PDF I, Too, Am here

Morgan Christies work has appeared in Callaloo Obsidian Prism International Room Hawaii Review Sports Literate and other journals She is the author of a full length short story collection These Bodies which was nominated for the Hurston Wright Legacy Award in fiction and four poetry chapbooks She is the winner of the 2022 Arc Poetry Poem of the Year Award the 2022 Digging Chapbook Series Prize Jan 2024 and the 2023 Howling Bird Press Book Award Nov 2023 Her picture books I Too Am Here Second Story Press 2024 and Counting Cho Cho Groundwood Books 2026 are forthcoming Morgans work has been featured in such outlets as Buzzfeed NBC News PoetsWriters LA Weekly The London Post Yahoo News NY Weekly Broadw Morgan Christie s work has appeared in Callaloo Obsidian Prism International Room Hawai i Review Sports Literate and other journals She is the author of a full length short story collection These Bodies which was nominated for the Hurston Wright Legacy Award in fiction and four poetry chapbooks She is the winner of the 2022 Arc Poetry Poem of the Year Award the 2022 Digging Chapbook Series Prize Jan 2024 and the 2023 Howling Bird Press Book Award Nov 2023 Her picture books I Too Am Here Second Story Press 2024 and Counting Cho Cho Groundwood Books 2026 are forthcoming Morgan s work has been featured in such outlets as Buzzfeed NBC News PoetsWriters LA Weekly The London Post Yahoo News NY Weekly Broadway World the National Poetry Day exhibit and others site_link The street a young girl lives on is made up of families from all over the world Her family shares with her their stories of journey and struggle Her own story begins here in this country but she is sometimes made to feel she does not belong She listens to her family s voices They tell her she will soar they tell her she is beautiful She listens and she says I too am here A multigenerational story of immigration racism and what it truly means to belong Inspired by Langston Hughes poem I Too I Too Am HereIt is a story about belonging and how we all come from different backgrounds Our communities consist of multicultural families yet racism remains an issue in today s society The little girl s family talks about the time they migrated and the problems black families face with racism in the country Each family member talks about the struggles they went through Each one had a particular moment that made them feel like they didn t belong The little girl herself encountered racism while in school with another classmate The story sheds light on the struggles black families encounter and continue encountering by telling a story that teaches children they do belong here I loved the illustrations used throughout the book and the colors were so beautiful I also love the book cover 1772603872 I received an ARC of this picture book and am deeply moved by the depth of theme and storytelling I used this book during story hour with my students and it led to an open conversation of their experiences with bullying and many of their parents experiences with immigration etc The book is told through the voice of a young girl that slowly understands her own beauty and presence in the face of a sad but true ringing incident at school as well as the similar experiences of her parents and grandmother The illustrations are soft and stunning and pair with the story in a powerful way If I could rate it a ten I would as would my students we need stories and messages like this Ones that are not afraid to be truthful beautiful and here 1772603872