Description

"An African American nun challenges the beliefs of her second-grade students in this thought-provoking picture book set in the 1960s."--Publishers Weekly

Sister Anne’s hands are brown, and Anna’s hands are white.
 
It’s the early 1960s, and Anna has never seen a person with dark skin before. At first she is afraid of her new second-grade teacher. But Anna quickly finds that there’s no reason to be scared. Sister Anne is wonderful. She likes jokes and she makes math and reading fun. But then someone sails a paper airplane to her, with a cruel message written on its wings. Sister Anne’s wise way of turning a painful incident into a powerful learning experience has a profound impact on Anna and her classmates. This moving, timeless tale is perfectly illustrated with luminous, glowing paintings.
 
“With humor and understanding, Lorbiecki writes about a young girl’s coming to terms with racial differences and about the pain that ignorance can cause.”—The Horn Book

About the Author

The majority of Marybeth Lorbiecki’s books are award-winners. With more than twenty titles, Marybeth brings to her writing her experiences as a children’s book editor, mom, teacher, marketing copywriter, journalist, youth worker, international Rotarian ambassador, graduate student in literature, and post graduate student in philosophy. (Someday she’ll find a way to work in something about being a lens grinder, factory worker, bakery clerk, waitress, park landscape assistant, museum receptionist, etc.) Her themes often center on people's relationships—to each other and to the land.

Many of her books bring history alive for younger readers, tackling difficult topics: racism, guns, war, environmental challenges—yet they have a lighter side and a drama that allow younger readers to look at these issues with hope and courage.

She has a compatriot in the arts in her husband, David Mataya—a designer, artist, and musician. They have three great kids—Nadja, Mirjana, and Dmitri. They live in Hudson, Wisconsin, where they enjoy the nearby rivers and woods.

The writings of Marybeth Lorbiecki have earned numerous awards, including: Children's Choice List, New York Public Library Pick of the Lists, Storytellers World Award Chicago Tribune, Pick of the Lists IRA Best Books of the Year (starred), Notable Social Studies Trade Books, Bank Street College Children's Books of the Year, Independent Publishers Book Award, New York Public Library Notable Trade Book for Young People in Social Studies, in Literary Arts Pick of the Lists by the American Library Association, Living the Dream Award from Manhattan Country School, Benjamin Franklin Award, Publishers Marketing Association, Best of Show from Midwest Independent Publisher Association, Distinguished Service to History Award from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Parents Choice Award, Boston Globe Pick of the Lists, ABA Kids' Pick of the ListsJunior Literary Guild, Minnesota Book Award in Biography and History, Science Books and Films List of Best Children's Books.