¡Hola a todos! This week’s resources are diverse and I hope they are of interest to you.
– Check out how this College Student (Kaya Thomas) Created a Mobile Directory of 600 Books that Prioritize Diversity. After realizing that most of the characters in books she read didn’t look like her, “Thomas devised an iPhone app that functioned as a directory of 300 books showcasing characters of color.”
—These Latin Americans Celebrated their Roots with a Mesoamerican Ballgame Championship in Tetiohuacán. This ballgame, known as “pitza” in the Classic Maya language, was celebrated over 3,000 years ago in the region and is today practiced as part of an effort to reclaim culture and history.
— Here is a book review of Mamá the Alien/ Mamá La Extraterrestre written by Rene Colato Laínez and illustrated by Laura Lacámara. This bilingual book is the story of how Sofía discovers the different meaning of the word “alien” and its implications for her mother. The book is published by Lee and Low Books, and is accompanied by a teacher’s guide.
– Check out the story of how “‘Lucía the Luchadora’ author wants more Latino kids to see themselves in picture books.” Author Cynthia Leonar “Garza, who has a background in journalism and writing, said she wanted to write her first picture book for kids like her — and for kids like her daughters. ‘I was looking for something I wasn’t finding,’ she said: picture books that featured kids who looked like her kids.” To top it off, Garza also wrote the story to help “little boys get the message that girls can be superheroes.”
–For an inspiring story of how literature can change one life and many lives all at once, we suggest you read this article about Rueben Martinez (winner of the Innovator’s Award at the L.A. Times Book Prize) and his view on reading and books. From humble roots, Reuben’s “barbershop-cum-bookstore Libreria Martinez Books and Art Gallery became one of the largest purveyors of Spanish-language books in the country, as well as a center for literacy advocacy whose influence continues to ripple nationwide.”
– Lastly, you should probably know about “The Great Language Game,” which is a simple but good way to pass the time individually or with your students.
Abrazos,
Alin Badillo
Image: Smiling Faces. Reprinted from Flickr user Kay & Amy under CC©.
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