Yamile Saied Mendez

Yamile Saied Méndez
Born	Rosario, Argentina
Occupation	Author
Alma mater	Brigham Young University Vermont College of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
Website
yamilemendez.com

Yamile (pronounced sha-MEE-lay)[1] Saied Méndez is an Argentine American author of picture books, children's books, young adult books, and adult romance.[2][3] She is a Pura Belpré gold medal winner for her young adult novel, Furia.[4] She is a founding member of Las Musas collective.[2][1]

Background

Méndez was born in Rosario, Argentina.[5] Méndez grew up attached to the culture of one grandfather, who was Syrian Lebanese; her mother was an orphan but knew she was a descendant of indigenous people from Argentina.[5] Her father drove a taxi and her mother worked as a nanny.[5] The first among her extended family members to attend college, she went to Brigham Young University where she studied international economics.[5][6] Méndez received an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts.[7] Méndez lives in Utah with her husband and five children.[8]

Awards and recognition

• Walter Dean Myers grant to write Furia (2015) [5]
• New York Public Library Best Books of 2019 for "¿De Dónde Eres?" [9]
• Kirkus Best Books of 2019[10]
• 2020 Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils) for Furia[11]
• Reese's YA Book Club selection for Furia (2020) [12]
• Winner of a Pura Belpré YA Author Medal for Furia (2021)[13]

Articles

• The Pen Ten: An Interview with Yamile Saied Méndez[14]
• Yamile Saied Méndez talks FURIA and the Argentina soccer scene[15]
• This Utah author has a new novel — and Reese Witherspoon just chose it for her book club[6]

Bibliography

• Blizzard Besties (2018)
• “Where Are You From?” /"¿De Dónde Eres?" (2019)[16]
• Random Acts of Kittens (2019)
• On These Magic Shores (2020)[17]
• Furia (2020)[18]
• Shaking Up the House (2021)[18]
• What Will You Be? (2021)[18]
• Wish Upon a Stray (2021)[18]
• Can't Be Tamed (2022)[19]
• Friends Like These (2022)[19]
• Where There's Smoke (2022)[19]
• Our Shadows Have Claws (2022)[20]
• Twice a Quinceañera (2022)[19]

References

1. "Yamile Saied Méndez". HarperCollins. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
2. "Tucson Festival of Books". Arizona Daily Star. 2021-02-28.
3. "Yamile Saied Méndez » About". Retrieved 2021-10-15.
4. "Yamile Saied Méndez". kids.scholastic.com. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
5. Simeon, Laura (2020-09-15). "Yamile Saied Méndez Scores With Furia". Kirkus Review. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
6. Jones, Valerie (2020-09-28). "This Utah author has a new novel — and Reese Witherspoon just chose it for her book club". Deseret News. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
7. "The PEN Ten: An Interview with Yamile Saied Méndez". 8 October 2020.
8. "Shelf Awareness for Wednesday, February 3, 2021".
9. "The New York Public Library Selects Best Books of 2019 for Kids, Teens, and Adults". New York Public Library. 2019-11-26. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
10. Arnold, Jackie Marshall and Mary-Kate Sableski (2020). "Where are You from? Building Bridges Over Walls with #OwnVoices Literature". Journal of Children's Literature. 46 (2): 19–26 – via ProQuest.
11. "Impromptu". The Horn Book Magazine. 97 (3): 61–65. 2021-05-01 – via ProQuest.
12. "October Filled with Austin Book Events for Kids, Teens". Austin American-Statesman. 2020-10-05.
13. "Furia". Workman Publishing. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
14. Jackson, Jared (2020-10-08). "The PEN Ten: An Interview with Yamile Saied Méndez". PEN America. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
15. "Yamile Saied Méndez talks FURIA and the Argentina soccer scene". Young Entertainment. 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
16. Covington, Linnea (2021-07-09). "The Best Kids Books to Read This Summer". Westword. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
17. "K-12". The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. 34. August 2020 – via ProQuest.
18. "Yamile Saied Méndez". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
19. "Yamile Saied Méndez". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
20. OUR SHADOWS HAVE CLAWS | Kirkus Reviews.

External links

• Official website