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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Meg Medina
| name = Meg Medina
| image = Meg Medina.jpg
| image = Meg Medina 2023.jpg
| alt =
| alt =
| caption = Meg Medina in 2022
| caption = Medina in 2023
| birth_name = Margaret Rose Medina
| birth_name = Margaret Rose Medina
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|June 11, 1963}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|June 11, 1963}}
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}}
}}


Meg Medina is an American children’s book author of Cuban descent whose books celebrate [[Latino culture]] and the lives of young people. She is the 2023 – 2024 National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meg Medina Named New National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature |url=https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/meg-medina-named-new-national-ambassador-for-young-people-s-literature/s/544803eb-3aad-4853-8b5b-d5ab957546fa |website=Library of Congress}}</ref>. Medina is the recipient of the 2019<ref name="Newbery">{{cite web|first=|date=|title=Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present|url=http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=9 August 2020|website=Association for Library Service for Children}}</ref> [[John Newbery Medal]] for her middle grade novel, ''[[Merci Suárez Changes Gears]]''.
'''Meg Medina''' is an American children’s book author of Cuban descent whose books celebrate [[Latino culture]] and the lives of young people. She is the 2023 – 2024 National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Meg Medina Named New National Ambassador for Young People's Literature |url=https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/meg-medina-named-new-national-ambassador-for-young-people-s-literature/s/544803eb-3aad-4853-8b5b-d5ab957546fa |website=Library of Congress}}</ref> Medina is the recipient of the 2019<ref name="Newbery">{{cite web|first=|date=|title=Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present|url=http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=9 August 2020|website=Association for Library Service for Children}}</ref> [[John Newbery Medal]] for her middle grade novel, ''[[Merci Suárez Changes Gears]]'' and the [[Pura Belpré Award]] for ''Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass'' (2014) and the [[Pura Belpré Award]] Honor Book in 2016 for ''Mango, Abuela and Me'').


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
{{unreferenced section|date=March 2022}}
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=March 2022}}
Medina is the youngest of two daughters of Lidia Regla Metauten and Juan Norberto Medina, who emigrated from Cuba in the early 1960s. The couple separated shortly before Medina’s birth, and her mother relocated with her children to [[Queens, New York]], where they were joined over the years with remaining family members from Cuba. Medina often points to her early life experiences as the underpinnings of her works, which examine themes of immigration, family estrangements, separation from loved ones, and financial hardships.
Medina is the younger of two daughters of Lidia Regla Metauten and Juan Norberto Medina, who emigrated from Cuba in the early 1960s. The couple separated shortly before Medina’s birth, and her mother relocated with her children to [[Queens, New York]], where they were joined over the years with remaining family members from Cuba. Medina often points to her early life experiences as the underpinnings of her works, which examine themes of immigration, family estrangements, separation from loved ones, and financial hardships.


Medina attended P.S. 22 in [[Flushing, Queens]], followed by Junior High School 189. During her high school years, Medina reconnected briefly with her father and attended [[Seekonk High School]] in Massachusetts, where her father had settled with his new wife and family.
Medina attended P.S. 22 in [[Flushing, Queens]], followed by Junior High School 189. During her high school years, Medina reconnected briefly with her father and attended [[Seekonk High School]] in Massachusetts, where her father had settled with his new wife and family.


Medina began her studies at [[Hunter College]] of the City University of New York, although she ultimately transferred to [[Queens College]] to complete her degree. She married a childhood friend, Javier Menendez, in 1983 and graduated the following year, majoring in Communication Arts and minoring in English Writing.
Medina began her studies at [[Hunter College]] of the City University of New York, although she ultimately transferred to [[Queens College]] to complete her degree. She married a childhood friend, Javier Menendez, in 1983 and graduated the following year, majoring in Communication Arts and minoring in English Writing.


