We are so excited to announce the arrival of our next student publication!
Having To Tell Your Mother Is the Hardest Part is a collection of personal narratives written by students from Bruce Monroe @ Park View Elementary and the SEED School of Washington, DC. This is our first Young Authors’ Book Project in which older students mentored younger writers, as both tackled difficult questions about identity and the world they live in. Read our ongoing series of posts about the Young Authors’ Book Project for more insight on the workshop process leading up to publication.
It’s also our first book in full color— and wow, is it beautiful!
Please join us for the book release event on May 17, 4:30-6pm in the auditorium at Bruce Monroe @ Park View Elementary. RSVP here on Facebook. There are too many individuals to thank for making this publication possible, but special gratitude goes to our amazing volunteers who supported this project with their time and thoughtful dedication to preserving the student voices within.
Let the release party countdown begin!
About the Book
What if how you see yourself is not how the world sees you?
Inspired by socially charged photojournalism and mentor texts that include Junot Diaz and Claudia Rankine, students spanning ages ten to sixteen tackle questions about who they are and the world they live in. Having to Tell Your Mother Is the Hardest Part is a collection of personal narratives that encompasses the fears, dreams, and hopes of young writers, ranging from concerns about immigration to soccer tournament victories to a community that unites after an earthquake to the story behind a name, as well as critical responses to the 2016 United States presidential election. Filled with joy and sadness, young writers reflect on the encounters between themselves and the world around them, musing over misunderstandings and broken connections, and parsing out the meaning of identity in a multicultural and multilingual world.
Interested in obtaining a copy? We’re currently accepting orders for #TellYourMother through our online store. Orders will ship when the book is released on May 17. All proceeds support 826DC and allow us to continue to publish student work.