Welcome to our Community Celebration Station!
This is the place where we’ll share the good news and more that we hear from our community.
Our team tries our best to compile these posts. If we missed you, or if you have a new story or a piece of good news to share, please let us know here. We’d love to hear from you!
New Books
Hoop Dreams
Congratulations to Julia Wilder Banta on the March publication of Hoop Dreams!
“Boyds Mills and The Crash Course in Children’s Publishing changed my life,” Julia says. You can read more from Julia and her mentorship from Ambassador Rona Shirdan here, and watch for more books as she has several more under contract! Read more about how Hoop Dreams came to be.
Tested
Congratulations to Anna Monders on the March publication of Tested!
Anna’s an alum of multiple Boyds Mills courses, and shares what she hopes kids will take away from the book: ““It’s easy to let outside opinions determine what we think about ourselves and others. I hope readers come away from Tested with a desire to listen for their own truth—and with the courage to believe their voice is important.”
Ways Papi Says I Love You
Congratulations to Boyds Mills team member Delia Ruiz on the publication of Ways Papi Says I Love You on March 24, 2026!
Inspired by Delia’s own truck rides with her father through a ranch in Mexico, Ways Papi Says I Love You connects the love languages between a father and daughter and shows the many ways love can be expressed and received.
Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp
Congratulations to faculty member Jolene Gutiérrez on the publication of Unbreakable on April 7, 2026!
Jolene shares the most challenging part of writing this book and how she overcame it:
“Minoru ‘Min’ Tonai and I started working together in 2017, and over the years, we wrote his story as a middle-grade book, a picture book, and a graphic novel. We couldn’t ‘crack’ the story until I heard Min talking about his father being sent to Amache after his release from prison. Min’s father brought a suitcase full of rocks that he’d collected in each prison, and I knew THAT was our throughline to show the strength and resilience of Min’s family.”
On and Off Campus
2026 Walter Awards
Executive Director George Brown and team member Bobbie Combs met in D.C. to attend the Walter Awards Ceremony. As always, the winners’ speeches were wonderful, followed by a panel taking Q&A from the young readers in the audience. The two met up with some faculty friends of Boyds Mills, including Renée Watson, whose book All the Blues in the Sky was the Younger Readers Honor title.
2026 Art Wall Installation
Our 2026 Art Wall installation features story and art from WOODS & WORDS: THE STORY OF POET MARY OLIVER, written by Sara Holly Ackerman, iIllustrated by Naoko Stoop, and published by Beach Lane Books. Read more about the Art Wall here.
After attending our Summer Camp in 2024, Sara worked closely with faculty member Rob Sanders to refine the manuscript. Their mentorship continued beyond campus, embodying the spirit of creative community we strive to build. As Sara noted in the book’s dedication, without the mentorship and support found at Boyds Mills, this book would not be here today.
Campus Ribbon-Cutting
We hosted a ribbon-cutting celebration to dedicate the paved pathway we completed last fall on campus. This was a hugely successful Community Giving Project, and we thank and recognize the more than 100 supporters who helped launch our campus pathways network.
A special group of friends attended, who generously supported the pathways in honor of their friend, Tara Lazar. Heidi E.Y. Stemple had the honor of cutting the ribbon!
Welcome to a New Board Member
We are thrilled to announce that longtime faculty mentor and acclaimed author Nicole Valentine has joined the Boyds Mills, Inc. Board of Trustees.
Nicole joins a talented group of trustees who are dedicated to the mission to positively impact children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves. The board provides important strategic, financial, and governance oversight for the organization.
Celebrating a Long-Time Teacher
and a Long-Time Student
Debut Book from Thornton Blease
Our friend Thornton Blease has taken multiple courses at Boyds Mills, and we’re thrilled about his news: Angela Zuezada Padron at Dream Jar/Yellow Brick Books has acquired world rights to Prehistoric Place: Escape from the Tyrant Lizard, which will be illustrated by Anthony Lewis. Publication is set for summer 2008.
Jennifer Gennari: Cover Reveal
Boyds Mills faculty member Jennifer Gennari shared the cover of her newest book, Stifled, which comes out on September 1, 2026. We can’t wait to read it!
More Good News On Our Blog
Celebration Station: Spring 2026
How We’re Leaning Into Our New Name: A Note from our Executive Director
Woods & Words: Our 2026 Art Wall Installation
Welcoming Nicole Valentine to the Boyds Mills Board of Trustees
The Future of Storytelling: Meet Our 2026 Scholarship Recipients
Celebration Station: Fall/Winter 2025-26
4 Verse Novelists Enjoy Success Thanks to Cordelia Jensen & Boyds Mills
#Gather: 2026 Scholarship Celebration and Info Session
Opening Doors: Our 2026 Scholarship Season is Here!
A New Chapter: The Highlights Foundation is now Boyds Mills
Multiple Scholarships Supported the Creation of This YA Biography