==Career==
==Career==
Medina first worked briefly as an editorial assistant at [[Simon & Schuster]] in the Monarch Press division before a ten-year teaching career in the [[New York City Public Schools]] and later, after relocating with her family to [[Florida]] in 1988, in the [[School District of Palm Beach County]]. Medina began writing as a freelance journalist for iCE Magazine, the [[Sun Sentinel]], and South Florida Parenting magazine. The family again relocated in 1998 with their three children to [[Richmond, Virginia]], where Medina turned her attention to writing fiction for young readers.
Medina first worked briefly as an editorial assistant at [[Simon & Schuster]] in the Monarch Press division before a ten-year teaching career in the [[New York City Public Schools]] and later, after relocating with her family to [[Florida]] in 1988, in the [[School District of Palm Beach County]]. Medina began writing as a freelance journalist for iCE Magazine, the [[Sun Sentinel]], and South Florida Parenting magazine. The family again relocated in 1998 with their three children to [[Richmond, Virginia]], where Medina turned her attention to writing fiction for young readers.


Medina's debut middle grade novel, ''[[Milagros: Girl from Away]]'', was published by [[Henry Holt and Company|Henry Holt]] Books for Young Readers in 2008. Medina then began a relationship with [[Candlewick Press]]. ''[[Tia Isa Wants a Car]]'', a picture book based closely on her aunt’s purchase of a family car, received the [[Ezra Jack Keats Book Award]] in 2011.<ref name="Ezra Jack Keats">{{cite web |title=2012 Ezra Jack Keats Award Winners |url=https://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/ejk-awards/2012-ezra-jack-keats-book-awards/ |website=Ezra Jack Keats Foundation |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> Her young adult novel, ''[[Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass]]'', following the harrowing experience of Piddy Sanchez in the crosshairs of a school bully, was awarded the [[Pura Belpré Award]] for writing in 2014<ref name=":4">{{cite web |title=Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass |url=http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/yaqui-delgado-wants-kick-your-ass |website=American Library Association}}</ref> and the [[International Latino Book Awards]] for Best YA Fiction in English in 2014.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |title=2014 International Latino Book Award Winners |url=https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/iAAgzlo1KdQFwdwUkTNq7aOKbcjo4MM7v6hl5v3sCHB?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&mgh=1 |website=Latino Book Awards |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> Her picture book ''[[Mango, Abuela, and Me]]'', about a Spanish-speaking grandmother and her English-speaking granddaughter, received the [[Pura Belpré Award]] honor in writing and illustration<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=The Pura Belpré Award winners, 1996-present |url=http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpremedal/belprepast |website=Association of Library Service to Children |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> in 2016. Her young adult historical fiction novel ''[[Burn Baby Burn (novel)|Burn Baby Burn]]'', about 17-year-old Nora Lopez surviving the summer of 1977 as a serial killer is stalking young women in her neighborhood, was long-listed<ref name=":1">{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Burn Baby Burn, Longlist, National Book Awards 2016 for Young People's Literature|url=https://www.nationalbook.org/books/burn-baby-burn/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|accessdate=26 July 2020|website=National Book Foundation}}</ref> for the [[National Book Award]] and received the Westchester Fiction Award in 2017.<ref name=":3">{{cite web |title=Westchester YA Book Buzz Book Club |url=https://www.westchesterlibraryassociation.org/yabookbuzzbookclub/ |website=Westchester Library Association |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> Medina received the [[Charlotte Huck]] honor<ref name="Huck">{{cite web |title=Charlotte Huck Award |url=https://ncte.org/awards/ncte-childrens-book-awards/charlotte-huck-award/ |website=NCTE |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> and the John D [[Newbery Medal]] in 2019<ref name="Newbery" /> for her middle grade novel, ''[[Merci Suárez Changes Gears]]'', which depicts the life of 12-year-old Merci Suárez in her daily struggles with her Cuban-American family as they face the challenge of an [[Alzheimer’s]] diagnosis for her beloved grandfather, Lolo.
