Monica Brown (author)

Mónica Brown (born October 24, 1969) is a Peruvian-American academic and author of children's literature. Known for her Lola Levine and Sarai chapter book series, as well as numerous biographies covering such Latin American luminaries as Tito Puente,[1] Celia Cruz, Dolores Huerta, and Cesar Chavez, she writes relatable characters that highlight the nuance and diversity of the Latinx experience and girl empowerment.[2][3] Her motivation is to show that bicultural children are not made up of cultural fractions but whole people with a rich and vibrant cultural heritage, such as her character the bicultural red-headed Peruvian-Scottish-American Marisol McDonald.[4] Brown is also an English professor at Northern Arizona University.

Children's book author Monica Brown

Early life

Brown was born on October 24, 1969 in Mountain View, California, to Isabel Maria Vexler Valdivieso from Piura, Peru, and Daniel Doronda Brown from San Francisco. Monica is Mestiza and Romanian Jewish on her Mother’s side and Hungarian Jewish, Scottish and Italian on her father’s side.[5] Brown was raised Catholic and converted to Judaism as an adult. Throughout her childhood, Brown took numerous vacations to visit her mother’s family in Peru.[6] Her diverse upbringing influences her work most notably in the character Lola Levine whose Jewish-Peruvian-American ancestry mirrors Brown's.[7]

Career

Brown earned a B.A. in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1991, an M.A. in English from Boston College in 1994, and a Ph.D. in English from Ohio State University in 1998. She is a tenured professor at Northern Arizona University, where she teaches courses on Chicano, African American, and Multi-ethnic literature.[8]

Giving birth to her daughters motivated Brown to begin writing children's books that reflected the significant contributions of the people of the Americas.[9] Brown published her first children's book, My Name is Celia: the Life of Celia Cruz (Me llamo Celia: la vida de Celia Cruz), published bilingually in English and Spanish in 2004, for which she won the Américas Award for Children's Literature. Brown finds inspiration in her Peruvian and Jewish heritage and a commitment to bring diverse stories to children [10]

In the book Waiting for the Biblioburro, Brown works to showcase the power of literacy and education by telling the story of a Colombian educator who reaches remote communities in Colombia with a donkey powered library.[11] Brown's book Frida Kahlo and her Animalitos was selected by the New York Times as the best illustrated book of 2017.[12]

In 2018, Brown launched a chapter-book series Sarai, co-authored with child actress and internet sensation Sarai Gonzalez. The series is targeted at children 7-10 and is inspired by events in Sarai's life.[13][14]

Brown's books are often published as dual language editions. She has even had one translated into Quechua [15] an indigenous language of the Andes.

Awards

Entire body of work

  • Valle del Sol Award
  • Victoria Foundation’s Professor Alberto Rios
  • Outstanding Latino/a in the Literary Arts Award
  • Judy Goddard Award
  • Most Significant Creative or Artistic Achievement Award—Northern Arizona University

Waiting for the Biblioburro (Tricycle/Random House, 2011)

Marisol McDonald and the Clash Bash (New York: Lee & Low, 2013)

Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, rey del mambo (New York: HarperCollins Rayo, 2013)

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald no combina (Children’s Book Press, 2011)

Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People (Henry Holt, 2011)

  • Américas Award for Children’s Literature
  • Orbis Pictus Award Honor for Outstanding Nonfiction Honor for Outstanding Nonfiction
  • Kirkus –Starred Review

Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/Lado a lado: La historia de Dolores Huerta y Cesar Chavez (HarperCollins Rayo, 2010)

Chavela and the Magic Bubble (Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010)

Pelé King of Soccer (HarperCollins Rayo, 2009)

  • Kirkus –Starred Review

My Name is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel Garcia Márquez (Luna Rising/Rising Moon, 2007)

My Name is Gabriela: The Life of Gabriela Mistral/Me llamo Gabriela: la vida de Gabriela Mistral (Luna Rising/Rising Moon, 2005)

