Once a month, the World Area Book Awards (Américas Award, Africana Book Award, Middle East Book Award, South Asia Book Award) sponsor a free 60 minute webinar on a book recognized by one of the awards and facilitate a discussion with the author on how to incorporate the book into the classroom. The 2018 Spring Webinar Series focuses on social justice. We encourage educators to read the books with your colleagues, students, and community, and then join us to hear more from the author. The books are appropriate for students in grades 7-12. Participants who take part in all five webinar sessions will receive a certificate of completion.

Webinar Schedule REGISTRATION

Thursday, February 8, 2018 The Américas Award explores the diversity of Cuba with award winning author, Margarita Engle. Engle, the national Young People's Poet Laureate will discuss her book Lion Island: Cuba’s Warrior of Words and share teaching and discussion ideas to explore the story of Antonio Chuffat, a young man of African, Chinese, and Cuban descent who becomes a champion for civil rights.

Monday, March 12, 2018 The South Asia Book Award will hold a conversation with Padma Venkatraman, author of Island’s End.

Thursday, April 26, 2018 The Middle East Book Award is pleased to present a conversation with award-winning author, Ibtisam Barakat on her book Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age in Palestine.

Thursday, May 17, 2018 The Africana Book Award explores the nature and brutality of British colonialism in Kenya with Meja Mwangi, author of CABA winner Mzungu Boy. Readers will learn much about the nature and brutality of colonialism from this novel and its effect on ordinary people.

For more information about the webinar series, please visit the Internationalizing Social Studies website. Be sure to join the conversation with our webinar hashtag #2018ReadingAcrossCultures. All sessions are free and open to the public. All times listed refer to Central Standard Time (CST).

Sponsored by the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs, the South Asia National Outreach Consortium, the Middle East Outreach Council, and Africa Access.