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February 18, 2026
This event is free and open to the public and is offered as part of the Whatcom READS series of programs and events, in partnership with WWU and Western Libraries.
Western Libraries will host a special panel presentation Wednesday, Feb. 18 featuring student research exploring different aspects of this year’s Whatcom READS book, "Solito," by Javier Zamora.
The presentation from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Reading Room (Wilson 4th Floor Central), will also include a session for students to share research and art-based projects through posters and conversation. Light refreshments will be available during the event.
Students from English 347 (Studies in Young Adult Literature) and Ethnic Studies 314 (Latinx Migration) conducted research and created multimodal art pieces using a variety of mediums, (including paint, papier mache, photo collage and others), which they paired with quotes from "Solito" expressing aspects of their exploration and reading experiences.
The themes include ‘Analyzing 'Solito' Language,’ ‘Family, and Art;’ ‘Media and Historical Analysis of Immigration;’ and ‘Issues of Child Immigration.’ Students from the course studying young adult literature read "Solito" as part of their unit on nonfiction young adult literature and analyzed the memoir as a genre for community cultural wealth and counter stories.
Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 17, some of the art pieces will be exhibited at Western Libraries in the display case near the circulation desk (Haggard 2) and also in the display case at the end of the Mann Family Skybridge.