Medina's debut middle grade novel, ''[[Milagros: Girl from Away]]'', was published by [[Henry Holt and Company|Henry Holt]] Books for Young Readers in 2008. Medina then began a relationship with [[Candlewick Press]]. ''[[Tia Isa Wants a Car]]'', a picture book based closely on her aunt’s purchase of a family car, received the [[Ezra Jack Keats Book Award]] in 2011.<ref name="Ezra Jack Keats">{{cite web |title=2012 Ezra Jack Keats Award Winners |url=https://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/ejk-awards/2012-ezra-jack-keats-book-awards/ |website=Ezra Jack Keats Foundation |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> Her young adult novel, ''[[Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass]]'', following the harrowing experience of Piddy Sanchez in the crosshairs of a school bully, was awarded the [[Pura Belpré Award]] for writing in 2014<ref name=":4">{{cite web |title=Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass |url=http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/yaqui-delgado-wants-kick-your-ass |website=American Library Association}}</ref> and the [[International Latino Book Awards]] for Best YA Fiction in English in 2014.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |title=2014 International Latino Book Award Winners |url=https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/iAAgzlo1KdQFwdwUkTNq7aOKbcjo4MM7v6hl5v3sCHB?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&mgh=1 |website=Latino Book Awards |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> Her picture book ''[[Mango, Abuela, and Me]]'', about a Spanish-speaking grandmother and her English-speaking granddaughter, received the [[Pura Belpré Award]] honor in writing and illustration<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=The Pura Belpré Award winners, 1996-present |url=http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpremedal/belprepast |website=Association of Library Service to Children |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> in 2016. Her young adult historical fiction novel ''[[Burn Baby Burn (novel)|Burn Baby Burn]]'', about 17-year-old Nora Lopez surviving the summer of 1977 as a serial killer is stalking young women in her neighborhood, was long-listed<ref name=":1">{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Burn Baby Burn, Longlist, National Book Awards 2016 for Young People's Literature|url=https://www.nationalbook.org/books/burn-baby-burn/|archive-url=|archive-date=|accessdate=26 July 2020|website=National Book Foundation}}</ref> for the [[National Book Award]] and received the Westchester Fiction Award in 2017.<ref name=":3">{{cite web |title=Westchester YA Book Buzz Book Club |url=https://www.westchesterlibraryassociation.org/yabookbuzzbookclub/ |website=Westchester Library Association |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> Medina received the [[Charlotte Huck Award]] honor<ref name="Huck">{{cite web |title=Charlotte Huck Award |url=https://ncte.org/awards/ncte-childrens-book-awards/charlotte-huck-award/ |website=NCTE |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> and the John D [[Newbery Medal]] in 2019<ref name="Newbery" /> for her middle grade novel, ''[[Merci Suárez Changes Gears]]'', which depicts the life of 12-year-old Merci Suárez in her daily struggles with her Cuban-American family as they face the challenge of an [[Alzheimer’s]] diagnosis for her beloved grandfather, Lolo.


