Category Librarians

Apr 22 2021

The Pura Belpré Award celebrates its 25th anniversary this year!

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By Romy Natalia Goldberg

What’s the Pura Belpré Award? If you don’t know…you should. The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latinx writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

We will be marking the award’s 25th anniversary in different ways on the blog. For now, here’s a starter for those who want to learn more about the life and legacy of this Puerto Rican icon.

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Books about Pura Belpré:

Planting Stories / Sembrando historias written by Anika Aldamuy Denise, illustrated by Paola Escobar. Click on the links or cover for more information. For a review of Planting Stories, click HERE.

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The Story Teller’s Candle / La velita de los cuentos written by Lucia Gonzalez, illustrated by Lulu Delcare. Click on the cover for more information.

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The Stories I Read to the Children: The Life and Writing of Pura Belpré, the Legendary Storyteller, Children’s Author and NY Public Librarian by Lisa Sánchez González.

Amazon.com: The Stories I Read to the Children: The Life and Writing of Pura Belpré, the Legendary Storyteller, Children's Author and NY Public Librarian (9781878483805): Sánchez González, Lisa: Books

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Releasing September 7, 2021: Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpre Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories written by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Magalay Morales. Click on the cover for more information.

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The Pura Belpré Award

For a list of winners and honor books, click HERE or HERE.

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Books By Pura Belpré

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RNGoldberg-profile.jpeg

Romy Natalia Goldberg is a Paraguayan-American travel and kid lit author with a love for stories about culture and communication. Her guidebook to Paraguay, Other Places Travel Guide to Paraguay, was published in 2012 and 2017 and led to work with “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” and The Guardian. She is an active SCBWI member and co-runs Kidlit Latinx, a Facebook support group for Latinx children’s book authors and illustrators.

Nov 21 2019

Latinxs in Kid Lit at the Library: Interview with Librarian Yesenia Villar-Villalobos

 

By Sujei Lugo

The Latinxs in Kid Lit at the Library series is an occasional feature of this blog, featuring interviews with children’s library workers. In these interviews, we highlight the work librarians do for Latinx children’s literature, especially in libraries that serve Latinx communities. In case you’d like to catch up on previous posts, you can find links to them below this article. 

In this new entry, we talk with Yesenia Villar-Villalobos, a Mexican-American children’s librarian in Los Angeles, California.

Sujei: Tell us a bit about your background and identity.

Yesenia: I’m a first-generation Mexican-American, born and raised in East Los Angeles, California. My parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, and raised seven children on menial salaries. While I grew up in poverty, I was nearly an adult before I began to realize the true disparity of resources and opportunities that existed among my high school peers. However, what my parents couldn’t provide for me materially was far less significant than the perseverance and resilience they modeled while struggling to cover the family’s most basic of necessities. In fact, on my path to higher education I lacked an academic role model. Yet, my parents instilled in me what I truly needed: a willingness to endure hardship and uncertainty in order to achieve a goal.

Growing up in East Los Angeles, I never placed much emphasis on my ethnic identity.  Everyone around me was Latinx, mostly Mexican, so it wasn’t something I felt the need to address. However, now that I have entered the library world and function as a minority among my colleagues, I recognize the significance of my identity. I encompass a degree of cultural competency and lived experience that many of my colleagues do not. Because of this, I strive diligently to model cultural competency and advocate for more equitable services to Latinxs.

Sujei: What’s your current position, which type of library do you work in, and what is the demographic of the community?

Yesenia: I’m currently the children’s librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) at the Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library in Boyle Heights. According to 2010 U.S. Census data, our community is 97.7% Hispanic or Latino, 86.5% of which are Mexican. Of the adults ages 25 and over, 38.6% have less than a 9th-grade education. It’s a highly dense working-class community with 71.1% of renter-occupied housing and also of large family sizes, with 14.8% of homes occupied by seven or more residents. The median income is $37,472, and the median income for families is $38,632, an alarmingly low figure considering how large families are.

Sujei: The librarians we’ve interviewed for this series often highlight their childhood reading experiences, including the impact of public libraries. What were your experiences like? 

Yesenia: Books were not something we had in our home. From a young age I developed a love of reading, but I never had the resources to explore books at home. Repeatedly, I would find myself reading cereal boxes, shampoo bottles, and the weekly church flyer. Once, in first grade, I sneaked a textbook out of class and read it cover-to-cover at home before discreetly returning it to the classroom. 

I wasn’t introduced to public libraries until sixth grade when a homework assignment required me to venture to my local public library. Neither my dad nor I had any knowledge about how a public library functioned or what resources were available there. At that time, the library-card application required a social security number. As an undocumented person who had been deported on multiple occasions in his early years in the U.S., my dad initially refused to fill out the application. But I begged and pleaded with him to get me a library card, and he finally gave in. 

That public library card remained unused until eighth grade, when I was sent to the counselor’s office for turning in a book report on a preschool-level book. Back then, the only book I had access to was Captain Kitty by Godfrey Lynn and Elizabeth Webbe, which I had bought at a yard sale for 10 cents. The counselor decided that since I frequently completed in-class assignments early, I would be allowed to visit the school library during class time. I had attended this school for nearly four years, and this was the first time I’d realized we had a library. That’s where I picked up a copy of Blubber by Judy Blume, because that was what a classmate was reading.

