Pat Mora's Blog, page 77

15 Día Nuggets: #13 Pat's Vision for Día's Future

15 Día Nuggets for Día's 15th Anniversary#13 Pat's Vision for Día's Future
In April 2016, the 20th Anniversary of El día de los niños / El día de los libros, Children's Day / Book Day (Día), literacy advocates committed to sharing bookjoy will celebrate reaching these 15 goals.

1. Like Mother's Day (May) and Father's Day (June), Children's Day/Book Day (April), becomes a national tradition.

2. Día is included on annual library, school and literacy calendars.

3. Educators (teachers, librarians, professors, administrators, those involved in informal education at museums, community agencies) partner enthusiastically with diverse families as literacy advocates throughout the year.

4. Educators and families diversify their library collections to reflect America's rich cultural reality.

5. State library associations, state libraries, school districts, teacher and librarian preparation programs, and community agencies promote and support Día's development on an annual basis.

6. The number of Día celebrations in schools, libraries and community centers grows steadily, celebrations that are truly culminating literacy celebrations of a daily commitment to link all children to books, languages and cultures.

7. Distributing free books to build home libraries is a popular component of community-based Día celebrations.

8. Middle schools celebrate El día de los jovenes, Teen or Young People's Day, which can include middle schoolers as literacy mentors.

9. Realizing the relevance of Día to their educational mission, colleges and universities create service projects with Día, a literacy tradition, as a theme.

10. Publishers join the Día parade by designing Día materials and supporting Día's goal of promoting reading.

11. ALA/ALSC, Día's home, creatively increases Día's national visibility and secures national funding for Día.

12. To ensure Día's growth, influence and effectiveness, ALA/ALSC creates a strategic National Día Advisory Committee that includes ALSC, other youth and family-serving ALA divisions, REFORMA, Día's founder, NCTE and other national literacy partner organizations, and media and corporate representatives.

13. Día increases the visibility and membership of REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, Pat's first organizational partner.

14. All who believe in Día's goals of celebrating children and sharing bookjoy become bold advocates in the National Día Community creating partnerships and networks to increase Día's impact.

15. Día strengthens and unifies America's communities by growing a nation of reading families, essential in a democracy.

One Nugget remains! At the end of this week all 15 Nuggets and 30 Reflections will be available as a single pdf for downloading.

Día Celebration at Zavala Elementary

School Librarian, Lisa Lopez, sent news about her library's  Día celebration.

Snow White in New YorkAs a campus, we have been celebrating Día's culminating event by implementing a two-week thematic unit on folk and fairy tales, which commenced with my performance of "Little Red Riding Hood" in both English and Spanish at our school library. Students in grades 3 through 5 have been composing and acting out their own folk and fairy tales of their choice, but with a twist. We have enjoyed plays titled: "Snow White in New York", "Goldilocks and the Three Donkeys", "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp", "Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett", "La Llorona", etc. Students have been so excited about storytelling that they have created their own puppets, stages, and props using recyclables! They have presented their tales to the lower grades and to their peers in order to rehearse. During the actual 15th Anniversary of Día in El Paso, TX students will be performing their tales at the storytelling booth! Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett

Second graders enjoying Aladdin

Today's Día Reflection

Day by day, día por día
Let's collaborate: honor the perspectives we each bring, listen with open hearts and minds, respect our varying styles and unite for the well-being and future of our children, our nation's future.
I'm posting a Reflection each day during April in honor of Dia's 15th Anniversary. All thirty Reflections will be available as a downloadable pdf at the end of the month.

The Spirit of Día

A new professional resource, Celebrating Cuentos: Promoting Latino Children's Literature and Literacy in Classrooms and Libraries, (Libraries Unlimited, 2011) edited by Jamie Campbell Naidoo just released. Colorín Colorado has reprinted the chapter on Día, "The Spirit of Día : Celebrating Cuentos Every Day," co-authored by Jamie with Irania Patterson (Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library.) You can read it here.


