When my book was about to be released, a woman reached out to me via my website inviting me to be on a panel. Usually panel invitations come from people you already know, so I was intrigued. After several communications, I decided to go for it, and what a fortuitous decision that was! Alda P. Dobbs, author of Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, was that person, and since that day we’ve done many panels (so many of which she’s taken the lead in setting up!) with a cool little crew that includes Daniel Aleman, author of Indivisible, Margie Longoria, editor of Living Beyond Borders, and Payal Doshi, author of Rea and the Blood of the Nectar. We all have very different immigration experiences and our panels tend to focus on immigrant stories.
Last week, the world got the awesome (and well-deserved) news that Alda’s Barefoot Dreams is a Pura Belpre Honor book. Which is a huge deal! And couldn’t have happened to a cooler person. Barefoot Dreams is middle grade and is a fictionalized account of Alda’s ancestor’s experiences during the Mexican Civil War. Check out her book because you’ll be hearing a lot more from this talented writer. Congrats, amiga querida.