I never looked back. I read every book by Judy Blume in our school library. Then I started sneaking out of the house to visit the public library. I would take my backpack, check out as many Judy Blume books as I could fit in it, and then sneak back into my house. I devoured book after book in secret. I went to a third library in search of more Judy Blume books, but then realized I had read them all. I was devastated. At that time, I didn’t know librarians existed. I didn’t know I could ask questions or seek suggestions. I simply roamed the library aimlessly. Fortunately, I continued to find books to enjoy and became a lifelong reader.

Sujei: How can public libraries be more welcoming and engaging for Latinx immigrant families?

Yesenia: Cultural competency is severely lacking in library services. This is not something that can be taught in a single class or workshop, or through training. It takes ongoing effort to learn the customs of a community and find effective ways to communicate with them. This goes beyond speaking the same language. It requires attention to the dialect they use, the interests they share, and their spoken and unspoken needs. For example, when librarians translate materials at our branch, we involve the entire staff to ensure that the translations reflect the languages our patrons use. Spanish translations are plentiful—and there are so many ways to say the same phrase—but is that the phrase our patrons use?

Being relatable is key to extending a welcoming environment. When a branch is located in a community predominated by immigrants, we have to adopt the framework that public libraries may be a foreign concept for some patrons. As librarians, we are fully aware of the power a library offers toward improving the living standards of a community. But if the community is unaware, or worse, fearful of stepping inside the confines of a government building, what good does it serve? 

This is why I practice a type of guerrilla outreach, placing myself in situations outside the library where Latinxs congregate. I provide information in a visually appealing, linguistically relevant, and non-threatening format. I approach people face-to-face and leave myself open to questions. I don’t over-hype our services, since I’m fully aware of our limitations, but I do offer information in a way that entices the community to at least walk into the building. Additionally, I sometimes conduct programming outdoors, as an outreach tool to emphasize that the library is here to serve everybody, and that everybody is welcome. 

The programs I conduct are meant to involve the entire family. Because of large family sizes and limited access to childcare, I envision the entire family working as a unit to create, assemble, and invent. For example, a program I created three years ago using do-it-yourself slime continues to be my most popular family program. It regularly attracts from 100-200 participants. By using inexpensive household items, we allow kids, teens, parents, and even grandparents to engage in hands-on science and create their own toys in an incredibly fun manner.

Sujei: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a Latinx woman pursuing a career in children’s librarianship?

Yesenia: Some common themes that my Latina colleagues and I encounter are a lack of resources, limited cultural expectations, and the lack of representation. 

Let’s start with education. Even though I performed well during my entire K-12 schooling, I never considered college as an option, since I never imagined it financially possible. I began working at the age of 15, and by the time I was 18, I held the position of assistant manager at a retail store. I was earning a salary comparable to that of my parents, but was bored. I went to my local community college and inquired about taking classes. At the time, I had no intention of pursuing a degree, but simply wanted to continue learning. One day when I asked my mom for a ride to school, she asked, “ What are you going to school for? You’re pretty enough to get married.” This was the first time I realized the cultural expectations that my family had for me. Despite my intelligence, I was merely a woman.

After taking the assessment test at the East Los Angeles Community College (ELAC) I got placed in honors classes. While others doubted my capabilities, I began to believe in them. Then, when a financial-aid representative spoke to my honors class about financial aid, higher education started to feel like a more realistic opportunity. While I still hadn’t envisioned a degree as the end goal, I loved to learn and continued to attend school off-and-on while employed full-time. After three years, my counselor notified me that I had enough credits to transfer to a 4-year university for my bachelor’s degree. I had no idea what he was talking about; I had never heard of a bachelor’s degree. But I went home, looked it up in my dictionary and decided I would pursue it. 

Having never considered a profession, I was torn about what to pursue. Teacher? Social worker? Then one morning I woke up and the word “librarian” literally flew out of my mouth! It was so clear, I could see it right in front of my eyes. The library had made such a profound difference in my life. It had opened my eyes to new experiences and opportunities. No doubt my avid reading had improved the writing skills that placed me in the honors class that made going to college a real possibility. As I researched librarianship as a profession, I quickly discovered that it required a master’s degree. It was at that moment that I began to take my academic ambitions seriously. I enrolled in the California State University of Los Angeles (CSULA) with a major in Liberal Studies and a minor in Women’s Studies. I focused my education on the history of minorities in the U.S.— specifically, on the political and socio-economic conditions that hinder minorities from pursuing a higher education. I educated myself about the experiences faced by people like my parents, who are undocumented, under-educated, monolingual, and economically disadvantaged.

When I began library school at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) I was astonished by the lack of diversity. For the first time, my status as a Latina became center stage. Unknowingly, I was one of the few students interested in the information needs of Latinxs. I didn’t apply to UCLA with the intention of becoming an advocate for Latinxs and Spanish-speakers, but this is what developed through my experiences and research interests. Since then, I have encountered mentors that have helped me navigate through the library world and enhance my skills and abilities. While the number of Latinas in librarianship may still be low, I have encountered women who empower and elevate one another other to strive for success.

