Here's what we're up to this month:

Start 2016 off with a good book! Check out our 2015 End-of-Year book lists. There's something for everyone, from YA to Middle Grade to picture books!

In Boston for the ALA Midwinter Meeting? Come see us at the WNDB Panel on Sunday, January 10th at 11AM with Kody Keplinger, Malinda Lo, Adam Silvera, Heidi Heilig, and Marieke Nijkamp. We’ll discuss ways to introduce LBGTQIA+ and disabled characters to library patrons. Click here for more information.

Congratulations to Gene Luen Yang, the newly appointed National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress. Gene, the author of the Printz Award-winning American Born Chinese, is the first graphic novelist to hold the post since it was created in 2008.

Congratulations to our inaugural Mentorship Program winners! Lisa Braithwaite, Deirdre D Havelock, Sun Jones, Charlene Willing-McMannis, and Jacqueline Alcántara will be working with award-winning authors and illustrators this year.

#DrumItUp for Drum Dream Girl continues! We are extending the campaign until January 31st, highlighting Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music, by Newbery Honor winner Margarita Engle and award-winning illustrator Rafael López. This poetic narrative of a young girl following her dreams in the face of naysayers is a must-read. Help us drum up interest in this amazing story: read it, buy it, talk about it, and help us sell as many copies as possible throughout the month! In other words, #DrumItUp!

Penguin Young Readers has partnered with WNDB to announce a writing contest to honor the 40th anniversary of Mildred D. Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Ms. Taylor's manuscript was discovered through a writing contest in 1974, and now, Penguin Young Readers is looking to inspire a new generation of diverse authors. The submission period will begin in April 2016. For more details, click here.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to our end of year fundraising drive. We exceeded our goal! Your generous donations will allow us to continue our mission of putting more books featuring diverse characters into the hands of all children.

Interested in a partnership or want to suggest an author for a panel? Visit our contact page and send us a message!

Keep up with us on social media for updates, Twitter chats, book suggestions, and more!

Forward

Donate to WNDB