Miss NM Teen Latina meets Jan Brett!

The Tale of the Tiger Slippers National Bus Tour

World's Miss New Mexico Teen Tourism, Valeria Marquez meets Author/Artist/Illustrator, Jan Brett 

During the Tale of the Tiger Slippers National Bus Tour stop in Farmington, Valeria purchased her favorite book "Mermaid" by Jan Brett and got to meet her.

Jan Brett is the New York Times #1 bestselling artist/author of over 35 picture books that have sold over 42 million copies combined. Her books have been chosen as “Best Children’s Books of the Year” by The New Yorker, Parents Magazine, Redbook, and others.  Jan lives in a seacoast town in Massachusetts, close to where she grew up.  Jan visits many different countries where she researches the architecture and costumes that appear in her work. 

World’s Teen New Mexico Tourism, Valeria Marquez is a champion for "REFORMA de Nuevo Mexico" and shares her passion by using it as a platform for the upcoming national competition scheduled for July 24, 25, 26, 2020 in Pigeon Forge, TennesseeThank you. Valeria for reading in Spanish to our kids, collecting and distributing backpacks with First Book bilingual/multicultural books and hygiene items to kids at the border for "Children in Crisis." Valeria also participated at the first Bilingual Book Festival at the New Mexico Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque for El Dia de Los Ninos, El Dia de Los Libros / Children's Day/Children's Book Day and will be participating again on April 25, 2020.

Children in Crisis

Thank you, First Book and National REFORMA for a generous grant to provide books for Children in Crisis at the New Mexico border.  Echo Food Bank and Catholic Charities backpacks with supplies and books were delivered to Las Cruces, Palomas and Columbus, NM.

First Book & Children in Crisis

Thank you First Book for making Spanish books available for Children in Crisis, our immigrant children at the border.   They will make a great gift in December along with other supplies. New Mexico Miss Latina will be delivering some of the materials.

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