Pat Mora's Blog, page 38

Celebrating powerful women in March

Illustration by Raul Colón,
from Doña Flor

March is Women’s History Month.
Celebrate by reading about powerful women! Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart
A tall tale peppered with Spanish words and phrases about a big, beautiful woman. Also available in a Spanish edition. A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Inés
About the 17th-century scholar who devoted herself to words. Also available in a Spanish edition.
Maria Paints the Hills
A picture-book...

Enjoy a Springtime Poetry Pause

Listen to Pat read “Spring” from Borders .
http://www.patmora.com/images/pause7-spring.mp3

The post Enjoy a Springtime Poetry Pause appeared first on Pat Mora.

Día momentum in New Mexico

Many thanks to Día Dynamo Flo Trujillo, Youth Services Coordinator of the Farmington, NM Public Library and Deanne Dekle, Youth Services & Outreach Consultant at the New Mexico State Library! They’ve been spreading the word about Día’s 20th Anniversary for several months.

To see what they’ve been up to, visit the REFORMA de Nuevo México website, Facebook page and wonderful Pinterest page.

Put on your Día shoes and join the fun! (shoes made by Flo.)

The post Día momentum in New Mexico appeared...

Lucky winners of CSMCL’s Día grants

Congratulations to the winners of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL) 2016 Día Grants with an African American Focus.

Woodward Elementary School in Delaware, Ohio
The Día event theme is: “African American History through Books and Music.” The event will be held the week of April 25 through April 29, 2016.

Beardstown Houston Memorial Public Library in Beardstown, Illinois
The Día event theme is: “One Community, Many Stories.” The event will be held on Apri...

March 8 is International Women’s Day

Celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women on March 8, International Women’s Day. Let’s continue to work together for improving the lives of women around the world.

Drawing on oral and lyrical traditions, Agua Santa: Holy Water book honors the grace and spirit of mothers, daughters, lovers, and goddesses. From a tribute to Frida Kahlo to advice from an Aztec goddess, the poems explore the intimate and sacred spaces of borderlands through many voices: a revolut...

Women’s History Month: Reading Jane Austen

I recently finished reading EMMA by Jane Austen. Although I’d read her other novels, I don’t think I’d read this delight. The edition is a beautiful one with illustrations in an edition that belonged to my mother. The edition includes a reader’s guide that I read after completing the novel. It reminded me that Austen was born in 1775, she had little formal schooling, and that on the covers of her first books it said, “By a lady.” I smiled that the publisher stated that this edition had Austen...

Are you ready for your April Día celebration?

Timely ideas from our Día planning booklet:

Finalize orders for promotional items, books for giveaways, craft supplies and refreshments. Confirm program speakers, performers, class performances, and special guests such as
local officials and celebrities. Post your Dia event on the national Día registry. Start implementing your publicity and campaign – don’t forget social media! Share these Día videos and audio public service announcements.

The post Are you ready for your April Día celebr...

Congratulations to First Book

Congratulations to our inspiring friends at First Book, just honored with the Library of Congress Rubenstein Prize. Tireless Kyle Zimmer, First Book President and CEO said, “on behalf of First Book, I was honored to accept the 2015 David M. Rubenstein Prize, the largest of three literacy prizes awarded by the Library of Congress. It was a thrill to be in the exquisitely beautiful Library of Congress, and we are deeply grateful to the Library of Congress, the Center for the Book and David Rube...

Happy World Read Aloud Day

It’s World Read Aloud Day! How are you celebrating?

Illustration by John Parra from Gracias~Thanks.

The post Happy World Read Aloud Day appeared first on Pat Mora.

Celebrate Library Lovers’ Month With Tomás

Libraries inspire! The story of Mexican-American author and educator Tomás Rivera is just one example.

At Perkins Elementary School in Des Moines, Iowa, with the help of Des Moines Performing Arts’ Applause Series, each class did a different type of performance based on their experience of reading Tomás. Watch the video:

The post Celebrate Library Lovers’ Month With Tomás appeared first on Pat Mora.