The Reading Culture

With a storytelling style that radiates warmth and resilience, Yamile Saed Méndez’s work reflects the cycles of life’s challenges and triumphs. Born in Rosario, Argentina, in the midst of the long shadow of the Dictatorship years, she learned early on the power of hope and the enduring strength of the human spirit. From mastering a second language to embracing life in a new country, Yamile’s journey is one of transformation and connection to her roots.

Raised mainly by her grandmother on a steady diet of porch stories (and lots of bread), Jewell Parker Rhodes spent decades writing for adults, perfecting her craft in order to “be good enough” to write for kids. For Jewell, that has meant creating books that speak to a range of kids with different experiences and backgrounds (like her grandma used to refer to as a “mixed blood stew”) and to the educators and librarians supporting them.

Vashti Harrison burst onto the children’s book scene with her book, “Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History.” But to hear her tell it, Vashti still cannot believe that her entry point for kidlit was through nonfiction. Perhaps that is why she took such care and tenderness in creating her first fictional picture book, “Big.” In “Big,” we meet a young girl whose journey feels universally relatable, even if her story is uniquely hers. The book earned Vashti many accolades, including the Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award. But its profound effect on her personally was also a great gift and illuminating force for Vashti.

It’s official. Two years in a row makes it a tradition. 

The Reading Culture Yearbook is here.