sense of culture to how I parented. These days I do a lot of interviews, but I can't remember a time when doing one was this much fun. Maybe it's because Jeff (aka @readingape on Twitter) is so charming, but maybe too because the hook is so simple. Two people talking about the books we love, old and new. What can I say?  It's a literary geek's dream. If you've got some time, check it out. You can subscribe on i-tunes, too.  
Meg Medina
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AppearancesLatino LifeThe Writing Life
September 24, 2014

Banned On the Run…

It's a double whammy! Banned Books week and Hispanic Heritage month, so I've been on the road with no sign of rest in the near future. Fellow REFORMISTA Loida Garcia Febo just shared this link to Latino books that have been challenged and banned, including the book that turned me to writing in the first place: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.  Que cosa mas grande... Gracias, Loida. Lists like this inspire me to write more books that might cause alarm and discomfort – and hey, even thought. And they make me feel especially fired up about my first teaching gig at Las Comadres Writers Conference in Brooklyn this weekend. Las Comadres is more than a conference. It's a movement based on the core principle of mentorship and culture. On Saturday, established Latina authors and publishing pros will come together at Medgar Evers College to help yet-to-be published authors learn the ropes. What's in it for me?  Mostly getting more Latino voices at the literary table, especially those writing for kids since this year, for the first time,  our public schools will be a majority minority. Besides, I'll be helping to create more amazing books that will end up on banned book lists. So, hermanas, if you have a story, if you've been too shy to admit that you want to be a writer, if you just don't know where to begin, register for Las Comadres. Finally, here are a few pictures from my recent travels to the DC area.  I'm exhausted, but so grateful to Candlewick…
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