Off-Campus: Talking Asian Kid Lit with Expert Nancy Hope
Posted on October 20, 2024
In a new blog post series, “Off-Campus,” Words Without Borders Campus talks to some of the most interesting people in world kid lit, global education, and international publishing.
Nancy Hope, Executive Director of the Freeman Book Awards, recently spoke with WWB’s Maggie Vlietstra about her pathway into Asian literature and culture (which began with a stint in the Navy!), her favorite under-the-radar children’s books, and more.
Tell us about the Freeman Book Awards. How did you get started?
Like many Americans, my education had focused on the West, so when I was stationed in Japan as an officer in the US Navy many years ago, I found my new surroundings somewhat difficult to appreciate. Later, I went back to school to rectify this by learning more about East Asian history and culture, after which I was able to help educators increase East Asian content in the K–12 curriculum through National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) and Asia for Educators (AFE) programming. In 2021, NCTA and AFE asked me to become executive director of the Freeman Book Awards, which they sponsor.
What is the Freeman Book Awards’ mission?
The annual Freeman Book Awards recognizes quality books for children and young adults that contribute meaningfully to an understanding of East and Southeast Asia. Established in 2016, the Awards are given for 1) children’s picture books, 2) middle school chapter books, 3) high school books, and 4) graphic novels.
What's something that the Freeman Book Awards does that more people should know about?
Freeman Book Awards winners are chosen based on their cultural and historical accuracy as evaluated by content specialists, plus their classroom suitability as evaluated by review committees composed of teachers, librarians, and teacher-educators. Moreover, many of the titles on our website have associated culture notes and curriculum connections to help educators use these books more effectively.
Does the Freeman Book Awards have any upcoming events or initiatives we should know about?
We offer FREE virtual book talks for educators on selected Awards winners throughout the year, which often include FREE copies of the books. These are announced on the NCTA and AFE Facebook webpages. The selection for November is An Echo in the City by K.X. Song, 2023 Awards winner in the high school category (link to register). We also will have information about the Freeman Book Awards at the NCTA booths at the conferences of the National Council for the Social Studies and National Council of Teachers of English this November in Boston. Be sure to stop by for FREE copies of Awards-winning books and other materials!
What’s one language, part of the world, or genre of literature that you’d like to see better represented in classrooms? Why?
Graphic novels about East and Southeast Asia are my favorite hands down. They are popular with students and engage them in two learning modalities, image and text. Plus, they have evolved over the years to feature stories dealing with real issues that students find relatable like ecology, perseverance, coming of age, even skateboarding. Such graphic novels will encourage further reading by students while introducing this increasingly important part of the world, one which presents both challenges and opportunities for our country.
Finally, what are you reading right now?
I read every submission to the Freeman Book Awards. Our 2024 winners will be announced early next year, but all previous winners are great reads. I found The Color of the Sky Is the Shape of the Heart by Chesil, which was translated by Takami Nieda and is the 2022 high school Award winner, to be particularly moving. And the graphic novel Okinawa by Susumu Higa, which was translated by Jocelyne Allen and a 2023 Of Note title, can be read on many levels. Check our website for more information about these and the other quality titles we recommend.