Book Giveaway! Sisters, Strangers, and Starting Over

I'm hosting a book giveaway on behalf of Hachette Book Group.  There will be three winners, who will each win a copy of Sisters, Strangers, and Starting Over by Belinda Acosta. 

Beatriz Sánchez-Milligan is shocked when her 14-year-old niece, Celeste, stumbles into her 25th wedding anniversary party. Celeste reveals that her mother, Perla, has died and that she has nowhere else to go. Beatriz immediately takes Celeste in - a decision that troubles her husband, Larry, who remembers that wherever Perla went, trouble followed. He worries his wife is rushing in without having all the facts. Undaunted, Beatriz begins to plan a quinceañera for Celeste; but the party planning doesn't comfort Celeste, nor does it ease Beatriz's pain.  -Hachette Book Group

Visit the author's website
Follow the author @BelindaGene
Become a fan on Facebook

To win a book, please comment here by July 31, and share your thoughts on sisters, whether you have sisters or not. When you comment, please leave an email address or link to a site where you can be contacted. Winners must be US or Canadian residents. No PO Boxes please. Winners will be selected and announced on August 1.

Realzar... La Raza

I was invited to attend the National Council of La Raza 2010 Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, July 10 - 14. The call was totally unexpected and very short notice, causing me to hesitate and think I'd need to sleep on it.  But I didn't need to think on it too much; how could I not go?  I've been a long time supporter of NCLR and its ideals, and to think that I've been given yet another opportunity to be with people who work toward the same things as I do... well, it means a lot.  And as my husband said, when I was on the fence about going, "You have to go. It's your thing!"

NCLR is "the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States".  I'm excited to listen to the conference speakers, learn new things about community and advocacy at the workshops, and network with people from across the country.  You can be sure that I'll be seeking out other educators and advocates for English Language Learners.  While there, I'll be tweeting my experiences @CassyLL.  Do follow!

I'm a proud Latina and I feel it's my obligation to support other Latinos, especially my students and their families.  While at the NCLR conference, I'll draw fuerzas y animo from the other participants - strength and encouragement, for the work that lies ahead of me.  Mi gente... I'm so excited! 

Arizona... estoy contigo

This morning I am struck by the latest post over at La Bloga.  It was Arizona's Day of Action yesterday.  People marched in the scorching heat to protest Senate Bill 1070 - a bill that invites harassment and mistreatment of Latinos.

A colleague of mine, for whom I have little patience, recently asked me what I thought about the latest in Arizona.  I can't have this kind of conversation with this person; there's too much ignorance there.  How do you explain that people often come here out of desperation? Out of need? And what about dreams and visions?  Are brown people not allowed to hope for something better for themselves and their children?

My colleague, for the hundredth time, says "they" take some of our jobs. I ask, "Are you willing to pick fruit in the hot sun all day long? Would you stand in an assembly line fastening plastic bits to metal parts? Would you mind bussing tables and washing strangers' dishes? Would you scrub toilets? Can you imagine taking on two or three of these jobs just so you can get by?

And now I ask you - mi colega
would you deny food to Maria who stands in
the lunch line, anticipating the
warmth in her belly that will come from a sandwich
and a carton of milk?
Do you want to send Alex away, whose dad has just
moved his family of five
to a third floor apartment
in a run down house,
no air-conditioning?
And what about Wanda,
who excels in class, writing colorful poems and
hopeful stories - the top student -
would you send her back to a place
where school is unstable?
Would you take from these children
because, as an American
it's your duty to stand for "what's right"?

Winners - Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway

Congratulations to the following amigos, who have each won a set of five books!

1. Estela
2. Confessions of an Overworked Mom
3. Ali
4. Sarah
5. Mary Ann DeBorde

Winners have been contacted by email. Thanks for participating! Enjoy your books!

Hispanic Heritage Month Book Giveaway

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed September 15 through October 15. I'm excited to kick off this month-long celebration with a book giveaway on behalf of Hachette Book Group. There will be five winners, who will each win a set of five books.

