You may know Sonia as Maria, the beloved character she played on Sesame Street for more than 30 years. Growing up in a struggling Puerto Rican family in the 1950s, Sonia wondered how she could contribute to a society that didn’t see her. “I felt invisible,” she says. Her story of resilience and hope continues to inspire readers of all ages.

Host Suzanne McCabe also talks with Pam Muñoz Ryan, the award-winning author of Esperanza Rising and several other celebrated novels. Pam discusses the genesis of her latest book, an enchanting novel for middle-graders called Mañanaland. The mythical tale introduces readers to a brave boy named Max, who learns what it means to help people fleeing danger and persecution.

In the final segment, author Justin A. Reynolds and illustrator Pablo Leon introduce their new graphic novel, Miles Morales: Shock Waves. It is already a hit with young Marvel fans. “Maybe you’re not able to have web slingers and scale the city walls,” Justin tells kids, “but your voice can travel just as far.”

Then Francisco Stork, the author of such acclaimed YA titles as The Memory of Light and Marcelo in the Real World, talks about his latest novel, Illegal. This page-turning thriller follows Sara Zapata and her brother, Emiliano, and their desperate escape from Mexico to the U.S. Illegal is a sequel to Francisco’s earlier novel, Disappeared.

You can learn more about Land of the Cranes, Illegal, and all of our latest fiction and nonfiction at scholastic.com/kids. For a catalog of diverse books for readers of all ages, click here.
To check out the Scholastic Student Vote, a virtual mock-election that has been running since 1940, visit scholastic.com/election.