Celebrate Diverse Readers on March 2, Read Across America Day

Pat Mora

The National Education Association’s Read Across America is a year-round program that focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources. This year’s theme is “Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers.”

To celebrate, the NEA is inviting educators, parents, students, and supporters to share which childhood book meant the most to them with a #shelfie: Take a picture with the book (or bookshelf) of your choice and post your “shelfie” on social media using the #shelfie and #ReadAcrossAmerica hashtags. See some #shelfie examples.

Read Across America 2018

Communion: Poetry That Resonates

Pat Mora

CommunionPublished in 1991, Pat’s third collection of poetry, Communion, resonates today as it provides a healing voice and an international perspective in considering the art of poetry itself, male/female relationships, separation from children, homeland and tradition. The concerns of our domestic culture in the U.S. are seen here from within the framework of the Third World in Asia and Latin America.

"Mora’s collection is aptly titled: her poems often reveal a communion of sorts between poet and subject that inspires the poet’s empathetic, imaginative response."—Betsy Colquitt, Texas Review of Books

"This collection is rich, spirited and promising, and it makes me want to read more of her work."—Hurricane Alice, A Feminist Review

Listen to this 1988 recording from VOCA, the University of Arizona Poetry Center’s Audio Video Library, as Pat reads some of the poems from Communion as well as from Chants (1984), Borders (1986) and Agua Santa: Holy Water (1997).

Happy 10th Anniversary to
Mi Familia!

Pat Mora

My Family * Mi familia

2018: 10th anniversaryIn this series, readers meet the Rosas family: Isabel, Tina, Danny, Mom, Dad, and Abuelita. They meet the family’s dog, Tico, and the family’s new kitty too. The books depict children’s daily activities: a family meal, chasing a kitten, bedtime, and a boy’s mischief. Pat is grateful to HarperCollins, publishers of this series in 2008.

Pat provides some background on the My Family/Mi Familia series and talks about the difficulty of selling bilingual books. Video recorded in 2010 and provided by WETV’s ¡Colorín Colorado!:

Diversity & Inclusion: The Stories for All Project™

Pat Mora

Please join us in celebrating this new program from Children’s Day, Book Day partner First Book. With the Stories for All Project™, First Book will be providing an evolving group of diversity and inclusion resources, ensuring that all children have access to books that serve as both windows and mirrors.

This month’s resources include a free webinar on using children’s books to teach diversity and inclusion, and titles to celebrate Black History month. Learn more.

Stories for All Project

Texas Center for the Book is Offering Día Grants

Pat Mora

The Texas Center for the Book at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission is excited to offer $200 grants for First Book’s marketplace to help Texas libraries celebrate Lone Star Día this April.

Lone Star Día is the Texas celebration of Children’s Day, Book Day, El día de los niños, El día de los libros, and the funds are intended to encourage libraries to host Día celebrations in April 2018.

Grants will be awarded as a $200 credit to libraries to use as payment towards books they select from the First Book Marketplace, which offers a wide array of diverse titles for children. The grants are made possible by the generosity of the Edouard Foundation and the Friends of Libraries & Archives of Texas. Grants will be made on a first come, first serve basis.

For more information and the application visit: www.tsl.texas.gov/lonestardia.

Lone Star Dia

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