Friends School Welcomes New York Times Bestselling Author, Pam Muñoz Ryan

In May 2026, Friends School of Baltimore welcomed New York Times bestselling author Pam Muñoz Ryan for a visit with Lower and Middle School students. The event, hosted by the World Languages Department and supported by the Class of 1989 Visiting Scholars Endowed Fund, offered students an opportunity to engage directly with an acclaimed writer whose picture books and novels often reflect her half-Mexican heritage.

Pam Muñoz Ryan met with Lower School and Middle School students in two assemblies: one for students in Pre-Primary through second grade, and one for students in third through eighth grade.

Pam Muñoz Ryan earned a bachelor's degree from San Diego State University and worked as an early childhood teacher and then as the director of an early childhood program before going back to San Diego State University to receive a master’s degree in post-secondary education with the intent to teach Children’s Literature in college, but ultimately became interested in writing instead. 

Since she began writing, Ryan has written over 40 books, including her New York Times bestselling novel, Echo, for which she received a Newbery Honor Medal and the Kirkus Prize. In addition to her other celebrated novels, such as Esperanza Rising and The Dreamer, Pam Muñoz Ryan is the author of acclaimed picture books, including Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride and the Sibert Honor book When Marian Sang. Most recently, Ryan is the 2026 U.S. nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award.

At Friends, Spanish is one of six speciality classes that Lower School students take on a rotating basis, and one of three world languages that Middle School students can choose from. For Spanish and non-Spanish students alike, though, Ryan’s visit was insightful to all as she discussed stories about her personal life and growing up with a mixed heritage, to professional stories about her writing.

The visit was made possible by the Class of 1989 Visiting Scholars Endowed Fund, a longstanding Friends School program that brings voices to campus each year. Established by the parents and friends of the Class of 1989, the fund supports visiting scholars across eight disciplines—physical education, fine arts, mathematics, world languages, history, science, English, and performing arts—to inspire in students the same enthusiasm for learning that distinguished the Class of 1989.

Friends School’s Visiting Scholars program continues to reflect the School’s broader mission: to cultivate curiosity, foster meaningful connections, and engage students with ideas and individuals that expand their understanding of the world.