In culmination of a month-long celebration of Black History at the middle school level, LMSD welcomed best-selling author Torrey Maldonado as he visited with students at Bala Cynwyd, Black Rock and Welsh Valley from February 20-22, 2024!
In advance of Mr. Maldonado’s visit, LMSD librarians (Kelly Mc Dermott, BCMS; Katie Maahs, WVMS; Rachel Nichols, BRMS) prepared and facilitated whole school and individual class lessons in conjunction with African American Read-In events. Maldonado spent a day in each building during which he provided two presentations, a writing workshop and Q&A session.
Students shared that they loved meeting the charismatic Maldonado and hearing him read aloud from his books. He discussed his own Black and Puerto Rican identities, and students especially enjoyed how he wove the story of Miles Morales through his presentation. Their favorite parts were when he engaged the audience by asking questions and repeating “you’re like me” after each response, and when he shared that his characters and stories are often based on his own childhood. As one student said, Maldonado “encouraged us to tell the stories we know.”
Maldonado was born and raised in Brooklyn, growing up in the Red Hook housing projects. He has been a teacher for New York City public schools for nearly 25 years and his fast-paced, compelling stories are inspired by his and his students’ experiences. Maldonado’s popular novels for young readers include Hands, which has just been named a 2024 ALA Notable Book; What Lane?, which garnered many starred reviews and was cited by Oprah and The New York Times as an essential book to discuss racism and allyship; Tight, which won the Christopher Award and was an ALA Notable Book, as well as an NPR and Washington Post Best Book of the Year; and his very first novel, Secret Saturdays, which has been in print for over ten years.