Children as Creators

What are you reading these days? I’ve been savoring some mighty special books made for me by the third graders at Hoffer Elementary School in Banning, California. Last March, I had the honor and pleasure of speaking at the Charlotte S. Huck Literature Festival in Redlands. It felt grand to leave cold Santa Fe and thaw out in sunny California. The organizing committee was warm and welcoming, my fellow speakers interesting and informative, and my sweet “angel” for the weekend, student Sarah Fiske-Phillips cheerfully escorted me to each event.

A highlight of my visit was meeting with those third graders though. Not only were they attentive and enthusiastic, they brought me gifts! In honor of my first children’s book, A Birthday Basket for Tía, they presented me with a large book they’d made titled, “An Author Basket for Pat Mora.” How I enjoy turning the pages and seeing the writing, art work and photos the students created after reading some of my books.

These talented students also made character sketch posters, a book of “thanks” inspired by Gracias~Thanks that includes statements and drawings, and a book about why libraries are important inspired by Tomás and the Library Lady. The children also presented me with a basket that day that included chocolates because I’d written Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico!, a lovely tea towel on which a mom had cross-stitched lovely poinsettias because I’d written The Gift of the Poinsettia: El regalo de la flor de nochebuena, and, one of my weaknesses pan dulce, Mexican sweet bread, made by a mom that morning because I’d written, The Bakery Lady/La señora de la panadería.

The children and teachers had decorated the room with their work including a bulletin board of “scary masks” inspired by reading Abuelos. The children said I could use the masks on “any kids you might know.” You can imagine how overwhelmed I felt at all the hard work that had been done by the students and their two wonderful teachers. I was also so impressed at the critical thinking the teachers had prompted in their students.

After their presentation, I asked the children how they thought I felt.

“Amazed?” they asked.

“Stunned?”

I laughed and said, “Teary,” which is the way I’ve felt as I typed this memory. I also received illustrated thank-you notes after our time together. As I say in my new book, Zing! Seven Creativity Practices for Educators and Students, teachers are treasures. My deep gracias~thanks to Ms.Gretchen Pelle and Ms. Kelly Mineo for reminding me how outstanding teachers enrich the lives of their students and for showering me with gifts and happy memories.

A New Día Dynamo

When my web team and I honored what we first called Día Champions in March 2009, we wanted to recognize a woman who embraced spreading the Día concept throughout her state. Flo Trujillo is still cheerfully busy with that work in New Mexico. Today we honor Día’s madrina, godmother in Spanish, a person traditionally chosen because of her commitment to the well-being of a child. In 1996, minutes after I was first zapped by the Día idea, the Tucson Reforma Chapter quickly volunteered to help. Soon after, my friend and literacy advocacy colleague, the respected Oralia Garza de Córtes, committed to connecting the Día concept to Reforma nationally. Reforma, of course, became the first organization to partner with me in growing Día. Gracias, gracias, Oralia, for your commitment to Día nationally and internationally.

I. Tell us about your path to librarianship and work in youth services.
“…[I]t was not until I became a mom that I fell in love with the fairy tales and the picture books that I read to my children when they were very young. … [A]t the newly reconstructed Carnegie Branch in Houston, [I met] Louise Yarain Zwick [who] had just returned to the states after spending some time in El Salvador. She was the one librarian who influenced me, mentored me and passed on her love of children’s literature and children’s librarianship. She truly understood how important it was for children to have a librarian who looked liked them and who understood their culture and spoke their language. She also imparted her vast knowledge of the classics of Spanish children’s literature. …It was Louise who encouraged me go to library school … My first job as a professional was as a children’s librarian at the Terrazas Branch of the Austin Public Library, actively promoting Spanish and bilingual storytimes, programs and services for the neighborhood children and their families.”

2. How long have you been a member of REFORMA, and why did you become a member?
“I joined REFORMA over twenty years ago, at the same time that I joined the ALA, ALSC, and EMIERT. I was a graduate student attending my first library conference. Louise had organized a program on Spanish Children’s Literature through EMIERT and invited me to participate. It was there that I met Sandra Ríos Balderrama … We became fast friends and true collaborators, working on REFORMA’s behalf to establish the children’s section of REFORMA.”

3. What ideas do you have for Día 2011 and what are your hopes for the 15th Anniversary celebration?
“2010 has been a banner year for promoting Día at the international level. … We hope to continue building Día at both the international and national levels. … As an organization we [REFORMA] will be enthusiastically promoting Día and the Pura Belpre Awards’ fifteenth anniversaries by encouraging Quinceañera celebrations throughout the community. At ALA annual in 2011, REFORMA and ALSC will debut Día and the Belpre’s Quince (fifteenth) birthday celebrations in New Orleans.”

