2026/27 TEACHER FELLOWS    |   2026/27 SELECTION COMMITTEE

2026/27 National Book Foundation Teacher Fellows:

Duván Acosta Jiménez
Andersen United Middle School | Minneapolis, MN
6th–8th grade Spanish Language Arts

Duván Acosta Jiménez is a 6th–8th Spanish Reading Interventionist at Andersen United Middle School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Duván holds a BA from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (Colombia), and an Elementary Education MEd with dual language immersion focus from the University of Minnesota. His eagerness to help middle schoolers appreciate books and fall in love with reading led him to unearth different literacy resources for his students. He believes that literature, and the acts of reading and writing, fosters empathy. Outside the classroom, Duván enjoys biking, hiking, traveling, and finding nooks and crannies to take pictures.

Chayanee Brooks
Ka’u High and Pahala Elementary | Pahala, HI
10th–12th grade English Language Arts

Chayanee Brooks is a Nationally Board-Certified high school Language Arts teacher at Kaʻū High and Pahala Elementary School in Pahala, Hawaiʻi. She has been recognized as a Hawai’i State Teachers Association Pono Award Winner, Kaʻū-Keaʻau-Pāhoa Complex Area Teacher of the Year, Hawaiʻi State Teacher Fellow, and Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellow. She is currently a PhD candidate in neuroscience. Her passion is advising her students in her journalism club to produce their own personal documentary stories that are aired on public television in Hawaiʻi.

Joseph Chargualaf II
Okkodo High School | Dededo, Guam
9th–12th grade English Language Arts

Joseph Chargualaf II is a proud CHamoru from the beautiful island of Guam. He teaches Creative Writing and AP Seminar at Okkodo High School. Joseph strives to find new opportunities to promote literacy, becoming his school’s Literacy Grant Project Lead and the main advisor for their National English Honor Society. Currently, Joseph is pursuing an EdD in Academic and Instructional Leadership at the University of Guam, where he also earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Outside of school, Joseph enjoys spending time with his family, visiting bookstores, traveling the world, and swimming at the beach.

Misty Coleman
Colonel Joseph C. Rodriguez PREP Academy | San Bernardino, CA
8th grade English Language Arts

With nearly 20 years in education, Misty Coleman is a middle school English Language Arts teacher who centers culturally responsive teaching to ensure students see their identities, history, and brilliance reflected in the classroom. Through intentional text selection and meaningful learning experiences, she uses literacy to spark critical thinking, affirm marginalized voices, and help students lead with clarity and confidence. Her classroom emphasizes student voice, authentic discussion, and rigorous engagement with diverse texts, including graphic novels, historical narratives, and contemporary young adult literature. She is passionate about creating learning spaces where all students feel valued, challenged, and empowered.

Eduard Garces
Red Lake School District | Red Lake, MN
9th grade English Language Arts

Eduard Garces is a globally experienced educator, researcher, and literacy advocate with over 18 years of teaching across diverse cultural contexts, from Asia to Northern Minnesota. His work advances student centered learning, project-based design, and purposeful technology integration. He has collaborated with organizations including Macmillan Education, USAID, Cambridge Assessment, Arizona State University, the Minnesota Writing Project, and the National Council of Teachers of English. Eduard is a published scholar of online assessment, and his research informs evolving digital learning practices. He designs inclusive, real-world experiences that empower learners. Outside the classroom, he is often somewhere across the globe on his next adventure.

Angela Garcia
Galveston-Brazoria Cooperative for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing | Houston, TX
6th–12th grade English Language Arts

Angela Garcia is a teacher of the Deaf and Special Education Specialist in Houston, Texas, and an adjunct English professor at San Jacinto College. She views literacy as a civil right and teaching as advocacy. With more than two decades in education, Angela works alongside Deaf and Hard of Hearing students to challenge exclusion, amplify student voice, and reclaim literature as a space for identity, resistance, and power. She believes books can disrupt silence, confront inequity, and help students author themselves into the world.

Ambrosia K. Grant
East Jefferson High School | Metairie, LA
10th–12th grade English Language Arts

Ambrosia K. Grant, MEd, is an educator at East Jefferson High School in Metairie, Louisiana, where she teaches English honors and dual enrollment courses. Her work centers on strengthening literacy and helping students engage more deeply with complex texts through project-based, student-centered approaches. She is dedicated to ensuring students have access to culturally responsive texts that challenge and inspire them. She is currently pursuing a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at Louisiana State University with an Archival Studies Certificate.

Daniella Richardson
Charlotte Amalie High School | St. Thomas, USVI
9th grade Science

Daniella Richardson is a proud mother of two and a dedicated Biology educator at Charlotte Amalie High School in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. She is committed to supporting diverse learners through mentorship and the integration of literacy, inquiry and hands-on learning in STEM. Passionate about education, she creates engaging, student-centered learning experiences that foster curiosity, critical thinking, and a love of science by utilizing innovative projects, community engagement, and culturally relevant instructional practices. Grounded in education, music, and outreach, Daniella uses her voice to empower young people to reach their fullest potential and become impactful, positive contributors to society.

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2026/27 Selection Committee: