Newbery and Pura Belpré Award Winner Presents at Browne

On Monday, November 7, Browne welcomed New York Times best-selling author Donna Barba Higuera to campus. The Newbery and Pura Belpré Award winner spoke to middle schoolers about The Last Cuentista and provided insight into her use of folklore in her acclaimed book. For our lower school students, Higuera read her picture book El Cucuy is Scared, Too! and also shared its origins in folklore and in her rich family history. After each presentation, Higuera did a Q&A and graciously signed copies of her books.

Browne’s 5th graders all read The Last Cuentista for summer reading, and the book was an option for 6th and 7th summer reading, as well. Many of our lower school students have read El Cucuy Is Scared, Too. We are grateful to middle school English teachers Rebecca Gray and Danielle Gerber for arranging Higuera’s visit.