Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Celebrate Día

Celebrate El día de los Niños/El día de los libros:
Children's Day/Book Day with these GREAT Resources

El día de los Niños/El día de los libros (Day of the Child/Day of the Book) Toolkit is a 100 page online document describing booktalks, author visits, storytelling, and other ideas that can be used to celebrate El dia de los Niños/El dia de los libros on April 30th. These suggestions can be used for units in the classroom all throughout the school year! The comprehensive document is available at: http://www.texasdia.org/toolkit.html.

Official Día Webpage with recommended books and library programs celebrating Latino Children's Literature & Literacy http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/initiatives/diadelosninos/index.cfm

Dígame un cuento/Tell Me A Story: Bilingual Library Programs for Children and Families – Created by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, this useful online manual suggests bilingual story hour programs for Latino children and their families. Early childhood educators can consult this resource to learn about activities using Latino children’s books. Available at: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/bilingual/index.html.


Pat Mora's Día Website: http://www.patmora.com/dia.htm

¡Imagínense!: Latino Youth Literature and Literacy Initiatives

¡Imagínense! is a multifaceted program combining current research and practice to assist librarians, teachers, and other educators in meeting the literacy needs of Latino children and adolescents. The director and founder of ¡Imagínense! is Dr. Jamie Campbell Naidoo an assistant professor at the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies.

Several key objectives outline the purpose of ¡Imagínense!. These include:

* Emphasizing research on the literary and literacy needs of all Latino youth.
* Promoting early childhood and adolescent literacy among Latino families.
* Fostering acceptance of Latino cultures through the use of culturally relevant children’s and young adult literature and resources.
* Educating librarians, teachers, and child-care workers about literacy services for Latino youth and their families.
* Supporting collaborative community-based projects that promote Latino literacy (understanding of the Latino culture).

¡Imagínense! is organized according to four Latino Youth Literature and Literacy Initiatives or LYLLIs (pronounced lilies). Many of the LYLLIs are in collaboration with other programs and include:

Research Division- conducts research on the reader responses of Latino children and young adults, evaluates library and educational programs serving the literacy needs of Latino youth, and analyzes current and past representations of Latinos in children’s and young adult media (literature, film, etc.). A current research project under this LYLLI includes studying how the public libraries Alabama serve Latino children through their collections and library programs.

Training Division – prepares librarians, teachers, and other educators with the necessary tools to select Latino youth literature and design successful literacy programs for Latino youth and their families. Examples of projects under this LYLLI include workshops at school media, public library, and teacher conferences such as the American Library Assocation, AIMA, the Alabama Library Association, and the University of Southern Mississippi’s Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival.

Material Evaluation Division (¡Imagínense Libros!) – provides a virtual evaluation collection of children’s and young adult literature about Latinos, Spanish-language materials for youth, and bilingual picturebooks. This valuable resource allows librarians and teachers to evaluate materials before purchasing them for their library collections.

Outreach Division – collaborates with other agencies to create projects that (1) encourage literacy among Latino families, (2) incorporate high-quality Latino youth literature into programs for the general community, or (3) promote Latino literacy. An example of a project under this LYLLI Annual Celebration of Latino Children’s Literature conference. This is a collaborative effort between the University of South Carolina’s College of Education and the University of Alabama’s SLIS. Co-planner of this conference is Dr. Julia Lopéz-Roberston from the University of South Carolina’s Language and Literacy Department. Components of the conference include a program for Latino children and their families as well as the presentation of practical and theoretical information related to Latino youth literacy.

Depending on the Latin American country represented and the species of flower, Lilies can symbolize hope, peace, or vitality. In Spanish, ¡Imagínense! means “just imagine!” Through the various division of LYLLIs, ¡Imagínense! challenges educators, researchers, and librarians to just imagine the hope and vitality that literacy can offer today’s Latino children and adolescents. Just imagine the endless opportunities for Latino youth to be supported by high-quality research, training, evaluation, and outreach. ¡Imagínense Libros!

Education-Based Latino Literacy Programs

¡Colorín Colorado! – Supported by the American Federation of Teachers, the National Institute for Literacy, and the U.S. Department of Education, this reading program provides information on the importance of reading in the lives of English Language Learner (ELL) children. Activities and links are available concerning children’s literature about Latinos, helping Latino families, how the school can help Latino families, etc. Teachers and librarians could consider using the activities, the free 92 page booklet, and video clips in units in their classrooms and programs. Available at: http://www.colorincolorado.org/homepage.php.

