Published by Imagine Publishing April 2023

Book Bonding: Building Connections Through Family Reading

by Megan Dowd Lambert, illustrated by Mia Saine

Click here to order today! 

I am delighted to share that Imagine Publishing, an imprint of Charlesbridge, will publish an essay collection comprised of 21 pieces I previously wrote for the Horn Book, EmbraceRace, and Reading While White. The very talented artist Mia Saine is the illustrator, and I am so grateful to the Horn Book for hosting the cover reveal with Mia’s wonderful art. Take a peek:

Reviews are starting to come in, and I’m awfully pleased with this one from Library Journal:

02/01/2023

Horn Book contributor Lambert (consultant, EmbraceRace; curator, Our Shelves; A Kid of Their Own) shows how books shape lives by sharing her experiences of being a white mother to her “multiracial, queer, blended family” of seven children, ages four to 25. This colorful, evocatively illustrated work explores themes of parenting, race, and adoption. It indicates the author’s belief that healing conversations can be inherent in literature discussion. Books are windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors, and rereading can bring about a different response in the same reader. Prioritizing books both by and about people of color in a course of study is the first step in teaching empathy and creating an anti-racist curriculum. The book would’ve been even more beneficial to readers if it had included more guidance about ways to implement these ideas. In the concluding pages, Lambert includes an extensive list of books. VERDICT An advocate of seeing the world as it is and imagining what it could be, Lambert provides thought-provoking reflections in these beautifully written pieces.

Here’s the official Publisher’s Weekly announcement:

I hope to do lots of in-person and online programs for librarians, educators, and parents and other caregivers when the book comes out. Contact me to schedule something!

Interested in learning more? Check out this interview with Betsy Bird’s Fuse Number 8 blog at School Library Journal: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/03/22/bonds-and-books-an-interview-with-megan-dowd-lambert-about-building-connections-through-family-reading/