Sujei: Where does your library acquire Latinx children’s books, bilingual books and Spanish- language books? Which places to get books do you recommend?

Yesenia: Obtaining relevant Spanish literature is a challenge. Spanish publications by Latinx authors often print on such a short run that unless you learn about them immediately, you may lose the opportunity to purchase them for your collection. Additionally, the Latinx community is vast and the vernacular varies from country to country and region to region. In our library system there is a department dedicated to creating the list of Spanish materials available for purchase. We order materials from that list, and never get the opportunity to examine them first. More often than not, we’re unable to read reviews before purchasing. 

I prefer to purchase my Spanish materials in person. In Los Angeles there is a children’s bookstore that sells only materials in Spanish, and which come from countries all over Latin America. It’s called La Librería and it displays books from each country individually. As a librarian, I’m able to select materials in the dialect that best suits my community. In my opinion, this is the greatest children’s bookstore for Spanish materials in Los Angeles, and possibly, California. Although small in size, the selection is so great that I wonder why anyone would buy Spanish books elsewhere. Also, the staff is kind, passionate, and knowledgeable.

Sujei: Your favorite Latinx children’s books? 

Yesenia: I relate to books that reflect my Mexican-American culture. I speak Spanglish, so I prefer to read books that incorporate both English and Spanish. At my bilingual storytimes, in addition to alternating between books written in English and in Spanish, I also read books written in Spanglish. Some of my favorites include Señor Pancho Had a Rancho, written by René Colato Laínez and illustrated by Elwood Smith, and La Princesa and the Pea, written by Susan Middleton Elya and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal.

Explore our other interviews in this series, linked below. AND, if you’re a library worker serving a Latinx community and would like to share your experiences through an interview, we invite you to contact us! 

María F. Estrella, Cleveland Public Library

Angie Manfredi, Los Alamos County Public Library

Crystal Brunelle, Northern Hills Elementary School, Onalaska, Wisconsin 

Patricia Toney, San Francisco Public Library

About the interviewer: Sujei Lugo was born in New Jersey and raised in her parents’ rural hometown in Puerto Rico. She earned her Master’s in Library and Information Science degree from the Graduate School of Information Sciences and Technologies at the University of Puerto Rico and is a doctoral candidate in Library and Information Science at Simmons College, focusing her research on anti-racist children’s librarianship. She has worked as a librarian at the Puerto Rican Collection at the University of Puerto Rico, the Nilita Vientós Gastón House-Library in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the University of Puerto Rico Elementary School Library. Sujei currently works as a children’s librarian at the Boston Public Library. She is a member of REFORMA (The National Association to Promote Library Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking), American Library Association, and Association of Library Service to Children. Sujei can also be found on Twitter, Letterboxd and Goodreads.

 

 

Jan 14 2019

Latinx Book Reviewers Having Their Say, Part 2

 

This is part 2 in a roundtable discussion with members of our reviewing team. We are immensely grateful for their work. Most of them lead busy professional lives that center around literacy and literature. It only figures that they would have more to say about Latinx kid lit than can fit into a single review. Let’s hear them out.

LiKL: Tell us about yourself as a child reader. How do those experiences color your impressions of the books you read now?

Jessica Agudelo is a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library. Like many librarians, I was a dedicated reader throughout my childhood. I loved stories and even the physical books themselves. One of my greatest pleasures was when the Scholastic Book Fair would come to my elementary school.  I felt such joy browsing the glossy covers, then selecting just the right one to bring home and add to my own cupboard library. My treasured stash. I adored books like Amber Brown and the Wayside School series, and later the Caroline B. Cooney mysteries. I was an adult before I started realizing that my reading life was devoid of authors and characters of color. I didn’t know I needed it. But once I realized it was missing, I made a point to read all I could by and about Latinxs, and other non-white cultures and people. Nowadays, when I read titles like Pablo Cartaya’s The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, or Celia Perez’s The First Rule of Punk, I feel like I am 11 again, because these authors have so beautifully and honestly depicted the experiences of second-generation Latinx youth, reflecting many of my own struggles and joys. I am also grateful to be in the position to share diverse stories with kids, who can recognize themselves in these books or get a glimpse into the life of someone. In this way, I make up for lost time.

Jessica Walsh in her best-reader glory days! (She’s the smallest child pictured.)

Jessica Walsh is the K-12 ELA Instructional Specialist in an Illinois school district.  In kindergarten, I won a prize for having read the most books in my grade. We didn’t have many books at home back then – we couldn’t afford them–so I relied on my school and public libraries. Later I got books from the Scholastic Book Order and read titles like Beezus and Ramona and the Peanut Butter and Jelly series. Moving on to middle school, I consumed a steady diet of Sweet Valley High and everything by Christopher Pike. I remember staring long and hard at the covers, imagining what it would be like to live those lives. Looking back, I was searching to discover who I was. As the only kid of Mexican descent, I looked different than my peers and my hair wouldn’t do what the other girls’ hair did. (It was the 80s though…so I rocked that perm!) We had little money and I never had the right clothes or accessories. What the books I read had in common, though, were the universal struggles of growing up: conflicts with friends, parents. As I read and consider which books to put in kids’ hands, I think about the books I loved and that instilled in me a joy of reading.

