I'll have a Moon on the rocks...

The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill, just received the highest U.S. award in children’s literature: The Newbery Medal! As her son asked upon hearing the news, “The real one?” Yes! The real one. We are so proud to have her on our artist roster. See more from Kelly in the Star Tribune or in this recent COMPAS blog post. Also, watch her discuss her book in an interview at the 2016 Miami Book Fair. (And book her for your school before she gets too busy!)

Have you tried spinning on your head lately?

Neither have we, but for Lisa Berman (AKA MonaLisa) it comes quite naturally, like riding a bike. She is the leader of In New Company (INC), a group of talented break-dancers who joined the COMPAS artist roster last July. A traditionally male-dominated dance-form, Lisa holds her own with each twist and flip. Check out her story in MPR News, along with some impressive photos of her dance moves. She’s like the real life Step-Up movies, minus Channing Tatum.

Unwritten stories that are finally told…

The Women’s Writing Program brings poetry writing classes to Minnesota womens' jails. It was featured in the South Washington County Bulletin and highlights the importance of giving incarcerated women a platform from which to be heard. Check out this COMPAS blog post about the Women's Writing Program to learn more.

"I feel like the kids felt like their words were powerful and counted. They were excited and wrote freely and were completely engaged." - Elementary teacher speaking about the impact COMPAS writer Julia Klatt-Singer had on her students.

by COMPAS staff member, Michael Salazar