In my review of Pedro & Daniel, which I wrote for the 2023 "Nerdy Awards," I shared just how important I thought this book was for today's readers who may understand the term "pandemic" as a result of living through COVID19, but who may not be familiar with, or fully understand, the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic that still sits heavy on the hearts of many of us who lost people we love to that plague in the 1980s and 90s. Since then, I've had the pleasure of sharing this book with my own students at Rutgers, many of whom are learning about this time period through books like Pedro & Daniel. However, this book is about more than just the AIDS crisis. It also tenderly explores topics like physical abuse and childhood trauma in ways that center intersectional diversity and the power of community. Based on his own experiences, Federico Erebia's Pedro & Daniel is a potent and unforgettable story of pain and resilience that has become a book of my heart. I was delighted when Federico agreed to be my first guest of this season of The Reader's Heart. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!
ABOUT THIS WEEK'S GUEST
Federico Erebia is a retired physician, woodworker, author, poet, and illustrator. He received a BA from the College of Wooster, and an MD from Brown University. He received the 2024 Lambda Literary Exceptional New Writer Award.
Other commendations for his debut novel, Pedro & Daniel (Levine Querido 2023) include: the 2024 Ohioana Book Award - Finalist; the 2024 Massachusetts Book Award - Longlist; the 2024 Crystal Kite Award - Honor Book; the 2024 Américas Book Award - Commended Book; the 2024 Bank Street BEST BOOK; the 2023 Kirkus Reviews BEST BOOK; the 2023 Nerdy Book Club BEST BOOK, and starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Shelf Awareness.
Erebia is on the SCBWI Impact & Legacy Fund’s steering committee, where he created the School Librarian’s Mini Library grants: In two years, over 700 books by and/or about marginalized or underrepresented individuals have been sent to twenty-four schools, reaching over twenty thousand students. He is on the board of Read Your World, Inc. He is a member of several other writing groups.
He and his husband live near Boston, Massachusetts.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Note: episode transcripts are generated by AI and are likely imperfect. Still, I hope you find them useful.
RESOURCES & LINKS
Please enjoy a special discount of 20% off the titles mentioned in this episode (or others of your choice) by visiting Bookelicious and using the code JENNIFERLAGARDE. Note: I do not make any money from the sales, but I am delighted that you get to save some!
Pedro & Daniel by Federico Erebia and Julie Kwon
During our conversation, Federico and I chatted about the lack of books that discuss physical abuse by a biological parent. I mentioned that I knew of a few, but not many. Here's a list of the books I was thinking about.
The Dangerous Art of Blending by Angelo Surmelis
Split by Swati Avasthi
Connect with Federico
MORE ABOUT THE READER’S HEART
Rooted in the belief that our world needs the magic of children’s literature now more than ever, the Reader’s Heart podcast captures conversations with authors and illustrators about children's literature as a vehicle for empathy and joy in a dark world. I'm so excited about this project and it's my wish that it brings you as much light and hope as it has brought me.
Special thanks to Corinna Luyken for creating the beautiful illustration that will serve as the show's logo. I've always found Corinna's art so moving and she perfectly captured the spirit of what I am trying to do, which is to put warmth and love into the world during a time when so many are working to limit kids' access to the warmth and love inherent in children's literature. (Also, don't forget, you can use the discount above to buy Corinna's books from Bookelicious, too!)
Weekly episodes will drop on Tuesdays. Once you've had a chance to listen, I hope you will consider leaving The Reader's Heart a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review! Podcast reviews are one of the best ways to support your favorite shows and help others find these conversations.
WHERE TO LISTEN:
Wherever you listen to podcasts!
