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Evelyn Sibley Lampman Award


Lampman Award Recipient 2021:  ​Tehlor Mejia

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Congratulation to Tehlor Mejia, our 2021 Evelyn Sibley Lampman Award recipient for his significant contribution to Oregon in the field of children’s literature from the Children’s Services Division of the Oregon Library Association (OLA).  The Evelyn Sibley Lampman Award is presented annually by the Children's Services Division and is given in memory of Evelyn Sibley Lampman (1907-1980), noted Oregon teacher, journalist, and author of children’s books.
Southern Oregon resident ​Tehlor Mejia is a queer, Latinx author of YA and middle grade fiction featuring queer, Latinx characters.  Just since 2019, he published the first two books in his We Set the Dark on Fire trilogy, the first in his Rick Riordan Presents series, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, and he partnered with Anna-Marie MacLemore to publish Miss Meteor. In 2018, he also published short stories in All Out, edited by Saundra Mitchell, and Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft, edited by Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe.
​Despite having no formal education beyond high school, Tehlor set out to write books with characters that represented his experience, something missing for him when he was younger. When he first tried to publish We Set the Dark on Fire, he was told that queer AND Latinx characters were “too niche” and he should go with just one. It’s a good thing he didn’t heed that advice!
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Lampman Award given to Tehlor Kay Mejia.
We Set the Dark on Fire received six starred reviews, was featured on several Best Books lists including Seventeen, Cosmopolitan and O by Oprah Magazine, and was a book of the year selection by both Kirkus and School Library Journal.  We Set the Dark on Fire, its sequel We Unleash the Merciless Storm, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, and Toil & Trouble all received starred reviews from Kirkus. 
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We Set the Dark on Fire “An action-packed third-person narrative, smart dialogue, and lush descriptions offer readers a fresh and steely heroine in a contemporary coming-of-age story. This well-crafted fantasy offers a mirror that reflects themes in our own difficult world, namely privilege, immigration, and individualism versus the common good.... Thrilling and timely.”  Kirkus
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Paola Santiago and the River of Tears “A new hero’s fantastic and fantastical debut—her next appearance can’t come soon enough.”  Kirkus

Click here for an interview in Publishers Weekly about the release of Paola Santiago.
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Miss Meteor “Extended metaphors of stardust and space magic could grow tired in less capable hands, but they work powerfully in Mejia and McLemore’s descriptions of teenage emotional urgency when courage can be as a fleeting as a shooting star.”  Kirkus
You can find Tehlor on Instagram and Twitter @tehlorkay. 

2021 ​Lampman
​Committee Members

​Jane Corry, chair, Multnomah County Library, retired
Jennifer Fischer, Crook County Library
Deborah Van Detta, Estacada​ Public Library
Holly Campbell-Polivka, Tigard Library
Korie Buerkle, Newberg Public Library
Darcy Smith, Lebanon Public Library
​Tara Morissette, Oregon City Public Library
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Past Evelyn Sibley Lampman Award Recipients​

Lampman
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Oregon Library Association
Children's Services Division
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The purpose of this site is to improve communication among Division members, publicize Division events and activities, introduce new and prospective members to the Division, and to link to useful Internet sites. Bylaws & Award Procedures
  • Events
    • Event Registration
    • Event Archives
  • CSD
    • CSD Board >
      • CSD Board Archives
    • Reports & Minutes
    • Scholarships
    • Fundraiser
    • Contact
  • Awards
    • Lampman >
      • Lampman 2024
      • Lampman 2023
      • Lampman 2022
      • Lampman 2021
      • Lampman 2020
      • Lampman 2019
  • Programming
    • Oregon Library Presenters Directory >
      • Directory of All Presenters
      • Presenter Submission Form
    • Storytime
    • Maker Space and STEM
    • Tough Conversations
  • Professional Development
    • Anti-Racism
    • Professional Resources
  • Tool Kit
    • State Library Services
    • Early Literacy
    • Early Learning Hubs
    • Grants