Latina Moms | Daughters
On May 30, I had the pleasure of serving as a presenter at the 15th annual International Latino Book Awards ceremony held at Instituto Cervantes in New York City. I was in very good (and fun!) company: actor-director Tony Plana served as the master of ceremonies for the event and presenters included golf legend Chi [...]
Inspired by Diane de Anda’s bilingual picture book A Day Without Sugar/Un día sin azúcar, about an aunt who leads a group of kids on a hunt for “hidden sugars,” its publisher, Arte Público Press, has launched a new initiative challenging children across the country to limit their sugar intake by participating in the A [...]
Most parents are aware of Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Awards, which this year took place just this past March. The awards’ main appeal—aside from the star-studded show that announces the winners—is the fact that kids themselves get to choose their favorites from a broad array of entertainment categories in a media landscape that is increasingly designed [...]
In 1996, award-winning children’s author Pat Mora launched a community-based, family literacy initiative with the help of REFORMA: the National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, called El día de los niños, El día de los libros/Children’s Day, Book Day. “Día” as it’s now known, is a daily [...]
This past March, I had the honor of participating in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Writer’s Days Conference in Los Angeles, CA, along with some of the brightest talent in the children’s book industry, including award-winning and bestselling authors Malinda Lo, Nikki Grimes and Eugene Yelchin, as well as Daniel Nayeri, [...]
Get to reading—and dancing! March is Music in Our Schools Month! Most Latina mamis don’t have to be convinced about the importance of music in our family’s lives, but did you know that researchers have found direct links between music education and academic achievement? Music students have been consistently found to perform better on standardized [...]
On March 9 and 10, I will be participating in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Writers Days Conference in Los Angeles, CA, where—in my role as literary agent—I will be discussing some of the challenges and opportunities that exist for diverse writers and illustrators in today’s publishing environment, with a particular [...]
Guadalupe García McCall is on a winning streak and quickly becoming a Latina author to watch—and read. In 2012, her debut young adult novel, Under the Mesquite (Lee & Low), won the Pura Belpré Medal and was named a Morris Award finalist. The novel in verse narrates the story of Lupita, a budding actor and [...]
Each year the American Library Association (ALA) honors books, videos, and other outstanding materials for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the [...]
It’s award season, and while many of us are glued to our TV screens to find out who’s won a Golden Globe or been nominated for an Oscar, let’s remember that this is also book award season. From the Caldecott, to the Newbery, to the Pura Belpré Awards, the American Library Association (ALA) is about [...]
