A small group met Don Tate, illustrator/author in 2017 at BGSU's annual Literacy in the Park sponsored by the Conda family. He was so impressed with the group of young men/Ambassadors, he dedicated 'Carter Reads The Newspaper' (published February 2019) to Books4Buddies.
Surprised beyond belief, I asked him why, how did he come to the decision to dedicate such a wonderful book. He said:
“Honestly, the thing that most impressed me about our meeting that day was 1) You. Your love for those boys really impressed upon me. Your giving back to your community by uplifting young men, who then uplift younger men--through the gift of reading. What a treasure you are. 2) I was impressed with the young men. So often, I meet our young black men and they have no confidence. They lower their heads and do not look me in the eye when speaking. Oftentimes, they can be a bit aloof even, which may be more worrying about what others around them will think. But the young men at Books4Buddies were enthusiastic when greeting me that morning. I didn't feel like they were forced to be there, they were genuine. They smiled when they met me, shook my hand confidently. Then each shared with me some of their goals and their artwork. Obvious readers themselves, they were articulate in the way they expressed themselves. They are our future leaders, and I was proud of them--and you. I hoped my little dedication would show my gratitude.”