Each of the four seasons brings us memories. Some years back, I enjoyed writing haiku about the foods of the Americas in Yum! ¡Mmm! ¡Qué Rico! America’s Sproutings, illustrated by my talented friend Rafael López.
Autumn is often a season of counting our blessings including family, health, education and our beautiful planet. Each of our blessings makes us more alive and, ideally, prompts us to share what we’ve been given.
Pat
The Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama have received the 2019 Estela and Raúl Mora Award, an honor given by Pat and her sister, Stella Mora Henry, in partnership with First Book. The award recognizes literacy activities during the month of April in celebration of Children’s Day, Book Day; also known as El día de los niños, El día de los libros; or Día. The Boys & Girls Clubs will receive a $1,000 credit for brand new books from the First Book Marketplace.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama hosted the The Gulf Coast Children’s Book Festival, created to help ignite a greater love of reading in the children of the area. Over 3,000 children, teachers and parents attended and enjoyed a variety of activities for children to immerse themselves in surrounding books. They were able to give each child at least two books.
The festival featured seven storyteller stages, two illustrator workshop areas, a hands-on STEM games area and a bookstore. Local high school students circulated in costumes and interacted with the children dressed as an assortment of book characters. Alabama Public Television (PBS) hosted a children’s hands-on area with tablets and illustration opportunities. Eighteen children’s authors attended and did book signings with the children and participated on the storyteller stages. They had over forty different exhibitors from educational organizations.
There were also two Mora Award honor winners that will receive $500 in credit to the First Book Marketplace: Andress High School Library in El Paso, TX and the Anaheim Central Library Children’s Room in Anaheim, CA.
Pat’s parents, Estela and Raúl Mora, her sister Cissy and Pat
“Water fascinates me, pehaps because I’ve spent most of my life in the Southwest desert region of the United States. The sound of rain is welcome music on a dry and thirsty landscape. Creeks and rivers refresh desert dwellers, and lakes—so much water—seem a surprise. Lighting and downpours startle. Snow softens mountains, hills, cactuses, rocks.
—Pat, from the Author’s Note in Water Rolls, Water Rises/El agua rueda, el agua sube.
The last week in August is World Water Week, the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. It is organized by SIWI, the Stockholm International Water Institute. The theme for 2019 is “Water for society–Including all.” Each of us can conserve water day by day.
Illustration by Meilo So from Water Rolls, Water Rises.
At this time of year, both students and teachers find themselves in classrooms with new faces. How do teachers cultivate their own and students’ creativity and foster new lasting connections? Here’s an excerpt from Zing! Seven Creativity Practices for Educators and Students, Pat’s book supporting inventive teaching.
“Educators are incredibly important people; you change lives. How do we make the necessary time, space, and support to guide a student to value her creativity? How do we see his inventive capacities and assist him to develop them? A key strategy is through establishing a personal connection.
Committed librarians and teachers who work with young people are optimists: You invest a good part of your life, your talents, and your enthusiasm in the next generation. What energy is required! Why is such important work often undervalued?
Because we know students need to develop their inventive selves, we can connect with them, listen to and honor their stories, create time and a welcoming place as we encourage them to value and release their imaginations, as we affirm their specific talents and offer our helpful support.”
Hi Girls and Boys,
I hope you enjoyed a good summer and that reading good books was part of the fun.
I feel so lucky to be a reader and to have public libraries I can visit. I also feel lucky that I can read in English and Spanish. Maybe you get your books at your school library. What kind of books do you like to read? What is your favorite time to read?
Who is the cute girl in this picture? She’s Bonny, my granddaughter who is six-years-old. I certainly can’t pick her up anymore, but we enjoy card games, reading together, and playing charades. What do you enjoy with your family?
Bonny and I also enjoy baking together. This summer we enjoyed making empanadas, little pies. The recipe is in the back of my new book, My Singing Nana.
Every day of the year is Children’s Day, Book Day. Special celebrations are held on April 30th all over our country. I hope you celebrate at home, at your school, and at your public library.
Your reading friend,
Pat
