Cuban-American children's author speaks at Bridgewater

Meg Medina says dual literacy is a barrier for some and a means of empowerment for others.
Meg Medina says dual literacy is a barrier for some and a means of empowerment for others. | Contributed photo
Award-winning Cuban-American children’s author Meg Medina writes what she knows.

But in the process, she pulls out traditional tales woven by her family in the past and pays homage to Latino culture. She writes for all ages, depending on her mood, and is sure to include bridges that cross the gap between cultures.

“When we write for our children, we write for the child we once were. It is a long love letter,” Medina said during a visit to Bridgewater College on March 2.

She gives credit for her writing, particularly her ability to pace a story and make it interesting, to her beloved abuela (grandmother), and she says she is happy to be able to keep her roots by turning these stories and more into the books she loves to write.

As the product of a bicultural family, Medina says dual literacy is a barrier for some and a means of empowerment for others. She works to cross that bridge for the benefits it brings through her writing.

She also writes to celebrate hardship and differences among cultures while striving to pass on the love she feels to all children. It is her goal to promote Latino literature to children, as fewer than 3 percent of children’s books published in 2015 were about Latino culture. Many other minorities had equal or less representation.