People

My book is about a Jewish-Polish girl named Esther—the eldest in her family—who begs her father to let her be the first of the children to go to Cuba and help him get the rest of the family to the island as conditions are worsening for the Jews on the eve of WWII.

The authors offer different takes on the literary canon in their keynote addresses. Read about that and other Summit highlights. 

Is a lyrical, heart-lifting love letter to Black and brown children everywhere, reminding them of how much they matter, that they have always mattered, and they always will.

The 2020 SLJ Summit finished with a  personal, thought-provoking conversation between Cullors and Tennessee school librarian Erika Long.

My greatest hope is that kids who read my book develop empathy for people who may not look, sound, or worship the way they do. I hope it causes kids to question the world around them, to research issues they may not understand, and to grow into informed citizens, the kind our country desperately needs.

The Simon & Schuster editor, who passed away October 9, was a passionate ally for emerging voices, particularly in the LGBTQ community.

I know I can't go back and tell my 17-year-old self to be nicer to us. I can’t tell him to only try to change the way he looks if it comes from a place of love. I can't change the way I treated myself for years. But I've written a little story that has helped me forgive myself. And, hopefully, it will help other young readers as well.

The Saucy author spoke with SLJ about perfect pets, seeking magical moments, and the capacity for growth at any age.

When the school year began I was often the only Black child in my classes and that's where I began to hear the other kind of stories. Sad, bad stories about people who looked like me. I was struck by how feverishly my new teachers and classmates believed in these narratives. It was then that I understood how words and stories could be used to wound.