On November 20, 2020, author and illustrator James Rumford was invited by the MHS library to talk about his career journey and motivation with students and staff from Mililani High School.  He was specifically invited to talk to the students of the Drawing and Painting 2 class on the online platform, WebEx.  This was his first event with Mililani High School.

     “An international traveler, he has studied over a dozen languages and numerous cultures around the world,” said MHS librarian Betty Arai. “His fascinating experiences are reflected in his works, as many of his stories are about children living in different countries and cultures around the globe.”

    Rumford grew up in Southern California, later serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Chad, a country in Africa bordering Niger and Sudan, and was also a Fulbright lecturer in Rwanda. He is an illustrator and author from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa who has won many awards for his works, including the ALA Notable Children’s Book Award, the James Addams Honor Award, and the Gold Book Award. Some of his most well-known books include Sequoyah, Rain School, Silent Music, and From the Good Mountain: How Gutenberg Changed the World.  

     The program originally started off with Google Meets and then switched to WebEx after experiencing technical problems. After finishing off with questions from students, he asked to keep in touch with students to view their work in the future.

     For updates on upcoming library events, one can email Arai at [email protected] or visit the school website, https://www.mililanihs.org/.