Innosanto Nagara

QUESTION AT THE END As many of you know, wearing my @sjchildrensbookholidayfair hat, I’m on the team behind this year’s YouthLit programming for the @baybookfest (May 30-31 in downtown Berkeley). YouthLIt is going to be LIT for real! So I hope you’ve marked your calendars. There are so many authors and discussions I’m looking forward to, but for my selfish self this is the one I’m most excited about. Not because I’m moderating, but because this is a conversation that is near and dear to my heart. “Touching on the difficult experiences of Japanese-Americans during the Japanese Incarceration in Hawai’i during World War II, Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson’s Shell Song tells the true story of her grandfather’s detainment in an island prison, where he collected, labelled, and carefully saved tiny seashells that were later passed down to his children and grandchildren. In Lion’s Water, Sheila Hackbarth depicts the story of a Ugandan girl who must find the courage to protect herself and her brother after escaping the bad men who want to take control of their village. Another tender story that deals with hardships in an age-appropriate way, Yasi and Mina’s Pomegranate Tree by Nikoo Yahyazadeh is about two friends living in Tehran during the war with Iraq who get separated when one of them has to move to the United States.” I hope you’ll be there on Saturday, May 30 at 11:45am in the Community Room at the Berkeley Main Library. Bring your questions. We want this conversation to address what you care about, first and foremost. Now that being said, Q&A time can be limited. So if you have questions or topics you would love these amazing authors to address, please share them with me. Especially if you’re not local or can’t make it that day, let me know what you’d like me to ask these amazing authors. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or DM me! #bayareabookfestival #kidlit #socialjusticeeducator #socialjusticebooks #childrensbooks

💫Hey Fam! Thank you so much for supporting the 2025 Social Justice Children's Book Fair! Here’s a little snippet from @nbcbayarea of the event. ✨ #SJCBF #BayAreaBookFestival #KidsLitForChange

Fun and wide-ranging session today at the @zinnfair for our afternoon panel on social justice children’s books! Creating radical children’s books for the next generations. With @innosantonagara @robert_tres @annebroylesauthor @michellegmarkel

Still feeling the buzz from yesterday’s amazingly successful Social Justice Children's Book Fair, and the Award event the night before. More on that when we get all the photos and videos in. But today we have one more thing! Laura Atkins, Robert Liu-Trujillo and I will be wearing our author hats (and representing the Fair) along with Anne Broyles and Michelle Markel at the Howard Zinn Book Fair at 4:30 pm at City College in San Francisco. This is a rare occasion where we’ll have the time for an in-depth discussion. Come and be part of the conversation!

Today is the day!!! The Ninth Annual Social Justice Children’s Book Fair starts at 11AM! Come, grab a book, fly away to magical portals with us!! @emersoncheetahsquad @emersonelementary.ousd

✨ Hey Social Justice Children's Book Fair Fam. ✨ The 9th Annual Social Justice Children's Book Fair is fast approaching, and we just wanted to rewind a bit and give you a snippet of our previous book fairs with an audio from our latest @HardKnockRadio interview on @KFPARadio . You can listen to the rest of the audio here: /episode/hard-knock-radio-december-1-2025/ Details: The 9th Annual Social Justice Children’s Book Fair Saturday, Dec 6th, 11:00am Emerson Elementary, Oakland, CA (@emersonelementary.ousd , @emersoncheetahsquad ) You can learn more here: / (link in bio: @sjchildrensbookholidayfair ) Free event, but space is limited. Please RSVP here: /e/2025-social-justice-childrens-book-fair-tickets-1967246325717?aff=ebdsoporgprofile #SJCBF #BayAreaBookFestival #KidsLitForChange

