Our June monsoon finally arrived in Santa Fe last night. Thunder, lightning, rain, rain, rain. A great show! The desert danced.
Pat
Illustration by Daniel Lechon from The Desert is My Mother/El desierto es mi madre
Desert Dance
Bookjoy! in the Summer
Donate to Your Local Library
Rudolfo Anaya, a fine New Mexico writer, died recently. To honor him, donate to your local library.
About the legacy of Rudy Anaya:
Summer Hello
Hi Bookjoy Friends,
A challenging time for our country with COVID and the recent tragedies. I derive hope from so many in our United States who live their commitments to liberty and justice for all.
I also derive solace from the natural world. Enjoying warm weather in the High Desert is such a pleasure. Pine trees seem to stretch, lizards dart and cactus bloom. The desert, high and low, has inspired me for years to write children’s books such as The Desert Is My Mother (1994), and books for adults, such as Encantado: Desert Monologues (2018).
I look forward to sharing my new picture book, My Magic Wand: Growing with the Seasons,, due out next spring from Lee & Low Books. A special girl is the star. I look forward to meeting the new illustrator Amber Alvarez one day. I don’t always meet the illustrators though I’d like to. Recently, I’ve been finishing a new family memoir set in my home city of El Paso, Texas, and featuring some of my favorite relatives who are with me in spirit.
How I hope that across the country, we’ll be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Children’s Day, Book Day (El día de los niños, El día de los libros), April 30th, 2021. Unlike Mother’s Day and Father’s Day—Children’s Day, Book Day is purposefully a yearlong initiative as book lovers encourage all our young to be readers, including Summer Readers.
Wishing you health, creativity, and resilience in the coming months.
Pat
Together, Let’s Pause for the Pledge on June 14
The American Flag Foundation’s Annual National Flag Day and Pause For The Pledge of Allegiance happens at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Flag Day, June 14th. May we each ponder how we participate in fostering “liberty and justice for all.”
Illustration from I Pledge Allegiance, by Pat Mora & Libby Martinez, illustrated by Patrice Barton
Our Work
COVID, murder, riots, fear, sadness.
Privately, we sigh,
each remains accountable
for ourselves, family, friends, children,
our beautiful yet complex and unfair
world,
the circle of us spinning
in space
in gravity.
“Working expands my soul,”
says “Anna” in Encantado.
Let’s work together.
Albuquerque Reads
Albuquerque City Councilor Cynthia D. Borrego has launched Lavender Libros, a book reading project to demonstrate care and outreach to New Mexico’s children.
Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Raquel Reedy chose to read Pat’s Delicious Hullabaloo!
Celebrating Tomás and the Library Lady
Pat wants to thank Dr. Joseph Castro, the President of California State University, Fresno, for sharing this reading of Tomás and the Library Lady with Sunset Elementary School.