  • Críticas—Starred Review

My Name is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/Me llamo Celia: la vida de Celia Cruz (Luna Rising/Rising Moon, 2004)

  • Américas Book Award

List of Books
TitlePublisherYearISBN
My Name Is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/Me llamo Celia: la vida de Celia CruzLuna Rising2004978-0873588720
My Name Is Gabriela: The Life of Gabriela Mistral/Me llamo Gabriela: la vida de Gabriela MistralCooper Square Publishing2005978-0873588591
Butterflies on Carmen StreetPiñata Books2007978-1558854840
My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez/Me llamo Gabito: la vida de Gabriel García Márquez" Cooper Square Publishing2007978-0873589086
Pelé King of Soccer/El rey del fútbolHarperCollins2008978-0061227813
Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/Lado a Lado: La Historia de Dolores Huerta y Cesar ChavezHarperCollins2010978-0061227813
Chavela and the Magic BubbleClarion Books2010978-0547241975
Pablo Neruda, Poet of the PeopleMacmillan2011978-0805091984
Clara and the Curandera/Clara y la curanderaPiñata Books2011978-1558857001
Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/Marisol McDonald no combinaChildren's Book Press2011978-0892392353
Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, Rey del MamboHarperCollins2013978-0061227837
Marisol McDonald and the Clash Bash/la fiesta sin igualLee and Low Books2013978-0892392735
Maya's Blanket/La Manta de MayaChildren's Book Press/Lee and Low Books2015978-0892392353
Lola Levine is not MeanLittle Brown, & Co.2015978-0316258364
Waiting for the Biblioburro/Esperando el Biblioburro: (Spanish-English bilingual edition)Tricycle Press/Random House2016978-0553538793
Marisol McDonald and the Monster: Marisol McDonald y El MonstruoChildren's Book Press/Lee and Low Books2016978-0892392353
Lola Levine Meets Jelly BeanLittle Brown, & Co.2017978-0316258500
Lola Levine and the Vacation DreamLittle Brown, & Co.2017978-0316506380
Frida Kahlo and Her AnimalitosNorthSouth Books2017978-0735842694
Lola Levine and the Halloween ScreamLittle Brown, & Co.2017978-1338193428
Sarai and the Meaning of AwesomeScholastic2018978-0735842694
Sarai in the SpotlightScholastic2018978-0735842694
Sarai Saves the MusicScholastic2019978-0735842694
Sarai and Around the World FairScholastic2019978-0735842694
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See also

References
  1. "Latina Author Celebrates Bicultural Children". Latina. September 19, 2013.
  2. "These books can help build strong girls — and boys — for today's world". Washington Post. December 4, 207.
  3. "Monica Brown, author of the Clash Bash". NPR. December 13, 2013.
  4. "The Multiracial Population Is Growing, But Kid Lit Isn't Keeping Up". School Library Journal. May 1, 2014.
  5. "The Multiracial Population Is Growing, But Kid Lit Isn't Keeping Up". School Library Journal. May 1, 2014.
  6. "Session Spotlight Monica Brown". World of Words. April 9, 2012.
  7. "Building Connections with Monica Brown". Kirkus Reviews. January 7, 2016.
  8. https://profile.directory.nau.edu/person/mab42
  9. "Monica Brown, Valle del Sol Awards 2017". Valle del Sol. September 2017.
  10. "Award-Winning Children's Author Writes About Being a Bi-Cultural Kid". NBC Latino. November 2011.
  11. "Waiting for the Biblioburro Kirkus review". kirkus reviews. June 6, 2011.
  12. "The Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2017". The New York Times. November 2, 2017.
  13. "A new book series to inspire girl power and Latinx pride". On Our Minds. September 20, 2018.
  14. "Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome". Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2018.
  15. "El alfabeto animado The Lively Alphabet Uywaknawan Qeloqasqa". Moving Parts Press. 2015.
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