Dia Timeline, Mora Award and First Book and "The Remembering Day, Dia de Los Muertos!"

A Timeline for Día's 20 Years 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 together for 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