The Reading Culture

We all want to believe in heroes and villains, right and wrong, and clear-cut answers. But history and life are rarely that simple. Debbie Levy has spent her career exploring the gray areas, challenging readers to see multiple perspectives and embrace complexity. 

A former lawyer, journalist, and now award-winning children’s author, Debbie has written books like I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark, The Year of Goodbyes, and A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight Over Science in Schools. Her work invites readers to think critically, recognize misinformation, and understand that even those we disagree with are still human.

Aida Salazar believes deeply in the power of words to change the world. For Aida, writing isn’t just a creative act; it’s a responsibility—an act of honoring her ancestors, healing personal wounds, and empowering her young readers.

Her stories like The Moon Within, Land of the Cranes, Jovita Wore Pants, and Ultraviolet center on identity, social justice, and healing, with a particular focus on the immigrant experience. As a poet, novelist, activist, and mother, Aida discusses how writing helped her process grief, how Latin American literature gave her the permission to dream, how growing up in a mixed-status household shaped her, and how motherhood steered her toward children’s literature.

Growing up, Jerry Craft did not enjoy reading. He says he simply never encountered a children's book that intrigued him enough or felt right. But Jerry loves defying expectations, and so naturally, the boy who rarely set foot in a library grew up to become a celebrated children’s book author and illustrator. He has made defying expectations—and breaking stereotypes—a guiding principle in his storytelling.

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.