Want to Start a Día Family Book Club?

Pat Mora

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is now accepting applications for mini-grants intended to prepare libraries to incorporate Día into their existing programs throughout the entire year.  Mini-grants will be used to initiate a Día Family Book Club Program in libraries.  Up to 12 mini-grants will be awarded at $5,000 each.

Intended as an expansion of El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Día), the mini-grants will be awarded to libraries that demonstrate a need to better address the diverse backgrounds within their communities.

The mini-grants are part of the Everyone Reads @ your library grant awarded to ALSC from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.  In addition to these mini-grants, funding from this grant will also allow ALSC to create a Día Family Book Club Toolkit that will be accessible to all.

The deadline for receipt of applications is February 1st, 2013.

See Pat’s website for more information about Día.

Go on Record: Día Program Registration

Pat Mora

Día, El día de los niños,El día de los libros/Children’s Day,Book Day, is a daily commitment: day by day, día por día. Hundreds of annual Día events occur across the country in April. In the spirit of Día, these book fiestas are literacy celebrations that unite communities. Often reading advocates including parents and families collaborate in planning how best to share bookjoy. Join us by insuring that Día is celebrated at your libraries and schools and make sure to promote their local event(s) by registering your program in the 2013 National Día Program Registry. I’m so grateful to ALSC (Association of Library Service to Children)  and REFORMA (National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking) for collaborating with me in expanding Día’s impact. In 2013, let’s share bookjoy and help grow a nation of readers.

Our Common Wealth: America’s Many Languages

Pat Mora

Last fall, I had the good fortune to spend time at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana and at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. As always, I learn when I interact with audiences. Some of my favorite visits are like these two opportunities to speak to children, families and educators.
One of my hosts was Dr. Luis Fernando Restrepo, author of the following article. His final sentence is so meaningful.

Pat at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign



Pat at Springdale Public Library in Fayettville, AR



Latino Books in the News

Pat Mora

Pat’s friend Adriana Dominguez offers 3 Reasons to Buy a Latino Children’s Book This Christmas .

In an article “Books for Young Latinos Exist – Just Not in the Classroom” Publishers Weekly continues the conversation started in a December 4 article in the New York Times. The article highlights smaller publishers, including several that publish Pat’s books, who are providing books for Latino children and young adults.