Imagínense Libros: Celebrating Latino Children's Literature, Literacy, and Libraries: Does your teaching program need a little Zing?
¡Imagínense Libros! is a virtual evaluation collection of Latino children’s and young adult literature designed to help librarians, educators, and parents choose high-quality books authentically representing the Latino cultures. Resources related to Latino/a authors and illustrators are provided in addition to other topics related to Latino Children's Literature.
Does your teaching program need a little Zing?
Mora, Pat. Zing! Seven Creativity Practices for Educators and Students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin/SAGE, 2010. 140 pp. ISBN 978-1-4129-7839-2, $23.95 (pb).
Educators looking for that “zing” or energy boost to begin inspiring creativity in themselves and their students will find plenty of useful tidbits, encouraging dichos, and delightful anecdotes from well-known Latina poet, educator, and children’s author Pat Mora. Written as a series of letters to educators, the book is grounded in seven creativity practices: value your creative self, enjoy quiet, gather your materials, begin your project, revise, share your creations, and steadily persist in your creative work. Each of the seven chapters contains two letters: one meant to inspire educators’ personal creativity and one meant to support educators as they facilitate creative opportunities in their students.
Mora’s poetic voice, which describes her international travels and experiences as a cultural outsider, provides just enough encouragement and real-world sensibility to motivate teachers and librarians serving children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Opportunities for further exploration of the creative practices and writing invitations are provided throughout the book. Pair this with Maya Christina Gonzalez’s Claiming Face for the perfect mix of philosophical and practical ideas for integrating creativity into classrooms to promote cultural understanding and positive ethnic identity development. Recommended.
Just found your blogspot. Smithsonian Latino Virtua Museum blogspot is now following you. Wonderful and insightful site!
Image Copyright 2007, Maya Christina Gonzalez (My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi mundo. Pub by Children's Book Press). Used with permision of artist.
Dr. Jamie C. Naidoo, University of Alabama - SLIS, Founder and Director of ¡Imagínense Libros!
¡Imagínense! is a multifaceted program combining current research and practice to assist librarians, teachers, and other educators in meeting the literacy needs of Latino children and adolescents.