We're
still celebrating Día's 20th year--with an Evolving Día Timeline! Día
connects us daily and especially during April for the culminating
celebrations of sharing bookjoy--all children, all cultures,
all languages. Let's each, individually and collectively, urge
libraries, schools and school districts, universities and
colleges, early literacy programs, presses and literacy
organizations to
collaborate, to work togetherfor the
good of their community, state and our nation. Literacy is
essential in our democracy.
Congratulations to the 2016 Mora Award Winners!
Sonia M. Sotomayor Early
College High School in Pharr, Texas, will receive the 2016 Estela and Raúl Mora Award, an
honor given by Pat and her sister in partnership with First Book. The award will
provide $1,000 in credits to the First Book Marketplace.
This year there were two Mora Award honor winners
that will receive $500 in credit to the First Book Marketplace. Broward County Public
Schools in Hollywood, Fla., and Brownsville
Independent School District (BISD) Library and Media Services
in Brownsville, Texas were also recognized for innovative Día
celebrations, which reached a combined 187 elementary schools and
200 early education providers.
The Remembering Day/ El día de los muertos
In this special bilingual picture book for
children, [author] Pat [Mora] creates an origin myth in which she
imagines how the Mexican custom of remembering deceased loved
ones—El día
de los muertos or the Day of the Dead—came to be.
With tender illustrations by Robert Casilla that depict Bella and
Mamá Alma’s loving relationship, this book will encourage
children to honor loved ones, whether by writing stories and
poems or creating their own remembering place.
The Evolving Día Timeline celebrates
the people and organizations that have helped to grow Día and share
bookjoy these many years.
This year,
First Book coordinated the judging for the Mora Award which
recognized schools and libraries that plan exemplary literacy
activities during the month of April in celebration of Día.
Nearly 75 schools and educational programs submitted entries to
this year’s award process. Read First Book’s press release.
"This
delicate subject matter is masterfully handled by Mora, a
storyteller of unparalleled sensibility."—NBC News