A. Costales

I am a bilingual children’s author. I started writing for my own daughter when she was a toddler. When I got my first job as a bilingual teacher in Santa Ana, California I began to think beyond my own daughter to a larger community of underrepresented Latino and Latina children. I began writing for publication. I am interested in adding to the representation of multilingualism, ethnicity, diverse family structures, and Latino community. I have been an educator for 20 some years and currently teach Spanish for Heritage Speakers at the University of Oregon. I grew up in Ohio, Spain and along the Mexican-U.S. border. I have taught in California, Thailand, India, Mexico and Oregon. I think all children should be able to open books and see themselves reflected there and that books can create a bridge of understanding, helping children navigate diversity. And...I love storytelling.