by Adriana Dominguez
El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) is fast approaching, on April 30th! As part of its new collaboration with ALSC, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) has organized public events to help raise awareness of Día among the general public.
Spanish radio personality and Rayo author, Dra. Isabel, a popular psychologist with her own show on Univision Radio, will interview yours truly on April 30th to discuss Día, and how parents can help raise their children to become better readers. I will also mention ALSC’s Día website as a resource for parents to learn about Día events going on at their local libraries, so hopefully that will help to bring more Latino patrons into your branches! The show is national, so tune in at 1pm (EST)!
That evening, Dra. Isabel will participate in a Día event hosted by the Jackson Heights branch of the New York Public Library. Dra. Isabel will read from her children’s book “La cancií³n de Gabriela,” which deals with the difficulties faced by immigrant children trying to adapt to a new culture. The reading will be followed by an event for adults, where she will discuss her book “Los 7 pasos para ser feliz,” so patrons can bring their entire family to the library to celebrate Día!
That same day, Miami’s most famous bookstore, Books & Books will also host a wonderful Día event organized with the help of AAP. At this event, 3rd graders from Coral Way K-8 Center, the nation’s first dual language school, will kick off the afternoon by reciting classic Spanish poems. After her reading and autograph signing, author and scholar Barbara Zurer Pearson, Ph.D., will lead a workshop on “How to Raise a Bilingual Child.” To close, students from Coral Way will perform the play “Pueblo de la mujeres” by Hermanos Alvarez Quintero.
Both of these events are a result of the new partnership established between AAP and ALSC, so I urge you to support them and help to raise awareness of them. And of course, have a great Día!