The Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC
A learning and sharing community for
DC-area children’s literature professionals since 1945
SPEAKER SERIES
Terry Catsús Jennings
March 16, 2023
12 noon-2 pm (11:30 am "social hour")
Business meeting and luncheon program, Busboys & Poets, 450 K Street, NW
(Registration must be received by Monday, March 13)
Register and pay below.
In March, the Guild will be back in person at Busboys & Poets on K Street. The first part of the March gathering will be our annual business meeting for members only. After business, our speaker will be the Guild’s own Terry Catasús Jennings.
Terry is a Cuban-American writer who immigrated to the United States after her father was jailed in Cuba by Fidel Castro’s government. Her most recent book is The Little House of Hope, a Junior Library Guild Selection illustrated by Pura Belpré medalist Raúl Colón. The book is semi-autobiographical, portraying Terry’s own immigrant experience, and showing how a helping hand in a new land can make a life-saving difference for a family. Terry’s Definitely Dominguita series was named SLJ, Kirkus, and Parents Latina Best Books of 2021. Her biography in verse, Pauli Murray, The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist was published in February of last year.
Terry labels herself a “late bloomer” in her writing career—but in her remarks to us on March 16, she’ll be encouraging us not to pigeon-hole those we write about! Her talk is titled “Throwing Away the Labels and Understanding Our Characters’ Histories.”
2023 Nonfiction Award
The Guild is proud to announce Don Brown as the winner of our 2023 Nonfiction Award
The Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award honors an author or author-illustrator whose total work of nonfiction subject matter has contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children.
In his long and wide-ranging career, Don Brown has written and illustrated books about pioneers, explorers, and historical events, making them immediate and memorable to young readers. In many of his books, he has delved into difficult episodes of American history, such as the Dust Bowl, Hurricane Katrina’s impact on New Orleans, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has created distinctive, affecting images of damage and destruction, but he balances them with clear explanations of the world and of the people who made positive, often heroic, contributions under great stress.
He is respectful of his audience and his subject matter and produces engaging, well-researched illustrated nonfiction for children of all ages.
We are so pleased to honor his lifetime contribution to children's nonfiction!
2022 Children’s Book Guild
Youth Literacy Awards
For the last eight years, the Children’s Book Guild has awarded grants to schools to purchase books for their libraries, media centers, or classrooms.
In 2022, we chose four schools: Simon Elementary and Truesdell Elementary in Washington, D.C., Springhill Lake Elementary in Greenbelt, and St. Francis International School in Silver Spring. Learn more…
Eboni Henry (Truesdell Elementary, D.C.), Carolyn Johnson (St. Francis International School, Silver Spring), Nikita Campbell (Simon Elementary, D.C.)
Youth Literacy Award chair Kem Sawyer with books for Afghan refugee children
Highlights
Recent Books by Children’s Book Guild Authors and Illustrators
FIND US ON SOCIAL
The Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC, is committed to the fight for racial justice and support for Black lives. Please click on the links above for information on organizations to support, and readings to help educate and inspire positive change.