This week, the GLAAD Media Awards welcome LGBTQ advocates; a civil rights activist discusses her middle grade memoir; Carole Boston Weatherford honors the history of rap; Daniel José Older begins a national tour; graphic novelists speak for their characters; and an author and illustrator celebrate the indoors.
Feeling ‘GLAAD’
The 30th annual GLAAD Media Awards took place in midtown Manhattan on May 4. The awards, which “recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ community and the issues that affect their lives,” welcomed celebrity guests. In 2018, GLAAD partnered with Little Bee Books for a program geared toward publishing and promoting books with positive LGBTQ representation in children’s literature. Here, Chelsea Clinton presents two of Little Bee’s books, Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis, and Jack (Not Jackie) by Erica Silverman, illustrated by Holly Hatam.
Changemaker
Jo Ann Allen Boyce, co-author of her middle grade memoir in verse, This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality, shared her experiences with school segregation at the Atlantic’s Education Summit in Washington, D.C., last week. Here, Boyce speaks with Adam Harris, staff writer at the Atlantic.
That’s a Rap
Author Carole Boston Weatherford attended an event for her picture book Roots of Rap, which celebrates the history of rap and hip-hop. The event took place at the Capitol View Library in Washington, D.C., on May 15. Weatherford spoke to a group of 100 students from local schools, and the DC Public Library Foundation purchased 100 books from Politics & Prose to donate to each student.
Join the Squad
Daniel José Older recently kicked off his national tour for Freedom Fire (Scholastic/Levine), book two in his Dactyl Hill Squad series, with visits to schools throughout Milwaukee. The events were organized by Boswell Books. Here, Older strikes a pose with students.
What a Character!
Graphic novel creators took part in a program called “Finding Your Voice: Comics Carousel,” as part of the PEN World Voices Festival held at the Manhattan performance space Town Stages on May 11. The event featured performances by the authors and illustrators, during which they spoke in the voices of their characters. Among the guest performers was (seen here) Molly Ostertag (the Witch Boy series). The program is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Busy Beavers!
Illustrator Ruth Chan (l.) and author Julie Falatko celebrated the launch of their picture book, The Great Indoors (Disney-Hyperion), at Roger Wellington Elementary School in Belmont, Mass., as part of their three-city tour. Here, Chan and Falatko introduce readers to the book’s characters through a drawing presentation.
