'Latinx Children’s Literature Across Time' is Theme of Butler-Follett Lecture

Chicago, IL-Researcher and educator Dr. Lorena Camargo Gonzalez will present "From Abuela's Stories to Tomorrow's Shelves: Latinx Children's Literature Across Time," on Tuesday, April 28 at the Chicago Campus of Dominican University, 1805 S. Paulina St. in Pilsen.

The presentation will begin at 6 p.m. and is free to attend by registering at https://www.dom.edu/arts-minds/university-events.

In this talk, Camargo Gonzalez will examine the historical and cultural trajectories of Latinx children's literature, from intergenerational oral traditions to key publishing milestones and contemporary movements promoting representation and equity. Through analysis of identity, language, diaspora and activism, this lecture highlights the progress made and the ongoing challenges shaping the future of Latinx children's literature.

Camargo Gonzalez is Dominican University's 2025-26 Follett Chair in the School of Information Studies, a high academic honor established by the university and the Follett Corporation. She is also assistant professor of undergraduate studies in education and gender equity at Sacramento State University.

Camargo Gonzalez's work centers on Latinx children's literature, the history of Chicana/o librarians, and contemporary portrayals of BIPOC communities in children's books. She also examines the role of Latinx librarian activism in advancing racial justice and supporting culturally sustaining learning spaces for young readers.

Her research appears in publications such as The Handbook of Latinos and Education, Urban Education, and The International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education.

This presentation is hosted by the School of Information Studies and Butler Children's Literature Center at Dominican University.

About Dominican University
Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution with campuses in River Forest and Chicago. The university offers an associate of arts in liberal arts and sciences; bachelor's and master's degrees through the Rosary College of Arts, Education, and Sciences, the College of Business, Information Studies, and Technology, and the Borra College of Health Sciences; as well as doctoral programs in information studies, applied social justice and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

As Chicago's premier Catholic Hispanic-Serving Institution, Dominican is consistently recognized as a leader in academic excellence and value. U.S. News & World Report ranks Dominican University in the top 25 of Midwest regional master's level universities, and #1 in Illinois for Best Value and ensuring the social mobility of its graduates.

About the Butler Children's Literature Center

The Butler Children's Literature Center at Dominican University is one of the nation's premier centers for the study of children's and young adult literature in the services of literacy, learning and a life-long love of reading. The center commits itself to imagination and wonder, encouraging and supporting adults in libraries, classrooms, childcare centers, and homes to engage young people with good books.