4. What are you reading now?
“I just finished reading Mr. Mendoza’s Paintbrush, a graphic novel by Alberto Urrea (Cinco Puntos, 2011). The illustrations are stunning, and the story is brilliant. It has stayed with me still. I’m also reading Urrea’s Into the Beautiful North. I am thoroughly enjoying Grace Lin’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009), a wonderful magical fairytale in novel form.”

5. What is your favorite example of Bookjoy either as a child or an adult?
“Years, back, I found my eight year old son quietly searching through the hall closet. I asked if I could help, but he was deep in thought. As I observed him, I realized that he was looking for a magic path much like the children he was reading about in the C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.(1950).That was a ‘bookjoy’ moment I will long cherish.”

This is an edited version of the full interview which you'll find on the Día Dynamos page of Pat's website, http://www.patmora.com/dia/diadynamos.htm.

Meet My Friend Father Murray Bodo

What a pleasure it is to introduce you to one of my dearest amigos, Franciscan priest and author of poetry, nonfiction and books on spirituality, a retreat leader here and in Assisi, the gifted story teller, Murray Bodo.

Years ago, I knew the poet Denise Levertov. I wrote her in 1989 to say that I was moving from El Paso for the first time and going to Cincinnati where my husband had begun to teach at the University. Denise suggested that I write to her good friend Father Murray who lived in Cinci. We met, took a poetry workshop on campus together and started a small poetry group. (I wrote about the group’s process in ZING.) There we were in the Midwest: Murray of Italian heritage who was born in Gallup, New Mexico, taught by nuns and as a child played at being a priest; and Pat of Mexican heritage, born in El Paso, Texas, also taught by nuns who as a child played at being a nun.

Murray and I shared and share a love of the Southwest, its landscape, peoples and deep spiritual traditions. We share our love of books, writing, and especially of poetry. We also love to laugh, and Murray can always make me laugh. How blessed I feel that this fall, Murray will have been my loyal and caring friend for 21 years. I encourage you to visit his new web site.

Creativity in the News

"Creativity in America: The Science of Innovation and How to Reignite Our Imaginations.” Cover story NEWSWEEK, July 19, 2010. Authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman in their article “The Creativity Crisis: For the First Time, Research Shows That American Creativity Is Declining. What Went Wrong -- and How We Can Fix It” illustrate the national and international interest in creativity, its importance, and discuss the fostering of innovation in our educational system.

Are you creative? Magazines, newspapers and conferences are proclaiming the relevance of innovation as we confront the challenges of a complex, inter-dependent world and as we strive to develop our unique talents and those of our diverse young people. In my book ZING: SEVEN CREATIVITY PRACTICES FOR EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS recently published by Corwin, I propose seven habits that assist us to develop our potential to enrich our communities and our own lives. Using a personal letter format, I share my strategies as a writer, speaker and advocate. Sample the introduction and begin the journey of fostering your creative self.

Sing and Dance with Criss Cross Mangosauce!

We’re pleased to share information about a talented group. Criss Cross Mangosauce is a group of bi-cultural artists promoting bi-lingual (English/Spanish) storytelling and literacy programs in the US. They perform concerts and storytelling presentations as well as conduct educational workshops. They have a CD too! You can follow them on Facebook. And check out a promotional video on You Tube -- it's fun!

Día = Diversity in Action

I attended a fine program on Día at the ALA Annual conference last week. Originally, staff from the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County  were scheduled to present Día is Diversity in Action but unfortunately were unable to attend because of severe funding problems. Oralia Garza de Cortés and Jamie Naidoo Ph.D., both known as Día supporters and knowledgable presenters, stepped in to report on Charlotte's Mecklenburg's success in using Día as a tool in dually reaching the Spanish and international community for literacy, as well as informing the audience about a wealth of multicultural books and resources for programming. The importance of planning and promotion, as well as collaboration with local agencies was discussed.

See this blog's Díapalooza's post about Charlotte Mecklenburg's 2010 celebration here.

Bookjoy and the World Cup

In celebration of the 2010 World Cup, my friend author Monica Brown created this short video about Pelé, the legend at the heart of Brazilian Soccer.


Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixf_dZjI9Mo
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/12844817

PatMora.com is Now a Great Website for Kids!

We're thrilled that Pat's website has been selected as a Great Websites for Kids by the Association of Library Service to Children, (ALSC) a division of the Amerrican Library Association. As the press release notes, Pat's site was added to the recommended list of exceptional websites for children ages 14 and younger and joins a select group of author sites.

Voices of the Ancestors

Looking for an entrancing title for your book group or just a good summer read? Try Pat's family memoir, House of Houses, a rich blend of poetic language and elements of magical realism.