✨Who is the Social Justice Children's Book Fair Team? The Social Justice Children's Book Fair was founded in 2017, when a small group of Bay Area authors and illustrators decided to organize a book fair where independent book creators could sell their books to all the parents, educators, caring adults, and kids who needed them. It was such a success that since then, they have continued to organize the Social Justice Children's Book Fair annually, partnered with the @baybookfest to curate their Family Day, and have continued to expand their work to support independent creators. Meet the team: @robert_tres is an author and illustrator from Oakland, California, and has been an artist most of his life. He started working professionally in the early 2000s and has worked in murals, public art, arts education, merchandise making, illustration, and kid book publishing. @laura.atkins.creative has always been a lover of children's books as well as an activist for social justice. She has spent decades in the children's publishing industry, working at Children's Book Press, Orchard Books, and as a book editor at Lee & Low Books. @innosantonagara was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, and moved to the U.S. in 1988 to study zoology at UC Davis. But instead of becoming a zoologist, he founded the Design Action Collective launching his career as an activist and a graphic designer. He also writes and illustrates social justice-themed children’s books. 💥Join us with the SJCBF team at this year's book fair for radical storytelling and community power. Details: The 9th Annual Social Justice Children’s Book Fair Saturday, Dec 6th, 11:00am Emerson Elementary, Oakland, CA (@emersonelementary.ousd ) You can learn more here: / (link in bio: @sjchildrensbookholidayfair ) Free event, but space is limited. Please RSVP here: /e/2025-social-justice-childrens-book-fair-tickets-1967246325717?aff=ebdsoporgprofile #SJCBF #BayAreaBookFestival #KidsLitForChange #RobertLiuTrujillo #LauraAtkins #InnosantoNagara

Two weeks until the Inaugural Social Justice Children’s Book Fair Awards Ceremony at @Chapter510 and 9th Annual Social Justice Children’s Book Fair at Emerson Elementary (@emersonelementary.ousd ) with expanded programming due to partnership with the @BayAreaBookFest !! The events are free but space is limited. Please RSVP in advance! You can learn more here: . Link in bio: @sjchildrensbookholidayfair

📣 Hey, Social Justice Children’s Book Fair Fam, we need you. We are preparing for our 9th Annual Social Justice Children’s Book Fair, and we are looking for volunteers who are willing to support literacy. If this ignites your interest, we will be more than happy to have your support, and the kids will appreciate your generosity. Sign up here: /book-fairs/2025-book-fair/volunteer-signup/.  Link in bio: @sjchildrensbookholidayfair . Details: The 9th Annual Social Justice Children’s Book Fair Doors open at 11AM. Emerson Elementary, Oakland, CA (@schoolemersonelementary ) #SJCBF #BayAreaBookFestival #KidsLitForChange #Volunteerforlit

Hey Fam. ⏪⏪Walk down memory lane with us by checking out our video from the 2024 Book Fair. The Social Justice Book Fair is back, and bigger than ever with more programming, performances, and picture books due to partnership with the @BayAreaBookFest ! Swipe to see the full event schedule. We hope this year you will join us again in building the future of our kids, one story at a time. Details: The 9th Annual Social Justice Children’s Book Fair Saturday, Dec 6th, 11:00am-3:00pm Emerson Elementary, Oakland, CA (@emersonelementary.ousd ) You can learn more here: / (link in bio: @sjchildrensbookholidayfair ) RSVP here: /e/2025-social-justice-childrens-book-fair-tickets-1967246325717?aff=ebdsoporgprofile #SJCBF #BayAreaBookFestival #KidsLitForChange #BookFair #SocialJusticeChildrensBookFair

Fam, its that time of the year again and we’d like to share the artwork and design for the 9th annual Social Justice Children’s Book Fair!!! Comment w/ the appropriate emoji. This year’s artwork was created by veteran creator @mzmayagonzalez and designed by @danikacorrall . This has been a trying, heartwrenching year and we hope to close it out with you on a joyful note for the babies and for you; the community that is raising the next generation of fighters for a brighter future. The 9th Annual Social Justice Children’s Book Fair Saturday Dec 6th, 11am-3pm Emerson Elementary, Oakland, CA Stay tuned for more info, but for now share this with a friend. Comment and let us know if you’re coming.