Dr. Leah van Belle serves as Senior Consultant for Learning & Impact with Detroit Parent Network. A proud Detroiter and first-generation high school graduate, her professional and community work has focused on literacy access and equity— as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, faculty in urban teacher education, and consultant to the Michigan Department of Education. Leah is Past President of the Michigan Reading Association and on the state’s Early Literacy Task Force. She is part-time faculty at Eastern Michigan University and editor of the Michigan Reading Journal. She serves on the advisory committee for Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, and on the advisory board of Birdie’s Bookmobile, a community book bank growing access to books in Detroit. Most importantly, Leah is the mama of a neurodiverse little human who is a student in a Detroit public school. Reading together at bedtime is one of their favorite parts of every day. You can reach her at vanbelle@me.com.
Dr. Taraneh Matloob Haghanikar is an Associate Professor of children’s literature with specialty in creative writing and multicultural children’s literature. Most recently, two of her picture books were accepted for publication in 2024. The stories address English Language Learners’ challenges, and appeal to fans of social and emotional representation in picture books. Also, she has five picture books published in Persian and served as a referee and reviewer for several national and international journals, such as School Library Journal, the International Research Society for Children’s Literature, Publisher Weekly, and First Opinions, Second Reactions. You can reach her at tmatloob@uni.edu.
Recommended Citation
van Belle, Leah and Matloob Haghanikar, Taraneh
(2025)
"#BookJoy: Celebrating Michigan Readers and Publishers,"
Michigan Reading Journal: Vol. 57:
Iss.
3, Article 11.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mrj/vol57/iss3/11