Questions for your personal reflection or to enjoy with your book group or class.

1. In what ways is House of Houses like and unlike other memoirs you've read?

2. Why do you think memoirs have become such a popular genre?

3. Name the person you connected to most in the book and describe the reasons why.

4. The author asks "Why do certain events become central memories, part of the core life story we create about ourselves?" (page 24) How would you answer?

5. Spanish words and phrases are used throughout the book. How does this affect your reading and understanding of the memoir?

6. How is your family like and unlike the Mora family?

7. Look through family photographs taken before you were born. Choose one and write a page about it. Would you like to share your piece with your reading group? A family member or friend?

8. The author refers to her childhood home as the "house of houses." What does she mean? Would you describe your childhood home as your "house of houses"? If not, what three or four words would you use to capture your feelings?

9. What humorous scene and sad scene most appealed to you? Why?

10. The family stories in this memoir are organized through different seasons or rhythms - the rhythms of the garden, the church liturgy, the family. What seasons or rhythms would you use to organize your family's stories?

Literacy Nights at the Public Library

Anne Kissinger of the Milwaukee County Federated Library System wrote about "Literacy Nights at the Public Library" on this week's ALSC list-serv. We liked this idea so much we wanted to share it.

The Wauwatosa Public Library, a member of MCFLS, held two literacy nights each with a different approach. The first, for adults, was a summer reading promotion and included
communication, research, vocabulary games, book talks, story telling, library support and library programs. Kissinger credits the successful participation to the help of Title 1 teachers who spoke with parents/caretakers one-on-one or sent home invitations to the event, as many of the adults were not library users.

The second literacy night was held at an elementary school and included adults and children. The public library held read-alouds to different grade levels and talked about the summer reading program. Other activities included showing the viral video "Gotta Keep Reading," an author visit, reader's theatre by students and a book swap.

What great methods for attracting adults and children to the library and reading! What ideas do you have for "Literacy Nights"?

Do you have people attending your programs that speak a language other than English? Consult this suberb list from Language Castle, Making Families Who Speak Other Languages Feel at Home in Your Program for invaluable tips.

A New Día Dynamo

Exciting Reminder: April 2011 is Día’s 15th Anniversary! Some of you have been members of what I think of as the National Día Community from the beginning and some of you are deciding to join us now in linking all children to books, languages and cultures. As part of the celebration, by April 1, I’m going to honor 15 Día Dynamos, adding one a month. How special to add Rose Treviño.


At the end of April, my friend Rose died. I’d met her years ago thanks to our mutual friend Oralia Garza de Cortés and thanks to ALA. Rose was an early supporter of Día and served on its National Advisory Committee at ALSC. A Texas librarian deeply committed to all children including the under-served, Rose promoted Día when she was head of children’s services at the San Antonio Public Library where she discovered bookjoy as a child, and later championed Día at the Houston Public Library. I believe it was Rose, who when she was on the ALSC Board, was a grand champion who encouraged the Board to offer to be Día’s national home.

Rose will be remembered by many for a host of reasons: because she was an exemplary librarian and the first Latina to chair the Newbery Award Committee, for her books: Read Me a Rhyme in Spanish and English (2009) and The Pura Belpré Awards: Celebrating Latino Authors and Illustrators (2006), and for the gracious way she treated all who knew her. I miss my friend Rose with whom I could always talk deeply about Día’s purpose and importance. From personal experience, Rose knew how hard it is to be a literacy advocate for families not viewed by all as important. She always cheered me up and assured me that better days were ahead, that Día mattered and would grow and grow.

As we begin planning for Día’s 15th Anniversary April 2011, I carry Rose’s memory and hope with me. She is Día’s angelita, inspiring us to be brave and creative in linking all children to books. Join us.

Bookjoy in Action

Jane Gagni, Ph.D. shares a wonderful Bookjoy story:
 “This semester I took my undergrads into a mostly Hispanic fifth grade. Part of what we did was choral reading. I gave the children a choice of which language they wanted to read, and they mostly chose Spanish, which was made even more fun when three of my undergrads also performed the Spanish version.

When we finished I asked, "What was that like?" A girl answered, "It was like living in a dream of music."

Jane is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Literacy at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. She has published Encountering Children's Literature: An Arts Approach (Ally & Bacon, 2004), and over a dozen literacy-related articles. Her forthcoming book, co-authored with Mary Ann Reilly, is Deepening Literacy Learning: Art and Literature Engagements in K-8 Classrooms (Information Age Publishing, 2010). Jane's website has extensive resources, including several fine bibliographies on children's literature, early literacy, and diversity.