The books in this giveaway are:

1. Zumba® By Beto Perez , Maggie Greenwood-Robinson
2. Evenings at the Argentine Club By Julia Amante
3. Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz By Belinda Acosta
4. Tell Me Something True By Leila Cobo
5. Amigoland By Oscar Casares

To win a set of books, please answer the following question, and comment here by October 15. When you comment, please leave an email address or link to a site where you can be contacted. Winners must be US or Canadian residents. No PO Boxes please. Winners will be selected and announced on October 16th.

So...
What notable Hispanic, past or present, do you want to know more about? Why?

Winners - Latino Book Giveaway

Congratulations to the following buena gente, who have won copies of America Libre by Raul Ramos y Sanchez and Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz by Belinda Acosta.

1. x l
2. Carolyn G
3. cumba
4. KD
5. Sarah Alaoui

Winners have been contacted by email. Thanks for participating! Enjoy your books!

Latino Book Giveaway!

I've been given another great opportunity to offer new Latino-authored books here at my blog.

There are five copies each of:

America Libre by Raul Ramos y Sanchez


Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz by Belinda Acosta


Contest rules:

1. Respond to this post, indicating the book you'd like to win. You may submit two separate entries, one for each book. In your comment(s), please tell me a bit about yourself, about what you like to read, if you've previously read any Latino authors, etc. I love to know more about my readers!
2. Please include an email address or site where I can reach you.
3. US and Canada participants only. No PO boxes, please.

Entries will be seleccionados al azar (chosen at random) on July 30. Winners will be announced on my July 31st post. Ten lucky folks will win!

Giveaway Update

Some people have all the luck! It appears our friends Cheryl S and Nightdweller20 have already won these great books at other blogs. So, I have the pleasure of drawing two more names.

The winners are:
1. teachin'
2. Bingo

Please comment/reply to this post ASAP with your name and mailing address so that we may get these books out to you right away. Don't worry - I will not publish your addresses here. (PO Boxes not acceptable, sorry.) I'll also try to get in touch with you (if you have a blog or if you've already supplied your address) so that we may expedite the mailing of your prizes!

Latino Books Month Giveaway - Winners!

Thank You to the 37 fabulous participants who posted comments to my May 7th Giveaway post! I enjoyed hearing from all of you!

As promised, your entries were placed into a bowl. My son was enlisted as the Reach for More giveaway "official", and drew five entries. The winners are:

1. Cheryl S.

2. Campbele

3. Rebecca

4. Nightdweller20

5. Debbie Rodgers

Lucky you! You've won all 5 of these books:

B as in Beauty By Alberto Ferreras

Into the Beautiful North By Luis Urrea

Hungry Woman in Paris By Josefina Lopez

The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos By Margaret Mascarenhas

Houston, We Have a Problema By Gwendolyn Zepeda

Winners - Please comment/reply to this post ASAP with your name and mailing address so that we may get these books out to you right away. (PO Boxes not acceptable, sorry.)

Speaking of Super Heroes...

While catching up with Literanista - the first blog I ever followed, and one of my constant favorites - I found out that the actress who played Wonder Woman is a Latina!

Linda Jean Córdova Carter is the beautiful brunette who played Wonder Woman. I remember being a kid and watching the weekly episodes, fantasizing about having special powers like hers. I had the long, flowing black hair, and I recall making wrist bands out of gold gift wrap which I wore a few times during long, wonderful hours of play with my sisters and neighborhood playmates. I think I even wanted a Wonder Woman costume one year for Halloween, but my oddly-shaped preteen body wouldn't allow it.

Now, as an adult I still love the idea of super powers! I encourage this kind of creative thinking with my students, and I look for books (like Super Cilantro Girl) where kids become super heroes.

So, what a sorpresa to learn that Wonder Woman was/is a Latina! Is that why I connected with her? I invite you to visit Literanista's blog, then follow her to another cool blog - Mulatto Diaries - and enjoy "No Wonder I Loved Wonder Woman".

By the way, I fancy myself Book Woman... more on that later. Stay tuned.

Sotomayor: We'll get it right

I let out a loud YES! this morning while checking my email. I had just received a New York Time News Alert announcing Obama's pick for Supreme Court Justice. The nominee - Sonia Sotomayor - could be the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice. This is another historic day.

