In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, SLJ reviews director Shelley Diaz will speak with Newbery Medalist and National Ambassador of Young People's Literature Meg Medina about Latinx representation in children's literature, her most recent picture book,  No More Señora Mimí, upcoming projects, and more on Monday, October 14 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET.

Medina is the 2019 Newbery Medal winner for Merci Suárez Changes Gears. Her other books include Merci Suárez Can’t Dance and Merci Suárez Plays It Cool, 2014 Pura Belpré Author Award-winning YA novel Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, which was released as a graphic novel last year, and Burn Baby Burn, which was long-listed for the 2016 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.

[READ: “Caregivers are essential workers.” A Meg Medina Q&A About No More Señora Mimí | A Fuse #8 Production]

The Cuban American was the first author of Latinx heritage to serve as National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature.  During her two-year term as Ambassador, her platform has been "Cuéntame!: Let’s talk books," an idea inspired by the Spanish phrase that friends and families use when catching up with one another. The goal has been to encourage connection through books that offer mirrors of the readers' lives as well as windows into new worlds and experiences.

She also made history as the first National Ambassador to hold office hours, welcoming DC-area families with children ages 7–18 into the Library of Congress to speak with her for 20 minutes. They discussed their favorite books, and she answered questions about her writing, shared Library of Congress resources, and offered reading recommendations during the unprecedented personal access.

This webcast discussion between Diaz and Medina will be recorded and a link will be emailed to those who register in advance. A CE Certificate will be available within the Zoom chat and in follow-up emails.