PCC academic adviser wins debut author honor for picture book

Bonni Goldberg, an academic advising specialist at Portland Community College, made a big win with her illustrative novel, "Doña Gracia Saved Worlds."

She was one of the recipients of the 2023 Oregon Spirit Book Awards —the winner in the Debut Author category— as announced by the Oregon Council of Teachers of English and the Oregon Spirit Book Award Committee.

“I'm honored and delighted,” Goldberg said in a statement. “When you sell a picture book manuscript to a publisher, they’re the ones that submit the book for awards, so I wasn't aware of deadlines for submission or award announcements. I literally got an email from OCTE one day!”

Established in 2005, the Oregon Spirit Book Award recognizes authors who make distinguished contributions to children's or young adult literature. The award celebrates books that engage readers' imaginations, foster discovery and understanding and reflect core values cherished by Oregonians.

The picture books tells the story of Gracia Mendes, a significant but lesser-known figure in Jewish history during the Renaissance. Through illustration, Goldberg introduces young readers to Gracia's journey, emphasizing themes of identity, community and the value of every person.

Goldberg's inspiration for the book stemmed from personal experience during a mother-daughter bat mitzvah program, where she was surprised that nobody had heard of Gracia Mendes.

She was determined to make Gracia's story a part of education curriculum, so she wrote her book as a means of introducing children to the remarkable woman at a young age.

“It was a weekly workshop to learn about different Jewish women leaders,” Goldberg said. “Several of the other mothers in the group were very well-educated Jewishly. When we came to the week we were introduced to Gracia Mendes, not one of the mothers or daughters had ever heard of her. I was genuinely shocked.”

Goldberg has worked at PCC for nearly 15 years and advises for the Healthcare & Emergency Services Pathway. The majority of programs are closed entry and competitive, so she hones in on assisting students in completing their needed courses strategically.

“I like empowering students to reach their goals,” she said. “I like working with colleagues that care about and advocate for their students. And I like being part of a community in which many people question, challenge and work to change the norms of society that are inequitable.”