Page 29 – Pat Mora

Love to Mamá: Celebrate Mothers and Grandmothers

This weekend is Mother’s Day, our annual day to honor the strong women in our lives. Over fifteen years ago, Pat edited and contributed to Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers, a beautiful and celebratory collection in which thirteen poets write with joy, humor, and love about the powerful bond between mothers, grandmothers, and children.

“Lots of food, hugs, kisses, and endearments, in Spanish and English, fill the 13 poems in this anthology that celebrates Latina mothers and grandmothers … On the page opposite each poem, big, bold illustrations mix traditional media and computer graphics to create brilliant color and swirling figures, many with mamá’s circling arms at the center."—Booklist

Celebrate Teachers!

May 8th is NEA’s Teacher Appreciation Day and this week is the PTA’s Teacher Appreciation Week, so let’s congratulate dedicated teachers at all levels! Thanks for the vitality, the ZING you bring to your classrooms and libraries.

ZING! Seven Creativity Practices for Educators & Students

Apply now for the 2018 Estela and Raúl Mora Award

Pat’s parents, Estela and Raúl Mora, her sister Cissy and Pat

Did you have a Día celebration in your school, library, or community in April 2018 to bring Children’s Day, Book Day to life for kids and families? If so, you’re eligible to apply for the 2018 Estela and Raúl Mora Award, administered by First Book.

This year’s Mora Award winner will receive a $1,000 First Book Marketplace credit, and two additional honor awards of $500 in First Book Marketplace credits will be granted to strong applicants.

Last year’s winner was Mattawa Elementary School in Mattawa, Washington. They put on a fantastic Día celebration with the help of parents and several community partners. They had over 200 attendees, lots fun and engaging reading activities, and free books for children and families to take home as prizes. Maybe your celebration could be this year’s winner!

The application deadline is June 30, 2018. Apply now.

Thanks on Children’s Day, Book Day!

Is Día becoming a national April tradition? We sure hope so!

Deep thanks to each of you who invested your creativity and energy in joining us to celebrate all our children and excite them about bookjoy this April. Our work of validating the lives of our children continues as we plan Summer Reading for children, families—and ourselves.

Special gracias, gracias to partners including the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), First Book and my wonderful Web manager Bobbie Combs.

Angela Hubbard, ALSC

Roxana Barillas, First Book

Bobbie Combs

Celebrating Día in the Santa Fe Public Schools

Pat will be spending today visiting elementary schools as part of a district-wide Children’s Day, Book Day celebration in the Santa Fe Public Schools.

Each school will celebrate with their own choice of fun and engaging activities, including:

A school-wide outdoor reading celebration where families are encouraged to attend
Students dressing up as their favorite book characters
One school principal will read his favorite book to the school during morning announcements
Book buddies will be sharing their favorite books with each other
A story museum, where each class will have a table featuring their favorite book
A play performed by teachers for students
Book giveaways
A school-wide hour where students will drop everything and read

Here’s hoping this idea will spread to other school districts across the country!
Santa Fe Public Schools