As the year comes to a close, we would like to reflect on the work we’ve done, as well as all of the incredible diverse books and voices we’ve featured over the past 12 months. On each day of this final week, we’ll be highlighting features, Q&As, programming, and more! | January & February | March & April | May & June | July & August

In September & October of this year, we opened applications for our Mentorship program and the Creative Writing Awards, as well as sharing the accomplishments and goals of our Native Fund. Read on:

September & October

Picture Books/Early Reader

• The Leaping Laddoo by Harshita Jerath, Illustrated by Kamala M. Nair – Cover Reveal
• My Two Border Townsby David Bowles, illustrated by Erika Meza – My Two Border Towns Is About the Duality of Life on the Border
• Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster by Manka Kasha – How Picture Books Can Normalize Anxiety and Make Kids Feel Understood
• Bravo Anjali by Sheetal Sheth, illustrated by Lucia Soto – Bravo Anjali Embodies Truth for Children
• I Love My Beautiful Hair by Elissa Wentt – Cover Reveal
• Dad Bakes by Katie Yamasaki – Q&A With Katie
• Dragonboy by Fabio Napoleoni – Q&A With Fabio
• Between Two Worlds by Meera Sriram, illustrated by Ruchi Bakshi Sharma – Q&A With Meera
• Skater Cielo by Rachel Katstaller – Cover Reveal
• The People Remember by Ibi Zoboi, illustrated by Loveis Wise – Q&A With Ibi and Loveis
• It Fell from the Sky by Terry and Eric Fan – Q&A With Terry and Eric
• Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma by Joanna Ho, illustrated by Teresa Martínez – Q&A With Joanna
• Mi Ciudad Sings by Cynthia Harmony, illustrated by Teresa Martinez – Cover Reveal
• Alicia Alonso Dances On by Rose Viña, illustrated by Gloria Felix – Q&A With Rose and Gloria
• The Hair Book by LaTonya Yvette, Co-authored and Illustrated by Amanda Jane Jones – Cover Reveal
• She Sang For India by Suma Subramaniam, Illustrated by Shreya Gupta – Cover Reveal
• The Me I Choose to Be by Natasha Tarpley, Art by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt – Q&A With Natasha, Regis, and Kahran
• Everybody in the Red Brick Building by Oge Mora – Q&A With Oge
• Kind Like Marsha by Sarah Prager, Illustrated by Cheryl “Ras” Thuesday – Cover Reveal
• Why? by Taye Diggs, illustrated by Shane W. Evans – Q&A With Taye
• Juana & Lucas: Muchos Changes by Juana Medina – Q&A With Juana
• Gitty and Kvetch by Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Ariel Landy – Q&A With Caroline
• Friends Are Friends, Forever by Dane Liu, Illustrated by Lynn Scurfield – Cover Reveal
• Jo Jo Makoons: Fancy Pants by Dawn Quigley, Illustrated by Tara Audibert – Cover Reveal

Middle Grade

• Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman – Q&A With Padma
• A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks – Janae Marks’ A Soft Place to Land Is a Wholesome, Warm-hearted Story for All Kids
• How to Find What You’re Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani – Q&A with Veera
• Valentina Salazar Is Not a Monster Hunter by Zoraida Córdova – Cover Reveal
• Paradise on Fire by Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes – Q&A With Dr. Rhodes
• Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds by Samira Ahmed – Samira Ahmed Honors Fantastical Oral Storytelling With Chicago Flair and Siblings at the Center
• Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas – Q&A With Adrianna
• The Secret Battle of Evan Pao by Wendy Wan-Long Shang – Cover Reveal
• Other Boys by Damian Alexander – Q&A With Damian
• Treasure Tracks by Sallie Anne Rodriguez – Cover Reveal
• The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor – Cover Reveal
• Spirit Hunters: Something Wicked by Ellen Oh – Cover Reveal
• In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo – Cover Reveal
• Time Villains by Victor Piñeiro – Nepantla and Writing Latinx Characters
• This Is Our Rainbow edited by Katherine Locke & Nicole Melleby – Q&A With Katherine and Nicole
• A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll – Q&A With Elle
• The Golden Hour by Niki Smith – Q&A With Niki

Young Adult

• Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko – Jordan Ifueko’s Redemptor Allows Black Girls, Even Heroines, To Ask For Help When They Need It
• The Jasmine Project by Meredith Ireland – Q&A With Meredith
• The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros – Q&A With Aden
• The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley – Sarah Raughley Aimed to Tell The Entire Truth About The Victorian Era with The Bones of Ruin
• A Girl’s Guide to Love & Magic by Debbie Rigaud – Cover Reveal
• The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl – Q&A With Sonia
• Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach – Q&A With Michelle
• White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson – Q&A With Tiffany
• As If on Cue by Marisa Kanter – Q&A With Marisa
• Sidelined by Kara Bietz – Q&A With Kara
• The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi – Q&A With Roshani
• Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray – Q&A With Ayana
• The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson – Cover Reveal
• Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall – Q&A With Maggie
• We Light Up the Sky by Lilliam Rivera – Q&A With Lilliam
• When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles – Q&A With Janella
• High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez – Cover Reveal
• Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno – Q&A With Nina
• Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan – Q&A With June
• Disability Visibility: 17 First Person Stories for Today (Adapted for Young Adults) edited by Alice Wong – Q&A With Alice
• A Face For Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome by Ariel Henley – Q&A With Ariel
• Act Cool by Tobly McSmith – Q&A With Tobly
• Finding Jupiter by Kelis Rowe – Cover Reveal
• Hunting By Stars by Cherie Dimaline – Q&A With Cherie
• A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown – Q&A With Roseanne

Articles & Educational Resources

• How Adults Can Discuss 9/11 With Young People by Saadia Faruqi
• Resources for Banned Books Week and Beyond by JoAnn Yao

WNDB Programming

The Beauty of Intersectionality in Mentorship – 2022 mentor Valerie Bolling writes about her experience in the WNDB Mentorship program, as well as becoming a mentor herself!

Support Native Creators, Educators, & Students – All about WNDB’s Native Fund, what we’ve done with the Fund so far, and what we plan to do.