Elena Foulis, Ph.D., leads a digital oral-history program to document the stories of Latinxs in Ohio. As a child, I liked reading, but lacked someone in my life who could point me to good books, appropriate for my age or identity. When I started college, I was in the U.S. and I devoured books that connected me to my roots and reminded me where I came from. I mostly read in Spanish, and later on, multi-ethnic literature in English. I have a graduate degree in comparative literature, so reading from different groups allowed me to learn from different cultures, linguistic backgrounds and histories.

LiKL: What is your reviewing process like? Do you take notes throughout your reading time? Are there sticky flags involved? Are there sticky fingers involved (because: sugary snacks)?

Elena: I am a slow reader! I like to take my time with each book. I pause to imagine the landscape, the characters and the sound of their voices. I write on the margins and highlight important passages. Coffee is always involved, so occasionally, my books have coffee stains. 🙂

Jessica Agudelo

Jessica A: My reviewing process varies, depending on what I’m reading. For picture books, I read once through for an initial reaction to the story and art. Then I read a few more times (at least once, aloud) to note specifics, such as the relationship between the text and illustrations, or narrative strength and nuance. For fiction, sticky notes are a necessity! I don’t like writing in books and hate dog ears (although I sometimes use this technique on the train, when sticky notes aren’t available). I make notes about recurring themes, characters and their notable traits, plot specifics, and stand-out quotes that I might want to include in the review. I also jot down any similar books that come to mind, to offer that additional frame of reference.

LiKL: Your work as an educator, youth librarian, scholar of children’s literature is bound to affect your work as a reviewer. Help us understand the professional perspective you bring to the evaluation of texts.

Elena:  In my studies, I read literature of the Spanish-speaking world and U.S. literature. Although this included canonical works, I was always attracted to writers who spoke from the margins. I liked to understand the perspective of those on the peripheries, those who challenged mainstream culture. I devoured books written by women! I think this experience is valuable to reviewing Latinx books, and as a Latina who has two teen girls, I look for how each author approaches culture, identity and language, and how young women might be empowered by books that tell a familiar story, one that connects to their own experiences.

LiKL: Let’s draw up a wish list for authors and publishers. Which genres, storylines, locations, representations, or other considerations do you pine for in books for children or teens?

Jessica A: More ordinary stories! Latinxs are joyful and resilient, we are not always struggling and suffering. There is beauty in the mundane. I’ve had the privilege of hearing Meg Medina speak a number of times. On one occasion, she mentioned the need for our community to elevate our heroes. I couldn’t agree more. We have an admirable list of icons, but there are so many more Latinx artists, writers, thinkers, scientists, and activists that have influenced American and world history. They should be represented in the books our kids and teens are reading.

Elena Foulis

Elena: I am still hoping to write a book myself! After living in the Midwest for many years, I would love to read about growing up Latinx in that region. We have The House on Mango Street, but we also need the perspective of Latinx growing up in rural areas or smaller cities, and from Central American backgrounds. It’s also important to address current topics that some consider taboo, like mental health.

Jessica W: I would love to see the books I needed when I was younger, such as books about kids with a desire to claim their Latinx culture, because their parents intentionally kept that part of their identity hidden. Growing up, my mother, who remarried, kept me away from my Mexican-American family. We moved thousands of miles away and rarely visited, partly due to the cost of travel. Not until later did she reclaim her heritage, so this meant I never heard family stories, although my father did enrich my life with the traditions of his heritage. I hope that young readers in similar experiences will have someone in their lives–a librarian, a teacher, a mentor–who can place an amazing Latinx story in their hands, which celebrate their culture. If I’d had that, I wouldn’t have continued to struggle with my Mexicanidad, even into adulthood.

LiKL: Now let’s flip the coin. What are your reading pet peeves? Specify the tired tropes, stereotypes, or overused plot machinations that cause you to roll your eyes—or to slam a book shut.

Elena: I think there are too many coming-of-age stories in Latinx books. While these storylines are important, perhaps there can be different ways to tell them.

LiKL: What is your current hot read and which books are at the top of your to-be-read list?

Jessica W: Meg Medina’s middle-grade title Merci Suárez Changes Gears is dominating my thoughts right now. It’s such a powerful, yet humorous, look at intergenerational relationships and the inescapable bonds of family ties. A must-read! Also, Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya, Undocumented: A Worker’s Fight by Duncan Tonatiuh, and Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico by David Bowles, are all fighting for my attention right now!

Jessica A: Most of my time is spent reading children’s books. Most recently I’ve checked out some wonderful picture books, including a wordless debut by Cynthia Alonso called Aquarium; the beautifully illustrated Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal; and the hilarious (and bilingual) take on the famous cryptid, El Chupacabras, by Adam Rex. I also recently read Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky, a fantastic young adult/adult collection of myths from Mexico retold by David Bowles. Usually I wait until the end of the year to read adult books, and on my to-read list is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras, and The Idiot by Elif Batuman. Those are just a few titles. The full list is much, much longer!

