After School with Pam Muñoz Ryan

Welcome to After School with Pam Muñoz Ryan!

Join us at Bookmarks for an afternoon filled with storytelling and fun. Pam Muñoz Ryan, the talented author behind beloved books like Esperanza Rising and Echo, will be here celebrating her new book, El Niño.

This is a free event perfect for kids, families, and educators. You'll have the opportunity to purchase a copy of El Niño(in English and Spanish) with your registration, and there will also be copies of Pam Muñoz Ryan's books for sale at the event.

Learn more about our After School events and other Bookmarks programs here. If you have questions, check out our Events FAQ page and reach out to [email protected] with any further inquiries.

To ask questions about accessibility or request accommodations, please contact Bookmarks at [email protected] or (336) 747-1471 x1001. At least two weeks' notice will allow us to provide the best experience possible for you and your guests.

Pam Munoz Ryan is the recipient the NEA's Human and Civil Rights Award, the PEN American Center Literary Award, and the 2024 Children’s Literature Legacy Award for her body of work. She was the 2018 US nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award. She received a Newbery Honor Medal and the Kirkus Prize for her New York Times bestselling novel, Echo. Her other celebrated novels, Esperanza Rising, The Dreamer, Riding Freedom, Becoming Naomi Leon, Paint the Wind, and Mananaland, have received countless accolades, among them the Pura Belpre Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award, and the Americas Award. Her acclaimed picture books include Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride and the Sibert Honor book When Marian Sang, both illustrated by Brian Selznick, Mice and Beans illustrated by Joe Cepeda, and Tony Baloney illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham, as well as a beginning reader series featuring Tony Baloney. Ryan lives near San Diego, California, with her family.

During a summer of El Nino weather conditions, Kai Sosa hopes to prove his swimming prowess on an elite invitational team. Once an up-and-coming athlete, he is determined to live up to his family's swimming legacy in a competition against the infamous Sea Wolves, even if he is the team's weakest link.

But recently, he’s been haunted by puzzling dreams where he sees his dead sister, Cali, swimming in the Pacific Ocean with dolphins. When he wakes, it’s hard to hold back the dam of feeling he’s been working so hard to contain. He becomes convinced Cali's sending him a message about her last request—to find a beloved gold cuff that went missing. In a climactic head-to-head face-off with the Sea Wolves, everything becomes clear as Kai tests his strength, unleashes the dam, and discovers that sometimes the only way to hold onto what we love is to let it go.

This enthralling aquatic adventure rippling with mystery and magical realism from the beloved, New York Times bestselling author of Esperanza Rising and Echo is perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Tae Keller, Jacqueline Woodson, and Meg Medina.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Bookmarks, 634 West 4th Street, Winston-Salem, United States