Here in the Central Valley of California, we are fortunate to have Artes de Americas , a museum whose mission is to make Central California a flourishing place for Latino arts. For the past few weeks, a number of REFORMA de Fresno* members Josie Bustos, Aideed Medina, Armando “Luie”Garcia, Ivan Calimano, Sandra Rios Balderrama […]
Multicultural Children's Books
Hispanic Heritage Month – Rebozo Revival
September 15th to October 15th has been designated National Hispanic Heritage Month. Here, in Central California, there is much to celebrate. The Rebozo Revival is one of the exciting events being held this week. This five-day celebration was founded by rebozo expert Lourdes Sevilla. She has brought four master weavers from Mexico to exhibit their […]
Forest World by Margarita Engle – a Field Trip review #ownvoices #diversekidlit
There’s always reason to celebrate when a new book by U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate and author Margarita Engle is released. We are doubly fortunate this week because two new books have become available! Forest World (Atheneum Books for Young Readers) is her latest middle grade verse novel which follows the journey Cuban-born but U.S. raised Edver […]
N is for Nicaragua and the library we built #atozblogchallenge
Welcome to today’s A to Z Blog Challenge Post. This year I am writing about Library Love and today I’d like to share a library near and dear to my heart. When you step away from your normal routine, amazing things can happen. Last year a friend invited me to go on a woman’s retreat […]
I is for Iraq #atozchallenge
I is for Iraq One of the saddest things imaginable to bibliophiles, is the destruction of a library. Librarians fearlessly defend the right of their patrons to have access to information and they care for the collections entrusted to them so that they will be available for future generations. Alia Muhammad Baker was the chief […]
5 Multicultural Cybils Chapter Book Nominees
As a first round Cybils judge, I have had the opportunity to read some of the best books published this past year for young readers. It is important to note that many of the books included diverse characters. Children need to see others like themselves in the pages of the books they read. Today I […]
Good News – 6 Chapter Books for Multicultural Kids a MCBD Review
There is nothing as exciting as watching children catch the reading bug. Usually this happens a a child progresses from easy readers to chapter books. Very often the books they fall in love with have relatable characters that the young reader can relate to. The best way to keep the enthusiasm growing is with […]
Multicultural Children’s Book Day Picture Book Reviews
Hooray! It’s Multicultural Children’s Book Day! Four years ago, bloggers Mia Wenjen and Vickie Budayer became concerned about the lack of diversity represented in children’s books. They decided to do something and began Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Kid lit book lovers will be sharing children’s books featuring diverse characters all over social media. There is more […]
For the Right to Learn – Malala Yousafzai #readyourworld
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 […]
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 […]