Elena: Anything by Chimamanda Adichie! On my to-be-read- list: Tell Me How it Ends: and Essay in 40 questions, by Valeria Luiselli, and  I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Erika L. Sánchez.

Jun 14 2018

Ready for 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia: Fútbol/Soccer Children’s Literature Bibliography

 

by Sujei Lugo

For the next couple of weeks, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, one of the world’s biggest sports events, will be held in Russia. This international soccer/fútbol competition brings spectators of all kinds together, drawing on their common passion—and this applies to avid fans who follow the sport throughout the year, as well as those who only pay attention every four years when the World Cup is played. Either way, this is the time to catch up with the latest players and root for your favorite team/country.

I live and work in a neighborhood where the caregivers of my library’s kids are often watching fútbol games on their phones, and where once in a while the little ones wear their favorite player’s jersey, or that of their parents’ or grandparents’ national team. It is one of those times when we break down certain barriers of communication with neighbors, family, friends, co-workers, and the people sitting next to us—because we are all speaking fútbol.

Like my fellow children’s librarians, the time for summer reading/learning programs is upon us, and we are always eager to support and encourage recreational and informational reading for our youth. The 2018 FIFA World Cup is a great opportunity to showcase our fútbol/soccer children’s books, and to start or continue conversations with our small patrons—and root (or debate!) together.

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I posted a picture on my social-media accounts of the fútbol children’s books display that I put together at my library, along with coloring sheets of this year’s World Cup mascot, Zabivaka! My great colleagues Angie Manfredi and Cory Eckert suggested that I should assemble a bibliography of these books, and well, here it is! Included here are titles in Spanish and English, as well as bilingual editions, and it contains everything from early readers to graphic novels to chapter books. The majority of these titles are by Latinx or Latin American authors or illustrators. Many feature Latinx or Latin American characters and players, but I also included more general titles about the game and its players. My list focuses on books available at my library branch, but we know there are many more great ones out there! I hope this list inspires you to get your library display going, or perhaps to acquire some of these winners for your library, classroom, or home shelf, all for your favorite little ones!

Fútbol/Soccer Children’s Literature Bibliography

Alexander, Kwame (2016). Booked. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. [Chapter Book; Novel in Verse]

Apps, Roy; illustrated by Chris King (2015). Dream to Win: Leo Messi. Franklin Watts. [Early Readers; Biography]

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Boelts, Maribeth; illustrated by Lauren Castillo (2015). El fútbol me hace feliz. Candlewick Press. [Picture Book]

Boelts, Maribeth; illustrated by Lauren Castillo (2012). Happy Like Soccer. Candlewick Press. [Picture Book]

Borth, Teddy (2017). Fútbol: grandes momentos, récords y datos. Abdo Kids. [Early Readers]

Brown, Monica; illustrated by Angela Dominguez (2015). Lola Levine is not Mean! Little, Brown and Company. [Early Readers]

Brown, Monica; illustrated by Rudy Gutiérrez (2009). Pelé: King of Soccer/Pelé: el rey del fútbol. Rayo. [Picture Book; Biography; Bilingual]

Cline-Ransome, Lesa; illustrated by James E. Ransome (2007). Young Pelé: Soccer’s First Star. Schwartz & Wade Books. [Picture Book; Biography]

Colato Laínez, René; illustrated by Lancman Ink (2014). ¡Juguemos al fútbol y al football!/Let’s Play Fútbol and Football! Alfaguara. [Picture Book; Bilingual]

Crespo, Ana; illustrated by Nana Gonzalez (2015). The Sock Thief. Albert Whitman & Company. [Picture Book]

Dahl, Michael; illustrated by Christina Forshay (2018). Goodnight Soccer. Capstone Young Readers. [Picture Book]

Doeden, Matt (2017). Sports All-Stars: Cristiano Ronaldo. Lerner Publications. [Biography]

9789874616364Domínguez, María & Juan Pablo Lombana (2014). El Chavo: El partido de fútbol/The Soccer Match. Scholastic. [Picture Book; Bilingual]

Duopresslabs; illustrated by Jon Stollberg (2016). Messi superstar. ¡Achis! [Biography]

Elzaurdia, Paco (2013). Superestrellas del fútbol mexicano: Rafael Márquez. Mason Crest. [Biography]

Franz Rosell, Joel; illustrated by Constanze v. Kitzing (2012). Gatito y el balón. Kalandraka. [Picture Book]

Garlando, Luigi; illustrated by Stefano Turconi (2012) ¡Gol! Un gran equipo. Vintage Español. [Chapter Book & Comics]

Javaherbin, Mina; illustrated by Renato Alarcão (2014). Soccer Star. Candlewick Press. [Picture Book]

Jökulsson, Illugi (2015). James Rodríguez. Abbeville Press. [Biography]

Jökulsson, Illugi (2015). Stars of Women’s Soccer. Abbeville Press. [Biographies]james-rodriguez

Jökulsson, Illugi (2015). Stars of World Soccer. Abbeville Press. [Biographies]