Medina has advocated more diversity in children’s literature, supported emerging authors, and worked in literacy initiatives aimed at the Latino community.{{cn|date=March 2022}} She was a founding member of [[We Need Diverse Books]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Meet the Team |url=https://diversebooks.org/about-wndb/ |website=We Need Diverse Books |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> serves on their Advisory Committee, and is a faculty member of the Hamline Masters in Fine Arts for Children’s Writing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Creative Writing Programs Faculty |url=https://www.hamline.edu/cla/creative-writing-programs/faculty/ |website=Hamline University |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref>
Medina has advocated more diversity in children’s literature, supported emerging authors, and worked in literacy initiatives aimed at the Latino community.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} She was a founding member of [[We Need Diverse Books]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Meet the Team |url=https://diversebooks.org/about-wndb/ |website=We Need Diverse Books |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref> serves on their Advisory Committee, and is a faculty member of the Hamline Masters in Fine Arts for Children’s Writing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Creative Writing Programs Faculty |url=https://www.hamline.edu/cla/creative-writing-programs/faculty/ |website=Hamline University |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref>


==Awards and recognition==
==Awards and recognition==
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*[[Pura Belpré Award]] Author Honor Book (2016, for ''Mango, Abuela and Me'')<ref name=":0" />
*[[Pura Belpré Award]] Author Honor Book (2016, for ''Mango, Abuela and Me'')<ref name=":0" />
*[[National Book Award]] longlist (2016, for ''Burn Baby Burn'')<ref name=":1" />
*[[National Book Award]] longlist (2016, for ''Burn Baby Burn'')<ref name=":1" />
*2016 New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=NAIBA Book of the Year Awards|url=https://www.naiba.com/page/BooksoftheYear|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=Aug 9, 2020|website=New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association}}</ref>
*2016 New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=NAIBA Book of the Year Awards|url=https://www.naiba.com/page/BooksoftheYear|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=Aug 9, 2020|website=New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association}}</ref>
*Westchester Library Association Fiction Award (2017, for ''Burn Baby Burn'')<ref name=":3" />
*Westchester Library Association Fiction Award (2017, for ''Burn Baby Burn'')<ref name=":3" />
*Southerner of the Year (2017)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.southernliving.com/culture/southerners-doing-good-2017|title=Southerners of the Year 2017|website=Southern Living|language=en|access-date=2019-04-06}}</ref>
*Southerner of the Year (2017)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.southernliving.com/culture/southerners-doing-good-2017|title=Southerners of the Year 2017|website=Southern Living|language=en|access-date=2019-04-06}}</ref>
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*Charlotte Huck Honor Book for (2019, for ''Merci Suárez Changes Gears'')<ref name="Huck"/>
*Charlotte Huck Honor Book for (2019, for ''Merci Suárez Changes Gears'')<ref name="Huck"/>
*[[Henrico County, Virginia]], Board of Supervisors' commendation of Meg Medina (2019)<ref>{{cite web |title=Henrico County Notice of Special Meeting Board of Supervisors |url=https://henrico-va.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=2877 |website=Henrico County Virginia |accessdate=27 July 2020}}</ref>
*[[Henrico County, Virginia]], Board of Supervisors' commendation of Meg Medina (2019)<ref>{{cite web |title=Henrico County Notice of Special Meeting Board of Supervisors |url=https://henrico-va.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=2877 |website=Henrico County Virginia |accessdate=27 July 2020}}</ref>
*[[Virginia House of Delegates]] Joint Resolution 934 commending Meg Medina, agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 18, 2019 and agreed to by the Senate, February 23, 2019<ref>{{cite web |title=HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 934 |url=https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+ful+HJ934ER+pdf&191+ful+HJ934ER+pdf |website=Government of Virginia |accessdate=27 July 2020}}</ref>
*[[Virginia House of Delegates]] Joint Resolution 934 commending Meg Medina, agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 18, 2019, and agreed to by the Senate, February 23, 2019<ref>{{cite web |title=HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 934 |url=https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+ful+HJ934ER+pdf&191+ful+HJ934ER+pdf |website=Government of Virginia |accessdate=27 July 2020}}</ref>
*[[Senate of Virginia]] Resolution 130 commending Meg Medina on winning the John Newbery Medal for children’s literature in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=Feb 18, 2019|title=SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 130|url=https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+ful+SR130ER+hil&191+ful+SR130ER+hil|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=Aug 9, 2020|website=Virginia's Legislative Information System}}</ref>
*[[Senate of Virginia]] Resolution 130 commending Meg Medina on winning the John Newbery Medal for children’s literature in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=Feb 18, 2019|title=SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 130|url=https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+ful+SR130ER+hil&191+ful+SR130ER+hil|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=Aug 9, 2020|website=Virginia's Legislative Information System}}</ref>
*Appointed National Ambassador for Children's Literature for 2023 - 2024 by the Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader<ref name=":5" />


