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:
- honor children and childhood,
- promote literacy, the importance of linking all children to books, languages, and cultures,
- honor home languages and cultures, and thus promoting bilingual and multilingual literacy in this multicultural nation, and global understanding through reading,
- involve parents as valued members of the literacy team,
- 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.
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| 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