Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at 5pm ET | 2pm PT
PBS Books is pleased to interview trailblazers Grace Lin and Martha Brockenbrough, authors of “I Am An American: The Wong Kim Ark Story”.
This book is an important picture book that introduces readers to the young man—Wong Kim Ark– who challenged the Supreme Court for his right to be an American citizen and won, confirming birthright citizenship for all Americans. The story takes place in the late 1800s when American-born Wong Kim Ark returns home to San Francisco after a visit to China. He is stopped and told he cannot enter because he isn’t American. After being imprisoned on a ship for months, Wong Kim Ark takes his case to the Supreme Court and argues any person born in America is an American citizen. Join this conversation to hear about the authors’ process, insights, and the importance of this story now.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
GRACE LIN
Before Grace Lin was an award-winning and NY Times bestselling author/illustrator of picture books, early readers and middle grade novels, she was the only Asian girl (except for her sisters) going to her elementary school in Upstate NY. That experience, good and bad, has influenced her books—including her Newbery Honor “WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON”, her Geisel Honor “LING & TING”, her National Book Finalist “WHEN THE SEA TURNED TO SILVER” and her Caldecott Honor “A BIG MOONCAKE FOR LITTLE STAR”. But, it also causes Grace to persevere for diversity as an occasional New England Public Radio commentator and when she gave her TEDx talk “The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf,” as well as her PBSNewHour video essay “What to do when you realize classic books from your childhood are racist?.” She continued this mission with a hundred episodes of the podcast kidlitwomen* and now currently hosts two other podcasts: Book Friends Forever and Kids Ask Authors. In 2016, Grace’s art was displayed at the White House and Grace, herself, was recognized by President Obama’s office as a Champion of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling. In 2022, Grace was awarded the Children’s Literature Legacy Award from the American Library Association.
MARTHA BROCKENBROUGH
Martha Brockenbrough is the author of two books for adults and numerous books for young readers (with several others on the way), including YA fiction and nonfiction, picture books, and a forthcoming chapter book series.
A faculty member at Vermont College of Fine Arts, she’s also the founder of National Grammar Day (every March 4), and she’s written game questions for Cranium and Trivial Pursuit. The former editor of MSN.com, Martha has interviewed lots of celebrities, and her work has been published in a variety of places, including The New York Times. Her books have won many awards, including a finalist for the Kirkus Prize.
She lives in Seattle with her family. Her favorite kind of food is Indian, although Thai runs a close second. Besides writing, she likes board games, playing music with the family band, travel to places far and near, drinking lots of coffee, and working out really hard at the gym.