==Articles==
==Articles==
*''A Deaf Girl Finds Her Voice on Martha’s Vineyard in the 19th Century'', 2020, [[New York Times Book Review]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Medina |first1=Meg |title=A Deaf Girl Finds Her Voice on Martha’s Vineyard in the 19th Century |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/27/books/review/show-me-a-sign-ann-clare-lezotte.html |website=New York Times}}</ref>
*''A Deaf Girl Finds Her Voice on Martha’s Vineyard in the 19th Century'', 2020, [[New York Times Book Review]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Medina |first1=Meg |title=A Deaf Girl Finds Her Voice on Martha's Vineyard in the 19th Century |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/27/books/review/show-me-a-sign-ann-clare-lezotte.html |website=New York Times}}</ref>
*''Dark Magic and Other Escapes in These Summer Y.A. Novels'', 2018, [[New York Times Book Review]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Medina |first1=Meg |title=Dark Magic and Other Escapes in These Summer Y.A. Novels |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/books/review/astonishing-color-of-after-emily-xr-pan.html |website=New York Times}}</ref>
*''Dark Magic and Other Escapes in These Summer Y.A. Novels'', 2018, [[New York Times Book Review]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Medina |first1=Meg |title=Dark Magic and Other Escapes in These Summer Y.A. Novels |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/books/review/astonishing-color-of-after-emily-xr-pan.html |website=New York Times}}</ref>
*''The Writer's Page: On Writing the American Familia'', 2015, [[Horn Book]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The Writer's Page: On Writing the American Familia |url=https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=the-writers-page-on-writing-the-american-familia |website=The Horn Book |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref>
*''The Writer's Page: On Writing the American Familia'', 2015, [[Horn Book]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The Writer's Page: On Writing the American Familia |url=https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=the-writers-page-on-writing-the-american-familia |website=The Horn Book |accessdate=26 July 2020}}</ref>


==Bibliography==
==Works==
*''[[Tía Isa Wants a Car|Tia Isa Wants a Car]]'' (2011)
*''[[Tía Isa Wants a Car|Tia Isa Wants a Car]]'' (2011)
*''Tia Isa Quiere Un Carro'' (2012)
*''Tia Isa quiere un carro'' (2012)
*''[[The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind]]'' (2012)
*''[[The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind]]'' (2012)
*''[[Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass]]'' (2013)
*''[[Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass]]'' (2013)
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*''Mango, Abuela Y Yo'' (2015)
*''Mango, Abuela Y Yo'' (2015)
*''[[Burn Baby Burn (novel)|Burn Baby Burn]]'' (2016)
*''[[Burn Baby Burn (novel)|Burn Baby Burn]]'' (2016)
*''Yaqui Delgado Quiere Darte Una Paliza'' (2016)
*''Yaqui Delgado quiere darte una paliza'' (2016)
*''[[Merci Suárez Changes Gears]]'' (2018)
*''[[Merci Suárez Changes Gears]]'' (2018)
*''Merci Suárez se pone las pilas'' (2020)
*''Merci Suárez se pone las pilas'' (2020)
*''Evelyn del Rey is Moving Away'' (2020)
*''Evelyn del Rey is Moving Away'' (2020)
*''Evelyn del Rey se muda'' (2020)
*''Evelyn del Rey se muda'' (2020)
*''Sonia Sotomayor'' (2021)
*''She Persisted: Sonia Sotomayor'' (2021)
*''Merci Suárez Can't Dance'' (2021)
*''Merci Suárez Can't Dance'' (2021)
*''Merci Suárez Plays It Cool'' (2022)
*''Merci Suárez No Sabe Bailar'' (2022)
*''She Persisted: Pura Belpré'' (2023) with Marilisa Jiménez García
*''No More Señora Mimí'' (2024)
*''No más Señora Mimí'' (2024)
*''Merci Suárez se hace sa lista'' (2025)


==Anthologies==
=== Anthologies ===
*''Been There, Done That'', edited by Mike Winchell, (2016)
*''Been There, Done That'', edited by Mike Winchell, (2016)
*''Flying Lessons & Other Stories'', edited by [[Ellen Oh]], (2017)
*''Flying Lessons & Other Stories'', edited by [[Ellen Oh]], (2017)
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*''The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth'', edited by Cheryl and Wade Hudson, (2020)
*''The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth'', edited by Cheryl and Wade Hudson, (2020)
*''Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed'', edited by Saraciea Fennell, (2021)
*''Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed'', edited by Saraciea Fennell, (2021)
*''A Little Bit Super'', edited by Leah Henderson and Gary Schmidt, (2024)

