About
Ismée Williams is the award-winning author of the young adult novels Water in May and This Train Is Being Held, which won an International Latino Book Award for Best Young Adult Romance, and a coeditor of the anthology Boundless: Twenty Voices Celebrating Multicultural and Multiracial Identities. Ismée has been an invited speaker at The Virginia Festival of the Book, The Miami Book Fair, The NYC Teen Author Festival, The Southern Kentucky Book Festival, The Texas Book Fesival and The Bronx Book Festival among others. Ismée is a co-founder of the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival as well as a pediatric cardiologist in New York City where she lives with her family. She is the daughter of a Cuban immigrant and grew up listening to her abuelo’s bedtime stories. Follow her on Twitter and IG @IsmeeWilliams and her website: ismeewilliams.com.
Featured Work
Abuelo, the Sea, and Me
Abuelo, the Sea, and Me is a tender, heartwarming picture book that vividly explores intergenerational connections, family history, and the immigrant experience.
When this grandchild visits her abuelo, he takes her to the ocean. In summer, they kick off their shoes and let the cool waves tickle their toes. In winter, they stand on the cliff and let the sea spray prick their noses and cheeks. No matter the season, hot or cold, their favorite place to spend time together is the beach.
It’s here that Abuelo is able to open up about his youth in Havana, Cuba. As they walk along the sand, he recalls the tastes, sounds, and smells of his childhood. And with his words, Cuba comes alive for his grandchild.
Other Works
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Boundless
2023
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This Train is Being Held
2020
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Water in May
2017
Awards and Recognition
- International Latino Book Award-winning author
- Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection for This Train is Being Held
