Multicultural Children’s Book Day is a day set aside to celebrate the importance of diversity in the books written and shared with children. For many years, books with characters from different cultures, ethnic groups, and religions have been difficult to find. That is changing, however, as authors, publishers, librarian, and teachers seek out books that […]
Multicultural Children's Books
The Heart of the Library
Many of us take libraries for granted. So much so, that we forget the important role of libraries and the librarians who provide resources to everyone. But, not everyone has access to the treasures libraries have to offer. In September, I attended the first meeting of the Fresno area chapter of REFORMA, the National Association […]
A Reading Field Trip- Destination: Brazil
One of the main purposes of A Field Trip Life blog is to highlight children’s books set in locations around the world. One of the best ways to learn and understand other cultures is by traveling. The other is by reading diverse books. Although the Rio Olympics are over, I continue to think about Brazil. The suggested […]
Notes from the Field – The Olympic Edition
I admit it. I am an Olympic junkie. As a child, our family gathered around the television every four years and binge watched the Olympics. I rarely watch television these days but always make an exception for the Olympics. Now that the 2016 games in Rio are over, I’ve decided to revisit and share some […]
The Case for Loving – a review
The Case for Loving – the Fight for Interracial Marriage written by Selina Alko. Illustrated by Selina Alko and her husband Sean Qualls Arthur A. Levine Books 2015. June 12th is officially Loving Day but do you know why? In 1958, Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter fell in love. Of course they wanted to be married […]
S is for Sukey’s Mermaid, Starbucks, and Stamps!
S in a Mermaid World Storyteller say, This happened oncet upon a time, on a little island off the coast of South Carolina. So begins the story of Sukey and the Mermaid, retold by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Brian Pinkney. Sukey was a young girl whose lazy new stepfather forced her to […]
G is for Greece and Guam
G is the letter of the day for those of us who are participating in the a-z blog challenge. My theme this year is “Living in a Mermaid World.” Greece is home to many myths and legends about merfolk (mermaids and mermen.) Many of our ideas about mermaids come from these ancient Greek stories. The […]
C is for Columbia
Welcome! It’s Monday and Day 3 of the A to Z blog challenge. Today we’re heading to Columbia to learn about La Sirena De Hurtado, en Valledupar, Colombia. The Guatapuri River in Valledupar, Columbia is considered one of the most beautiful rivers in Columbia. But, children are warned to stay away from the river, especially […]
Field Trip Report – March 2016 edition
There was no sitting around this month – here’s some notes about things seen in March I found these awesome Field Notes memo books: We are so thankful for the rain we’ve had and now we are enjoying the spring blooms. There’s a wonderful photography exhibit of Frida Kahlo at the Fresno […]
A quote and some field notes…
Whew! January has been a wild month filled with family, friends, and field trips! I’m taking a little break from packing. I need to be at the airport before 5 a.m. for my trip to Nicaragua. I will be helping to set up a school with Students International. My children have all traveled and worked […]
#ReadYourWorld on Multicultural Children’s Book Day!
It is time to celebrate Multicultural Children’s Book Day! All children need to see children like themselves in the pages of a book. It is also important for all children to learn about children who live in other places, speak different languages, look different, or have different challenges to face. Reading opens the world to […]
Z is for Zambia
Z – Can it be? Yes, we’ve reached the end of the alphabet in the 2015 A to Z April Blog Challenge. As a kindergarten teacher, I know what a big deal it is when we reach the letter Z. It is also a big deal for all the A to Z Blog challengers. Here […]
X is for Xian
We are nearing the end of the A to Z April Blog Challenge where my theme is Read Your World with Kid’s Books. Today’s letter is X which was the one I was most worried about. There are not many places that begin with the letter X and those that do don’t seem to have […]
V is for Vietnam
V is for Vietnam Forty years ago this week United States troops pulled out of Vietnam. There will be many articles, news reports, and ceremonies commemorating this historical event. It is only fitting that during this A to Z Blog Challenge week, we look back and reflect on how this event affected the refugees that […]
U is for Uganda
When I traveled to Africa, I learned how livestock ownership could change a family’s life. A donkey can serve as a taxi or means to haul water. Chickens give eggs that can be eaten or sold. A goat can enable a girl to get an education. This is the premise for Beatrice’s Goat by Page […]