Media Contact
Angela Turk
Director of Communications
College of Education & Human Development
[email protected]
ATLANTA—Award-winning Cuban-American author Meg Medina will deliver the second annual Lecture on Diversity and Justice in Children’s Literature on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 2 p.m. in Georgia State University’s College of Education & Human Development, room 1030 (30 Pryor St. S.E., Atlanta).
“We are thrilled to have Meg Medina as our featured speaker for this year’s lecture,” said assistant professor Thomas Crisp, one of the faculty coordinating the event. “Her work truly highlights the connecting power of culture and as such, she’ll bring a unique and valuable perspective on children’s and young adult literature to the table.”
Medina writes picture books, middle grade and young adult fiction, and her most recent young adult novel, “Burn Baby Burn,” has earned numerous distinctions, including being longlisted for the 2016 National Book Award and shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize. She is the 2016 recipient of the Pura Belpré honor medal for her picture book, “Mango, Abuela and Me,” and the 2014 Pura Belpré Award winner for her young adult novel, “Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass,” which is under development as a series for Netflix. She also earned the 2012 Ezra Jack Keats New Writers Medal for her picture book, “Tía Isa Wants a Car.” Medina’s work examines how cultures intersect as seen through the eyes of young people. Her stories speak to both what is unique in Latino culture and to the qualities that are universal. Her favorite protagonists are strong girls.
Medina will be available to sign copies of her books prior to the lecture.
The College of Education & Human Development’s Lecture on Diversity and Justice in Children’s Literature series engages teacher educators, teachers, media specialists, artists and others in critical conversations about issues of representation, the politics of children's publishing, literacy and the role of art and artists.