Learn more about the book here.

Día in North Carolina

Kenzia Lett wrote about Día events at the Union County Public Library (NC).



Día de los niños/ día de los libros (Day of the Children/ Day of the Book) Monday, April 25th at 3:00 p.m. @ MARSHVILLE
Don't miss this celebration of children and books with fun activities and crafts. For ages 5-12. English/Español

Fiesta de día de los niños - Children's Day Party!
Monday, April 25th at 4:00 p.m. @ WAXHAW
Celebrate Día de los niños/ Día de los libros with a fiesta! Books, music, crafts, and a piñata will make for a súper divertido (super fun) time!

Criss, Cross Mangosauce performs in celebration of Día de Los Niños/ Día de Los Libros
Tuesday, April 26th at 3:30pm @ Union West Regional
This is an interactive performance that makes children move and sing in both English and Spanish, using a combination of traditional Latin rhythms and classic American children's rhymes. All ages invited for a fun and musical time!

My Garden: Growing Readers/Mi Jardín: Cultivando Lectores
Thursday April 28 at 4:00 pm @ Monroe
Join us for our Día de los Niños/ Día de los Libros (Day of the Children/ Day of the Book) celebration. Kevin Henkes' My Garden sets the stage for this bilingual and nature-inspired program. Kids will have fun learning Spanish words and how to plant a flower. They will also take part in creating a special art project for our May bulletin board! For ages 4-9. Receive a free packet of flower seeds to take home and plant!

Today's Día Reflection

Day by day, día por día
Let's connect in committed circles that form the powerful community-based National Día Community in our city, state, region and country.
I'm posting a Reflection each day during April in honor of Dia's 15th Anniversary. All thirty Reflections will be available as a downloadable pdf at the end of the month.

Kutztown University Children's Literature Conference

I savor presenting to interested audiences as much as I enjoy writing. Good audiences energize me, and I was certainly energized recently in Pennsylvania. At Kutztown University Children's Literature Conference, I was fortunate to hear and visit with Jerry Pinkney, Linda Sue Park and Beth Krommes. I don't get to listen to authors and illustrators that often, so that alone was a treat. I also had the pleasure of speaking to three different audiences: second graders, university students and faculty, and area teachers and librarians. How excited these professionals and pre-service teachers were to hear about Día. "We'll do this!" they'd say enthusiastically. I felt surrounded by warm and friendly people, mostly women, who loved reading and wanted to share bookjoy.


Soon, Día's 15th Anniversary will end, and I'll be delighted to return to writing carrying some of that PA good-will with me.

Día Anniversary Celebration at ALA Conference

"Many Children, Many Cultures, Many Books: Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of El día de los niños/El día de los libros" will take place during the ALA Annual Conference on Saturday, June 25th, at 10:30 am, in New Orleans, Louisiana.


Join us for the 15th anniversary celebration of Día! Hear from Día founder, Pat Mora, one of Día's first supporters, Oralia Garza de Cortes, and Dia author Jeanette Larson. Also presenting will be Julie Corsaro, ALSC President, and Lucia Gonzalez, REFORMA President. REFORMA is the Founding Partner of Dia. Learn effective multicultural programming techniques for year round Día celebrations, and explore new Día resources.

Today's Día Reflection

Day by day, día por día
Let's see ourselves as central rather than peripheral, as a force for positive change that welcomes ideas for expanding and deepening Día's work.
I'm posting a Reflection each day during April in honor of Dia's 15th Anniversary. All thirty Reflections will be available as a downloadable pdf at the end of the month.

Today's Día Reflection

Day by day, día por día
Let's remember that though change is slow, people and institutions can change; our challenge is to be persistent, effective advocates.
I'm posting a Reflection each day during April in honor of Dia's 15th Anniversary. All thirty Reflections will be available as a downloadable pdf at the end of the month.