Lombana, Juan Pablo; illustrated by Zamie Casazola (2014). Soccermania/Futbolmanía. Scholastic, Inc. [Bilingual]

Manushkin, Fran; illustrated by Tammie Lyon (2018). Pedro: el golazo de Pedro. Picture Window Books. [Early Readers]

Morgan, Alex (2016). The Kicks: Settle the Score. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. [Chapter Book]

Nevius, Carol; illustrated by Bill Thomson (2011). Soccer Hour. Marshall Cavendish Children. [Picture Book]

Oldfield, Tom & Matt Oldfield (2017). The Little Genius: Sergio Agüero. Dino. [Biography]

Oldfield, Tom & Matt Oldfield (2016). El pistolero: Luis Suárez. Dino. [Biography]

Paul, Batiste; illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara (2018). The Field. NorthSouth Books. [Picture Book]

Pelé; illustrated by Frank Morrison (2010). For the Love of Soccer! Disney Hyperion. [Picture Book]

Pérez Hernando, Fernando (2016). Armando. Takatuka. [Picture Book]

Pinkney, Brian (2015). On the Ball. Disney Hyperion. [Picture Book]

downloadRadnedge, Aidan (2018). 50 Things You Should Know About Soccer. Quarto Publishing.

Simon, Eddy; illustrated by Vincent Brascaglia (2017). Pelé: the King of Soccer. First Second. [Graphic Novel]

Teixeira Thiago, Jorge (2013). Superestrellas del fútbol brasilero: Neymar. Mason Crest. [Biography]

Vázquez Lozano, Gustavo A. (2013). Superstars of Soccer Colombia: Iván Córdoba. Mason Crest. [Biography]

Vázquez Lozano, Gustavo A. (2013). Superstars of Soccer Mexico: Javier “Chicharito” Hernández. Mason Crest. [Biography]

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Jun 11 2018

Quizás Algo Hermoso: Interview with author F. Isabel Campoy

 

By Sujei Lugo

The picture book Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood, written by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, and illustrated by Rafael López, was published in 2016. Based on a true story about a community art initiative led by Rafael López and his wife, graphic designer and community leader Candice López, the book received rave reviews, won the 2017 Tomás Rivera Book Award, and made our 2016 Favorite Latinx Books list. This inspiring tale, along with its vibrant illustrations, provides tremendous inspiration in the realm of literacy, community, and arts education. Its impact on youth makes it a resource toward engagement and collaboration for teachers, librarians, and community organizers. As a youth librarian, I used Maybe Something Beautiful for a Día de los Niñxs/Día de los Libros program and wrote a post about it, entitled Día Art Bilingual Story Time!    

Last March 2018, a Spanish edition was published under the title Quizás algo hermoso: cómo el arte transformó un barrio. This text is not a translation of the English edition, but a new, original text by F. Isabel Campoy. We had the opportunity to chat with Isabel about Quizás algo hermoso, and we also asked about her work in children’s books and how she stays inspired.

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You’ve been publishing children’s books for years. What inspires or fuels you to keep publishing English, Spanish and bilingual titles for our little ones?

The adults who surround the first ten years of any child have complete influence in the development of their intellectual capabilities. The language they hear, the type of interactions they have with their surroundings, the number of experiences they are exposed to, all these are cornerstones in the foundation of their lives. Books do not substitute lived experiences, but they are great complements to them. If a child is read in the language they hear at home. If a child looks at illustrations that invites them to new landscapes, cities, monuments, or people. If children are presented with positive experiences, feelings or actions, those children will grow richer, more capable, more alert and open to learning. That is what fuels me to keep publishing in Spanish, and in English. To give children MORE. More language, more knowledge, more joy. More is always MORE. And children have the amazing ability to build up big brains if we offer them the possibility of learning.

When I was a child, there were very few books published for children, and the ones available had just a few illustrations in black and white. But I had the great fortune to have a father who was subscribed to the National Geographic Magazine since 1940. Those magazines saved me, fueled my imagination, and planted the seed in my heart for knowledge. When I recently published “Alegría, poesía cada día” with National Geographic Magazine I felt that a 70-year circle had been completed. What a joy that was!

I want children to dream the way I did. Very fortunately the book industry now offers many opportunities for great reading experiences.

In 2016 Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood published to rave reviews. This year, we have a Spanish edition titled Quizás algo hermoso: cómo el arte transformó un barrio. Why did you choose to write a new, original Spanish text instead of providing a bilingual edition or direct translation?

If you are a balanced bilingual, when you write, in whatever language you are writing, you are being an original writer in that language. Quizás algo hermoso and Maybe Something Beautiful express the same idea in two languages. My co-author Theresa Howell and I worked the manuscript in English for almost three years! Every comma was measured, every expression, every interjection was pondered— while simultaneously I was building its parallel in Spanish. It is a lot of fun!

When a child reads a book, they must find a flawless use of that language, natural expressions, high command on part of the author of the grammar and syntax, a natural flow of meaning. Those are the components of an authentic text.

I wish all children had the opportunity to read and speak more than one language.

All countries in Latin America have speakers in more than one language. In the case of Mexico, for example, over 50 languages other than Spanish are spoken. I find that to be a cultural treasure!

