“If a teacher told me to revise, I thought that meant my writing was a broken-down car that needed to go to the repair shop. I felt insulted. I didn’t realize the teacher was saying, ‘Make it shine. It’s worth it.’ Now I see revision as a beautiful word of hope. It’s a new vision of something. It means you don’t have to be perfect the first time. What a relief!” —Naomi Shihab Nye

April is the month when Día de los niños/Día de los libros is celebrated nationwide. Founded by author Pat Mora in 1997, this celebration honors children, promotes literacy, languages, and cultures.

According to Pat Mora’s website, “The goals of this observance from its inception have included a daily commitment to:
 

1. honor children and childhood,
2. promote literacy, the importance of linking all children to books, languages, and cultures,
3. honor home languages and cultures, and thus promoting bilingual and multilingual literacy in this multicultural nation, and global understanding through reading,
4. involve parents as valued members of the literacy team,
5. promote library collection development that reflects our plurality.”

Today, during a school visit in Austin, I reminded the students about what Día de los niños is all about. I told them how special they are not just during this April event but all year round. I stressed the importance of books, reading, and writing. I hope I inspired them to become lifelong readers.

School Mural

“Each time a child opens a book, he pushes open the gate that separates him from Elsewhere. It gives him choices. It gives him freedom. These are magnificent, wonderfully unsafe things.” — Lois Lowry

Here is a neat article, “What I Love About Books,” posted by Barbara Vey on the Publishers Weekly blog. She lists ten reasons why she loves books. So I started my own list about why I love books too:

1. I love to read for inspiration.
2. I love to immerse myself in another time and place, especially with historical fiction novels.
3. I love to learn new things that I didn’t know before.
4. I love my imagination to soar with some books.
5. I love to sometimes chuckle, sometimes cry, with certain books.



Tree in Boerne, TX

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” — Maya Angelou

“All really good picture books are written to be read five hundred times.” — Rosemary Wells

Texas Bluebonnets

“I believe that good questions are more important than answers, and the best children’s books ask questions, and make the readers ask questions. And every new question is going to disturb someone’s universe.” –Madeleine L’Engle

Children’s book author, Kathleen Muldoon’s article, “Short, Sweet and Sometimes Profitable – Writing for the Filler Market,” addresses this topic on the Institute of Children’s Literature blog. The author of numerous children’s books, Muldoon writes that fillers come in many forms such as “short anecdotes, notable quotes, and interesting bits of trivia.” She gives examples of other types of fillers. Maybe you have a short anecdote you might want to submit to a magazine. Look through those files and I’ll bet you’ll find one. 

New Mexico

“Seasonal queries to a magazine should be submitted at least six months ahead of schedule to allow for editorial lead time.” — Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

“Surprise is what keeps readers turning the pages and writers filling them up.” – James Howe