Healey and Katz recognized for outstanding reading promotion

Congratulations to Kellyanne Healey and Anne Katz, the recipients of USBBY's 2025 Bridge to Understanding Awards.  The award acknowledges the work of adults who create programs that use children's books to explore cultures around the world in order to promote international understanding among children.

Kellyanne Healey is the Children’s Librarian at Parsippany Library - Lake Hiawatha Branch in New Jersey.  Her 2025 International Children’s Book Week project involved interactive displays and activities, community-led, dual-language storytimes, and was marketed as a “no-cost” travel experience for families looking for something to do over the school
district’s spring break. She showcase  two hundred books representing fifty countries on six continents.

Dr. Anne Katz is a Clinical Full Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. Since fall 2022, her Family Literacy Projects around Diverse Children’s Books, a part of a pre-
teaching Curriculum and Instruction course for future PK and elementary teachers, created and distributed over 480 projects to local families. A student reflected, "I learned how using diverse children’s books that represent characters and experiences can not only promote inclusivity and representation but also create opportunities for meaningful conversations and connections with families. Through these diverse children’s books, children and their families can consider their cultural backgrounds and identities, using books to reflect on their own experiences.” She is currently studying the impact of the project.

Established in memory of Arlene Pillar, an educator who served USBBY as newsletter editor from 1984 until her untimely death in 1990, the Bridge to Understanding Award is funded by the Lesesne Family to share their passion for books and reading that bring a cultural awareness to readers. The award carries a monetary prize of $1,000 and is given biennially to coincide with the IBBY Regional Conference hosted by USBBY.  Learn more about the award.  

Since the award was not given in 2023, the committee recognized two projects in this iteration. Thanks to the award committee, including chair Nancy Hadaway,  members Cyndi Giorgis, Joan Glazer, and Amy Kellman, and board liaison,  Jim Stiles.