== Further reading ==

* Interview in ''[[You Can't Say That! (Marcus book)|You Can’t Say That! Writers for Young People Talk About Censorship, Free Expression, and the Stories They Have to Tell]]''. Candlewick, 2021, a young adult non-fiction book about book censorship, edited by young adult author and literary critic [[Leonard S. Marcus]]. ISBN 9780763690366


==External links==
==External links==
{{commonscat|Meg Medina}}
*[https://megmedina.com Official website]
*[https://megmedina.com Official website]
* {{LCAuth|n2008000508|Meg Medina|5|}}
* {{LCAuth|n2008000508|Meg Medina|5|}}
*[https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=2019-newbery-medal-acceptance-by-meg-medina 2019 Newbery Medal Acceptance Speech]
*[https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=2019-newbery-medal-acceptance-by-meg-medina 2019 Newbery Medal Acceptance Speech]
*[https://guides.loc.gov/meg-medina/introduction Resource guide] with biography and links to further information from the [[Library of Congress]], in Spanish and English


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Writers from Alexandria, Virginia]]
[[Category:Writers from Alexandria, Virginia]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American writers]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American writers]]
[[Category:People from Queens, New York]]
[[Category:Writers from Queens, New York]]
[[Category:Queens College, City University of New York alumni]]
[[Category:Queens College, City University of New York alumni]]
[[Category:Writers from Richmond, Virginia]]
[[Category:Writers from Richmond, Virginia]]

Latest revision as of 09:39, 16 July 2024

Meg Medina
Medina in 2023
Born
Margaret Rose Medina

(1963-06-11) June 11, 1963 (age 61)
OccupationWriter
Known forNewbery Medalist 2019
SpouseJavier Menéndez[1]
Children3[1]

Meg Medina is an American children’s book author of Cuban descent whose books celebrate Latino culture and the lives of young people. She is the 2023 – 2024 National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature.[2] Medina is the recipient of the 2019[3] John Newbery Medal for her middle grade novel, Merci Suárez Changes Gears and the Pura Belpré Award for Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass (2014) and the Pura Belpré Award Honor Book in 2016 for Mango, Abuela and Me).

Early life and education

[edit]

Medina is the younger of two daughters of Lidia Regla Metauten and Juan Norberto Medina, who emigrated from Cuba in the early 1960s. The couple separated shortly before Medina’s birth, and her mother relocated with her children to Queens, New York, where they were joined over the years with remaining family members from Cuba. Medina often points to her early life experiences as the underpinnings of her works, which examine themes of immigration, family estrangements, separation from loved ones, and financial hardships.

Medina attended P.S. 22 in Flushing, Queens, followed by Junior High School 189. During her high school years, Medina reconnected briefly with her father and attended Seekonk High School in Massachusetts, where her father had settled with his new wife and family.

Medina began her studies at Hunter College of the City University of New York, although she ultimately transferred to Queens College to complete her degree. She married a childhood friend, Javier Menendez, in 1983 and graduated the following year, majoring in Communication Arts and minoring in English Writing.

Career

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Medina first worked briefly as an editorial assistant at Simon & Schuster in the Monarch Press division before a ten-year teaching career in the New York City Public Schools and later, after relocating with her family to Florida in 1988, in the School District of Palm Beach County. Medina began writing as a freelance journalist for iCE Magazine, the Sun Sentinel, and South Florida Parenting magazine. The family again relocated in 1998 with their three children to Richmond, Virginia, where Medina turned her attention to writing fiction for young readers.