I announced the news to my 4th graders and asked them to come up with questions about Ms. Sotomayor. We'll do some researching and reporting this week. Personally, I am inspired by what I have learned so far.

I had heard Ms. Sotomayor's name mentioned several times in the past few weeks; each time, it was pronounced differently. A colleague of mine suggested we brace ourselves for even more name-butchering in the days ahead. It's inevitable.

But I plan to help. Please repeat:

Sew - toe - mah - your
So - toe - ma - yore

Again. Otra vez.

Sotomayor. Another door opens...

10 days left - Latino Books Month!

Don't forget to participate in this month's giveaway of five FREE Latino Books. Please go to my May 7 post and leave a comment, or two, or three! Be sure to leave some sort of link or email address so I can reach you. The drawing will be held on May 31st.

And to those of you who have already participated, MIL GRACIAS!

Latino Books Month Giveaway!

May is Latino Book Month. Join me as I celebrate with a great book giveaway!

Enter to win all 5 of these books (yes, all 5!):

B as in Beauty By Alberto Ferreras
Into the Beautiful North By Luis Urrea
Hungry Woman in Paris By Josefina Lopez
The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos By Margaret Mascarenhas
Houston, We Have a Problema By Gwendolyn Zepeda

Contest rules:
Briefly answer one or more of the following questions and leave your replies to this post during the month of May. You may comment more than once, answering a different question each time, for a total of three entries.

1. What Latino author and/or book sticks out in your mind? Why?
2. If you've never read a Latino-authored book, would you like to? Why?
3. What kinds of books do you read? What genre do you lean toward? Why?

Entries will be placed en una fuente grande (a large bowl) and will be seleccionados al azar (will be chosen at random) on May 31st. Winners will be announced on my June 1st post. Five lucky readers will win!

Thank you Hachette Book Group! And thank you to Literanista for this great opportunity!

Latino Books Month

While perusing some of my favorite blogs, I learned that May is Latino Books Month. The AAP (Association of American Publishers) offers resources, like book lists and book club ideas, at their site.

I plan to do a "kickoff" for Latino Books Month with my students and colleagues tomorrow. I know that some of my coworkers will want to do something special to promote Latino authors for the rest of the month. I have an entire section of bilingual and Hispanic authored books in my classroom library which I'll invite folks to borrow from.

Our school library is quite lacking in this aspect. I'll have to nudge the librarian con cariño to purchase more books in Spanish, more bilingual, and more Latino authors for next year. When children see themselves in the books they read, they are more inclined to find joy in reading. The school where I teach is 90% Hispanic; our school library should reflect the children it serves.

I am currently reading Hungry Woman in Paris by Josefina Lopez. The cover attracted my attention, and the story, so far, is great. Next, I'll be reading B as in Beauty by Alberto Ferreras, which one of my favorite bloggers was kind enough to send to me. Thanks Literanista!

Latin Baby Book Club

I've been invited by Monica at Latin Baby Book Club to be a contributing blogger. I'm happy to accept the opportunity, and invite you to go there to hear about a book that celebrates the beautiful people who gather the food we enjoy on our tables. Gathering the Sun , by Alma Flor Ada, is a bilingual alphabet book I use as a mentor text in my classroom.

Latin Baby Book Club is a blog that promotes pride in the Latino culture and most importantly in our stories. LBBC is a valuable resource for both parents and educators who wish to nurture a love of reading, bilingualism, and diversity.

I'm honored to be a part of this endeavor.

Latina Bloggers - ¿Dónde están?

Carrie at Bilingual in the Boonies had the great idea of looking for all the Latina bloggers out there. Thanks to Carrie, I've discovered muchas interesting and inspiring blogs written by Latinas. Please check out Carrie's blog and link up if you are a Latina blogger.

Latina Book Giveaway!

I’ve just read Houston, We Have a Problema by Gwendolyn Zepeda. This novel was a light-hearted look in to the life of a sassy, young Latina who makes her way through family, work, and love dilemmas. Sprinkled into the story are matters of identity, expectations, culture, and stereotypes, all of which seem to affect the main character’s ability to make sound decisions for herself.