Lee y serás (Read & You Will Be) – The program is a “multi-faceted, multi-year, reading initiative to inform, engage, and help prepare families and communities to support the reading development of Latino children. Lee y serás was created by Scholastic in partnership with the Latino Community Foundation, a National Latino Advisory Committee, Univision, and Verizon Communications” (Scholastic’s webpage, 2005). The program provides support for Latino parents with training about early literacy, offers educators resources that will create print-rich learning environments for Latino children, and supplies information to public agencies to support Latino literacy in the community. More information about the program is available at: http://www.leeyseras.net/site/main.html or http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/communityleeyseras.htm

Common Publishers & Distributors of Children’s and YA Books about Latinos

Piñata Books - http://www.latinoteca.com/app-home/app-inprints/Pinata_Books
Cinco Puntos Press – http://www.cincopuntos.com/
Children’s Book Press – http://www.childrensbookpress.org/our-books/latino
Lee & Low – http://www.leeandlow.com/
Groundwood Books – http://www.groundwoodbooks.com/gw_latino.cfm
Del Sol Books – http://www.delsolbooks.com/
Lectorum – http://www.lectorum.com/
Santillana USA – http://www.santillanausa.com/

Select Latino/a Illustrators and Authors of Children’s & Young Adult Literature

Alma Flor Ada has written many novels, picturebooks, and collections about Latino children. http://www.almaflorada.com/.

Julia Alvarez, a Dominican American author and literature professor, was primarily a writer of adult fiction and poetry until 2000 when she began writing fiction books for older children. http://www.juliaalvarez.com/.

Information on Latino Illustrator Robert Casilla and examples of his art: http://robertcasilla.com/.

Veronica Chambers, an author from Panama, considers herself a secret Latina. She appears to be African American and growing up she felt alienated in the Latino community because of her physical appearance. Chambers has written numerous adult books and in the late 1990s began writing children’s books about her Latino roots. http://www.veronicachambers.com/.

Lulu Delacre, a Latina children’s author/illustrator born in Puerto Rico, began writing and illustrating children’s books in the late 1980s. Delacre strongly believes that Latino children should encounter themselves and their heritage in the books they read. More information can be found at: http://luludelacre.com/index.htm.

Information on Latina Illustrator Maya Christiana Gonzalez’s artwork and children’s books: http://www.mayagonzalez.com/.

Susan Guevara’s art has received many awards including Pura Belpré Award, the Américas Award, the Américas Commended, and the Tómas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award. http://www.susanguevara.com/.

Marisa Montes, a Puerto Rican American author and Writing Professor, has published several beginner chapter books about the Puerto Rican American culture. She created the Get Ready For Gabi series which is about a middle-class, third-grade, Puerto Rican American girl and the daily challenges she faces at school and growing up in the U.S. Gabi has been compared as a Latina Junie B. Jones. More information on Montes can be found at: http://www.marisamontes.com/.

Pat Mora, a Latina poet and children’s book author, has written many books for children with Latino characters. Mora is an advocate for Latino Children’s Literacy and creator of El día de los niños/El día de los libros. http://patmora.com/.

Yuyi Morales is an Latina artist, writer, puppet maker, and Brazilian folk dancer who grew up in Mexico. For more information on Morales, visit: http://www.yuyimorales.com/.

José-Luis Orozco, a native of Mexico City, has created thirteen collections of children’s songs, games, and rhymes available in song book, cassette, or CD formats. Three of his collections (De Colores, Diez Deditos, and Fiestas) have been illustrated by Elisa Kleven. Orozco’s music collections are available at http://www.joseluisorozco.com/.

Pam Muñoz Ryan, a writer and educator of both Mexican and Spanish descent, has created a variety of books on many different topics including Mexican Americans. For more on Ryan, consult: http://www.pammunozryan.com/.

Esmeralda Santiago, a Puerto Rican American author, has written numerous teen novels recounting her experiences growing up in the U.S. as a newly arrived immigrant from Puerto Rico. Santiago has also edited two collections of Latino/a memoirs. For more on Santiago, consult: http://www.esmeraldasantiago.net/.

Simón Silva, a Chicano artist, spent much of his childhood working in the fields with other immigrant children. His vibrant gouache illustrations depict the everyday experiences of Latino farmers in the United States. His art has recieved the Pura Belpré Honor Award and the Américas Commended. http://www.simonsilva.com/.

Gary Soto is one of the few Mexican American authors who write for children, young adults, and adults. He is the most well-known Chicano author for children and has published more than 20 picturebooks about the Latino culture. Information on Soto is available at: http://garysoto.com/ .