Medina's debut middle grade novel, Milagros: Girl from Away, was published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers in 2008. Medina then began a relationship with Candlewick Press. Tia Isa Wants a Car, a picture book based closely on her aunt’s purchase of a family car, received the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award in 2011.[4] Her young adult novel, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, following the harrowing experience of Piddy Sanchez in the crosshairs of a school bully, was awarded the Pura Belpré Award for writing in 2014[5] and the International Latino Book Awards for Best YA Fiction in English in 2014.[6] Her picture book Mango, Abuela, and Me, about a Spanish-speaking grandmother and her English-speaking granddaughter, received the Pura Belpré Award honor in writing and illustration[7] in 2016. Her young adult historical fiction novel Burn Baby Burn, about 17-year-old Nora Lopez surviving the summer of 1977 as a serial killer is stalking young women in her neighborhood, was long-listed[8] for the National Book Award and received the Westchester Fiction Award in 2017.[9] Medina received the Charlotte Huck Award honor[10] and the John D Newbery Medal in 2019[3] for her middle grade novel, Merci Suárez Changes Gears, which depicts the life of 12-year-old Merci Suárez in her daily struggles with her Cuban-American family as they face the challenge of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis for her beloved grandfather, Lolo.

Medina has advocated more diversity in children’s literature, supported emerging authors, and worked in literacy initiatives aimed at the Latino community.[citation needed] She was a founding member of We Need Diverse Books,[11] serves on their Advisory Committee, and is a faculty member of the Hamline Masters in Fine Arts for Children’s Writing.[12]

Awards and recognition

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Articles

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Works

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Anthologies

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  • Been There, Done That, edited by Mike Winchell, (2016)
  • Flying Lessons & Other Stories, edited by Ellen Oh, (2017)
  • The Radical Element, edited by Jessica Spotswood, (2018)
  • The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth, edited by Cheryl and Wade Hudson, (2020)
  • Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed, edited by Saraciea Fennell, (2021)
  • A Little Bit Super, edited by Leah Henderson and Gary Schmidt, (2024)

Further reading

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References

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  1. ^ a b Lockwood, Sarah. "Meg Medina, Storyteller". Richmond Family Magazine. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Meg Medina Named New National Ambassador for Young People's Literature". Library of Congress.
  3. ^ a b c "Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present". Association for Library Service for Children. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b "2012 Ezra Jack Keats Award Winners". Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass". American Library Association.
  6. ^ a b c d "2014 International Latino Book Award Winners". Latino Book Awards. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  7. ^ a b "The Pura Belpré Award winners, 1996-present". Association of Library Service to Children. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Burn Baby Burn, Longlist, National Book Awards 2016 for Young People's Literature". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Westchester YA Book Buzz Book Club". Westchester Library Association. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Charlotte Huck Award". NCTE. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Meet the Team". We Need Diverse Books. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Creative Writing Programs Faculty". Hamline University. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Charlotte Zolotow Award Books". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved Aug 9, 2020.
  14. ^ "Meg Medina (biography)". Library of Congress. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  15. ^ "2014 In the Margins Top Ten". In the Margins Book Awards. 2018-09-02. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  16. ^ "The CNN 10: Visionary Women". CNN. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  17. ^ Gonzalez, Jose. "2015 Top Ten New Latino Authors". Latino Stories.
  18. ^ "NAIBA Book of the Year Awards". New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association. Retrieved Aug 9, 2020.
  19. ^ "Southerners of the Year 2017". Southern Living. Retrieved 2019-04-06.
  20. ^ "Henrico County Notice of Special Meeting Board of Supervisors". Henrico County Virginia. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  21. ^ "HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 934". Government of Virginia. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  22. ^ "SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 130". Virginia's Legislative Information System. Feb 18, 2019. Retrieved Aug 9, 2020.
  23. ^ Medina, Meg. "A Deaf Girl Finds Her Voice on Martha's Vineyard in the 19th Century". New York Times.
  24. ^ Medina, Meg. "Dark Magic and Other Escapes in These Summer Y.A. Novels". New York Times.
  25. ^ "The Writer's Page: On Writing the American Familia". The Horn Book. Retrieved 26 July 2020.