This week, Minh Lê and Gene Luen Yang don their capes in the digital space; Oliver Jeffers gives Instagram an exclusive sneak peek; Melanie Sumrow has a talk with teachers; and Angela Dominguez and Maris Wicks present a science study sesh.
Super Representation
Hosted by the Loft Literary Center, in conjunction with St. Catherine University and the Star Tribune, the virtual Wordplay festival featured a panel on April 22 with Minh Lê (Green Lantern: Legacy) and Gene Luen Yang (Superman Smashes the Klan) called Let’s Get Visual. Yang and Lê discussed their graphic novels for DC, history in the real world and in comics, and the meaning of being a contemporary “hero,” followed by a q&a about writing, drawing, and their work.
Family Fare
On April 27, author-illustrator Oliver Jeffers read his forthcoming picture book, What We’ll Build (Philomel), on Instagram Live for his Stay at Home Story Time weekday series. He kicked off the video by sharing the interior proofs, then settled in with his two children on his lap to begin reading, supplementing the experience with queries and commentary about what could be found within the illustrations. Written in honor of his daughter, What We’ll Build is a standalone companion to Jeffers’ 2017 bestseller Here We Are, which was inspired by the birth of his son.
The Inside Book Club
Last Thursday, Melanie Sumrow hosted an evening Zoom book club for educators, featuring a discussion guide and q&a about her latest book, The Inside Battle (Yellow Jacket). Sumrow’s sophomore novel features 13-year-old Texan Rebel Mercer, who longs for paternal approval even as his father, a military man with PTSD, becomes more and more involved with a racist group called the Flag Bearers. “It was so fun to chat with educators and learn how they had really connected with The Inside Battle,” Sumrow told PW, adding that she appreciated “hear[ing] their shared excitement over how they intended to use the book in their classrooms going forward.”
Science Rules
Author-illustrators Angela Dominguez (Stella Díaz Never Gives Up) and Maris Wicks (Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier) taught a science class aimed at middle schoolers as part of MacKids Streaming Schoolhouse on Tuesday. The MacKids Streaming Schoolhouse, held from April 27–30, was formulated in response to Covid-19, with the aim of alleviating some of the stress that parents and middle grade students are facing, by providing four days of free lessons taught by authors. Katie Halata, associate director of school and library at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, hosted the session.
