This spring, Bank Street School for Children welcomed award-winning author and illustrator Ruth Chan as the 2025 Dorothy Carter Writer-In-Residence. Chan, who is celebrated for her humorous and heartfelt picture books, as well as her award-winning memoir, Uprooted, was selected for the residency by the Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature for her engaging storytelling and ability to inspire young readers through both words and art.
In April, Chan began working with fourth-grade (9/10s) students to create comics inspired by their own personal memories. Through a series of workshops, students explored how to transform meaningful life experiences into compelling visual narratives as they discovered the unique power of graphic novels.
“This year was a truly special experience with Ruth Chan as she pulled the creativity out of every student and helped them understand the symbiosis of illustration and text in storytelling,” said Cynthia Weill, Director, Center for Children’s Literature. “Dorothy Carter, the Writer-in-Residence’s namesake, was both an educator and an author, and I know she would have adored seeing students engage so deeply with storytelling in this way. Thank you to everyone who helped carry forward her legacy through this year’s residency.”
At the conclusion of the program, students shared excerpts from their memoir comics during a family share event with their parents, classmates, and teachers.
For example, one student created a comic about meeting her little sister for the first time. Most of the panels were illustrated in black and white, but she used a warm yellow to bring color to the moment they met—a creative choice that added emotional depth to the story.
Another student recounted his first rollercoaster ride. His comic captured the extreme emotions of the experience, mirroring the ups and downs of the ride.
“I’m truly blown away by the work the students created in a few short weeks, and I’m so excited to see what this little residency may have sparked in the future,” said Chan at the close of the program. “I missed being in a classroom, and to be so warmly welcomed by Cindy, the teachers, the students, faculty, and staff, I couldn’t have imagined a more incredible way to spend some time in a school setting.”
Ruth Chan is an award-winning author and illustrator of comics and children’s books. Before illustrating full time, she spent a decade working with youth and families in underserved communities. Her debut graphic novel, Uprooted, won the 2025 SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Illustrated Book/Graphic Novel for Older Readers and was named one of NPR‘s best books of 2024. She is a proud Canadian and lives in New York City with her family.
The Dorothy Carter Writer-in-Residence program invites a prominent author to work with School for Children students each year in the spring. The program was established in 2015 and honors Dorothy Carter, Bank Street’s first African American faculty member, writer of highly acclaimed children’s books, chair of the Bank Street Writers Lab, and Broadway actress. The residency was endowed ten years ago by Arlene Mark, Former Bank Street Trustee, and Carol Carter, daughter of Dorothy Carter.