Lead Artist Antonio Lente. Photo by Paul López Albuquerque

Mural in Abuquerque, New Mexico. Lead artist, Antonio Lente. Photo by Paul López

 

How has the reaction been to both versions of the book by adults and children?

When we chose to write this manuscript, we had one goal: to share a positive community action with readers anywhere. The example set by Rafael and Candice López in San Diego was born out of a true desire for transformation, and they succeeded beautifully. Art was the means and solidarity was the goal. Their example is now being replicated in many places in this country. Rafael’s brushes are magic wands and the world is his canvas!

We have received letters from teachers and their students telling us about how they reacted to the book. There have been real murals painted, and murals on huge brown paper covering school hall walls. There have been little altars with suggestion boxes on how each child imagines the transformation of their environment through art. We have seen pictures of painted river rocks creating paths in gardens, and little paintings, like Mira’s, attached to fences. It is extraordinary what children can imagine, and it is enlightening to listen to them!

Adults have found in this text an example that can be replicated in their own corners of the world. And they are doing it!

Can you talk about the importance of having this story available in Spanish? Do you plan to publish it in other languages?

A couple of months ago we had the great news that the book had been translated into Chinese! That would add at least 300 million possible readers to our book! We are very happy.

I wanted to see this book in Spanish from day one. We were very happy to see it finally printed. The community that the book reflects is a picture of life in many places in the United States. Muralism is a vibrant reflection of Hispanic art. Three internationally known painters in Mexico: Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros, brought murals to the forefront of artistic expression. Their palette and what they chose to paint reflected the people and the history of Mexico. Writing a book about murals was also paying homage to the lives of our communities, as diverse and multicultural as they are everywhere.

San Francisco

Mural in San Francisco, California. Photo provided by F. Isabel Campoy

Quizás algo hermoso can now be read by parents as well as children whose first language is Spanish. But also, by English-speaking children who are in Dual Language Programs. It is certainly beautiful to see how many more children are becoming bilingual. The two largest languages in this continent, English and Spanish, are embracing each other, providing a better path towards understanding for the new generations.

In your travels, have you seen vivid examples of mural painting that speak to the spirit of a community?

I am drawn to all forms of art. My first visit in every city is to its museums, art galleries, and monuments. In the United States there are famous cities with great murals—for example where I live, in San Francisco. They all depict life in the neighborhood or pride on the diverse cultures of the city. Philadelphia is famous for its murals, and Albuquerque now has miles of fantastic paintings all over the city’s walls. In a book I co-authored with Alma Flor Ada entitled Yes, We Are Latinos!, a book about diversity within the Latino culture, I wrote about the Tower in the Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, painted by Frederico Vigil. That tower is a fabulous historic overview of Latinos. 

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Mural in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by artist Ernel Martínez

Also abroad, from El Cairo to London, from Rome to Barcelona, murals are a part of the richness we can find everywhere in the world. You can see some examples on the website for Maybe Something Beautiful www.maybesomethingbeautiful.com.

If you could paint something beautiful, what would it be and in which barrio?

When my friend and children’s book author René Colato Laínez asked this question, I answered: A tree!

Because like them, we have roots that hold us firm in our culture and language, in family and knowledge. Like them, we have a cycle of life, fruits for new generations. Our branches hold the joy of growth; our leaves, the beauty of seasons.

Where is that brush… I’ll start right now!

And about the barrio…. do I need to choose one? Could it be one in every neighborhood where there are people like Rafael and Candice López, ready to transform their reality into something really beautiful?….. Allow me to dream that it is possible!

Thank you very much for inviting me to share with your readers. ¡Un enorme y hermoso abrazo, F. Isabel Campoy! 

 

Isabel Campoy Headshot

About F. Isabel Campoy: Isabel is the author of over 100 children’s books. She is a recognized scholar devoted to social justice and to promoting diverse books in diverse languages. Isabel is the recipient of the Ramón Santiago and Tomás Rivera Awards, among others. She is a member of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language. www.isabelcampoy.com

 

 

 

 

 

Sujei1About Sujei Lugo:  a former elementary school librarian in Puerto Rico, is a children’s librarian at the Boston Public Library, Connolly Branch. She holds an MLIS from the University of Puerto Rico and is currently a doctoral candidate in LIS at Simmons College, focusing on anti-racism and children’s librarianship. She is an active member of REFORMA, ALA and ALSC (newly minted Board of Directors member). Sujei served on the 2018 Newbery Award Committee and as co-chair of the 2018 ALSC Charlemae Rollins President’s Program. A member of the We’re the People Summer Reading Project. Twitter: @sujeilugo

 

Oct 19 2017

Latinxs in Kid Lit at the Library: Interviews with Fellow Librarians: Maria F. Estrella

 

The Latinxs in Kid Lit at the Library series features interviews with children’s librarians, youth services librarians, and school librarians, where they share knowledge, experiences, and the challenges they encounter in using Latino children’s literature in their libraries. In this entry we interview fellow REFORMA member Maria F. Estrella.

Maria F. Estrella

Maria F. Estrella

Assistant Manager, Cleveland Public Library, South Brooklyn Branch, Cleveland, Ohio

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your identity, and your library.

