Cuéntame: Meg Medina is the First Latina Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
Yesterday, Tuesday, January 24, at 10:30 am, Cuban-American author Meg Medina became the first Latina and the eighth Ambassador for Young People’s Literature at the Library of Congress. The ambassador’s goal is to foster a love of reading, writing, and civic engagement among children, teens, and families. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t be more excited about this wonderful representation of the Latinx community we will have in the Nation’s classrooms, libraries, and communities.
Anya Creightney, the Program Specialist of Literary Initiatives, kicked off the inauguration by presenting the 14th Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden. Dr. Hayden welcomed the DC area schools among the audience and encouraged the students to give their input on what they would like to see in the library. She also surprised the attendees with Meg Medina’s books to take home.
Shaina Birkhead, Associate Executive Director of Every Child a Reader, talked more about Meg Medina’s platform: Cuéntame, and how it can be translated to “story me.” Shaina welcomed Jason Reynolds, 2020–2022 Ambassador, who spoke directly to Meg. He shared his experiences as an ambassador promoting writing and reading. Among those learnings, he questioned himself what exactly are stories for? He discovered the most important thing is to examine what it is to be human. “The object doesn’t matter nearly as much as the human that holds it,” he says, reminding Meg and the audience that being an ambassador is human work.
Meg Medina was welcomed with a round of applause. As soon as she hit the podium, Dr. Hayden wrapped the new ambassador medal around Meg’s neck, followed by Meg’s greeting to the audience in English and Spanish, setting the tone for her upcoming reign.
The new ambassador, with excitement in her voice, shared what she plans to achieve during the next two years. She hopes to inspire kids to read beyond their obligation. She wants kids to share what books they already love besides just recommending them. “Cuéntenme niños, what books are in your heart?” she says.
In conversation with Dr. Hayden, the ambassador mentions, “I can be an example and answer to the stereotypes that are damaging about Latino families — that we don’t read, that we don’t value education.” She expects she can connect with millions of students, primarily Latino kids, because, like them, she also had to navigate two cultures and languages at the same time.
Meg shared how she became a literary citizen at a young age through family storytelling as a way to deal with trauma, “Stories were used in my life to feel better.”
A discussion about the award-winning YA book Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass (2013) followed, mainly about bullying and how reading can help students in different situations. Yaqui Delgado is one of my personal favorite YA books, and I discovered it while Meg visited DC in 2019.
The audience, filled with students, asked wonderful questions. During the Q&A, questions swayed from manga, sofrito, and video games. The ambassador also shared that she started writing when she was 40 and encouraged writing at any age. Something that resonated with me is that she didn’t have nowadays opportunities like author visits in her school, which I believe can change someone’s writing career. Just like Meg, I started writing later in life because there were no writing resources available as we have them today. That’s why I loved she mentioned how important an ambassador is and how she expects and hopes to spread the love for reading and writing among our communities. All I can say is, Congratulations, Meg! And I hope I have a chance to meet you again.
Meg Medina will serve a two-year term from 2023 to 2024. You can watch the entire inauguration here.
For more information, you can check the Library of Congress website.
About Meg Medina
Meg Medina is the author of the Newbery Medal–winning book “Merci Suárez Changes Gears,” which was followed by two more acclaimed books about the Suárez family: “Merci Suárez Can’t Dance” and “Merci Suárez Plays It Cool.” Her young adult novels include “Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass,” which won the 2014 Pura Belpré Author Award and will be published in 2023 as a graphic novel illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas; “Burn Baby Burn,” which was long-listed for the National Book Award; and “The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind.” She is also the author of picture books “Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away,” illustrated by Sonia Sánchez, Jumpstart’s 2020 Read for the Record selection; “Mango, Abuela, and Me,” illustrated by Angela Dominguez, which was a Pura Belpré Author Award Honor Book; and “Tía Isa Wants a Car,” illustrated by Claudio Muñoz, which won the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award; and the biography for young readers “She Persisted: Sonia Sotomayor.” The daughter of Cuban immigrants, she grew up in Queens, New York, and now lives in Richmond, Virginia. Visit her online at megmedina.com. (Bio from the Library of Congress)
