November 6, 2008 - Children's book author and illustrator Grace Lin visited Southgate Elementary School today to talk to students about her work and how books are published.

Lin is the author and illustrator of more than a dozen picture books, including "The Ugly Vegetables," "Dim Sum for Everyone," and "Lissy's Friends." Her first children's novel, "The Year of the Dog," was released to glowing praise, and Lin has appeared on NBC's "Today Show" and has been interviewed by The Boston Globe.

Lin met with Southgate students throughout the day and discussed how she became a writer and what it takes to get a book published.

Lin grew up in Upstate New York with her parents and two sisters, both of whom became scientists. Lin, however, dreamed of being a champion ice skater and spent much of her time drawing pictures of herself twirling and dancing on the ice. Eventually, Lin realized that her dream of being a champion skater would not come true, but the pictures she drew of herself held much promise and quickly became Grace's career focus.

After attending the Rhode Island School of Design, Lin set out to achieve her dream of creating children's books. Her first book, "The Ugly Vegetables," was published in 1999 and received several prestigious awards. The American Booksellers Association named it a "Pick of the List," while the American Horticulture Society honored it with a Growing Good Kids Award. It was also nominated for the California Young Reader Children's Choice Award.

Lin has since published more than a dozen books. Although most of her books are about the Asian-American experience, Lin believes that "books erase bias, they make the uncommon everyday, and the mundane exotic. A book makes all cultures universal."