I am originally from Colombia and currently reside in Cleveland, Ohio. I came to the United States approximately thirty years ago, and grew up in a working-class community on the east side of Cleveland. During the 1980s, a small pocket of Latino families lived in my neighborhood, so maintaining our customs and culture was a priority.

I work for the Cleveland Public Library (CPL) as an Assistant Manager. Better known as the People’s University, CPL is a five-star library, recognized by the 2016 Library Journal Index of Public Library Service. Throughout my seventeen years of library experience, I have worked in various capacities. While obtaining my Bachelor’s of Arts and Sciences in Social Work and Spanish, I worked as a Youth Services Department Library Page and in Library Assistant-Computer Emphasis. I then obtained a Master’s of Communication and Information in Library and Information Science from Kent State University, and was promoted to Children’s Librarian, and then to Youth Services Subject Department Librarian. I currently work at the South Brooklyn Branch, one of twenty-seven branches within the Greater Cleveland, where there is a vast Latino population.

What process does your library take to select and acquire Latino children’s books for the collection? Do you have any input in this process?

There are several ways the Cleveland Public Library selects and acquires Latino children’s books for all of our twenty-seven branches and our main library. Our International Languages Department is responsible for the collection development of all Spanish materials, the Youth Services Department purchases diverse juvenile/teen titles, and our Children’s Librarians who serve the Latino community purchase Spanish or Latino children’s books for their collection.  

As an Assistant Manager, I no longer select or acquire juvenile/teen books for a collection. However, while working in the Youth Services Department, I created a Pura Belpré Award Book section, where all Pura Belpré award winners and honors are displayed. Additionally, I was one of two librarians responsible for ordering diverse titles for the department on a weekly basis.  

What type of children and youth programming does your library offer that promotes Latino children’s literature? How frequently?

Throughout the years, the Cleveland Public Library has conducted storytimes during Hispanic Heritage Month and Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros. I have recently partnered with the Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center to conduct a monthly bilingual storytime for families. The purpose of the storytime is to spark the love of language and literature in all forms (both English and Spanish) in early readers.

In terms of promoting events and community outreach, what does your library do?

The Cleveland Public Library promotes library events through various social media platforms and printed announcements, such as our monthly Up Next brochure. Our library staff members conduct numerous community outreaches throughout our urban neighborhoods, and we have an Outreach and Programming Services Department. Our library system also has the On the Road to Reading program, which delivers library materials and services to caregivers of young children, birth to 5 years of age. The project is conducted at selected childcare settings, pediatric clinics, and community events.

One cool thing the library acquired two years ago is the Cleveland Public Library People’s University Express Book Bike. The Book Bike’s overall mission is to celebrate both literacy and healthy living, while implementing creative ways to educate, provide library services, and instill pride in our urban communities. The traveling library displays informational services and materials, serves as a library checkout station, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and acts as a welcoming library hub at any outreach event. During the summer, I have the great privilege to ride the bike!

What is the reaction of kids, teens, and families regarding Latino children’s books and programming? And the reaction of your co-workers and library staff?

As a result of Cleveland, Ohio, being very diverse in population, it’s common for our children, teens, and families to experience diverse books and programming. What I love to do the most is introduce children and families to a small piece of our culture by doing simple things like reading a Latino-inspired tale or conducting a Día de los Muertos program. The library staff and co-workers love it, have provided a helping hand, and some have invited me to their branches to conduct a storytime.

Any challenges regarding the acquisition of Latino children’s books or in getting your programming approved? What would you like to do in terms of programming that you haven’t be able to?

I have never had any challenges regarding the acquisition of Latino juvenile books or programming. Sometimes, I am in shock that my past and present supervisors and our Outreach and Programming Department liked my program ideas, because at times they are a little outside the box! A program that I would love to have is a children/teen Latino writer/ illustrator series during the month of the Día celebration. I would love to illustrate to our Latino youth and their families that all dreams are possible, and demonstrating to them that diverse characters and displaying the Latino culture in books are worth creating!

Do you address issues of prejudice and oppression in your library through and in children’s books? 

As a result of being an almost 150-year-old institution, we don’t censor any material, and we do come across children’s books that portray certain prejudices. As an academic/public library system, we preserve those literary works for scholars to utilize in their research. However, we have marvelous youth-services staff members, who constantly inform themselves on the need for great diverse books for children. Currently, our institution has librarians on various ALA/ALSC book award committees. I had the honor of serving on the 2016 ALSC/REFORMA Pura Belpré Committee, which annually selects a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

Any advice for other librarians/educators who would like to use and incorporate Latino children’s literature into their programming?

Please do your research, read, and truly be an advocate for Latino children/teen literature, especially since, at times, you may be the only one doing it.

Which are the most popular Latino children’s books at your library?

Anything by Yuyi Morales, Duncan Tonatiuh, Meg Medina, and Margarita Engle.

And finally, which Latino children’s books do you recommend?

There are many books that I love and utilize during storytime and with my children! I love that there is a Colombian character in the children’s book Juana & Lucas, written and illustrated by Juana Medina. 

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