This chick lit book is apparently Zepeda’s first novel. It moved quickly and was a fun read. The main character, Jessica Luna, is a girly-girl who embraces her curves and is proud of who she is. It was entertaining to join Jess during her frequent visits to her psychic, Madame Hortensia. Equally amusing and encouraging are Jess' constant efforts to get what she wants.

Thanks to Literanista, for inviting me to read this book. Be sure to visit her site!

Now, I’ve been given the opportunity to offer a free book giveaway to my readers. Five copies of Houston, We Have a Problema are available, courtesy of Hachette Book Group USA. Please leave a comment to this post by Wednesday, December 10. The first five folks to do so win a book! In your post, tell me you'd like a copy of the book AND share your thoughts (if any) on the terms Hispanic and Latina.

Rules:

You must live in the United States or Canada. No P.O. boxes, please.
So, who wants a copy?

Educating Ourselves About ELLs

This past Thursday, I met with an awesome group of proactive and professional people who work as advocates for English Language Learners. This group, the ELL Educator Cadre, is comprised of 16 educators from across the United States. We meet in Washington DC at the AFT (American Federation of Teachers) headquarters twice a year. Our team discusses issues in the field of English language acquisition, such as testing, equitable access to programs and materials, professional training, research, and best practices. This effort, coordinated by the AFT, is an opportunity for real practitioners to contribute expertise and knowledge to policy-makers, public relations specialists, and elected representatives at the state and national level.

Today, one in five students in this country is Hispanic. This fact is an obvious indicator of the changes our country is experiencing. Whether we look at this fact as an “issue” or an opportunity says a lot about how we approach the education of our children. We certainly have to make many adjustments as we plan for and deliver instruction.

While talking with my colleagues in Washington, it became apparent that great strides are being made in the areas of English language learning, bilingual education, and ESL instruction. However, I also see how a lot of this progress is overshadowed by the impossible demands of NCLB, accompanied by a lingering resentment toward immigrants and a clear resistance to becoming more appreciative of that which is “different”.

I wonder, are all of my brothers and sisters in teaching ready to look at things differently? Are you ready to experience a paradigm shift? As the numbers of English Language Learners grow in your schools, will you stand up for the rights of all children to receive the very BEST that you have to offer?

If you teach ELLs - you NEED this website!

Across the country, school is about to open, if it hasn't already. Many teachers, both veteran and novice, will meet a new group of bright, hopeful faces in their classrooms. Among these students, there are sure to be ELLs, or English Language Learners. As the face of our nation changes, so too must the strategies and tools we carry to meet the needs of our diverse students.

I invite you to visit the website Colorin Colorado. For the past several years, I have been part of the ELL Educator Cadre of practioners from across the United States. We have worked with the AFT (American Federation of Teachers) and the developers of the website, creating materials on professional development, and advising on special projects, strategies, and best practices for ELLs.

If you work with ELLs or their parents, you will find this website to be most useful. There is a "For Educators" section, as well as a "For Parents" section, which can be accessed in either English or Spanish. There are ready-to-use tip sheets and newsletters you can use with the parents of your students. The site also contains research, articles, podcasts/webcasts, and literally everything you ever needed to know about how to best serve your ELLs.

The site also offers reading tip sheets in 11 other languages, ready to copy and send out to parents.

Be sure to check out Colorin Colorado! Tell your colleagues! Share this resource with the parents of your students!

Latina Book Review: Border-Line Personalities

Border-line Personalities proved to be a great read. Topics such as mother-daughter relationships, family secrets, being bilingual, ethnic pride and denial, raising kids, sexuality, love, and careers are all discussed by 20 different Latina writers. Although the viewpoints presented in this collection of essays are varied, there is a clear sense of some commonality among Latinos.

Several points hit home for me in this book. One of them, el qué dirán (the "what will they think/say") is so prevalent in the lives of Latinas; many of us are raised by a mami who warns us not to embarrass her, the family, and ourselves by "non-traditional" or "unacceptable" behaviors and decisions. This proves to be a source of internal conflict for Latinas who struggle to be true to their more modern and independent, American selves.

Another topic that emerged in these selections was that of labeling and stereotypes. Often, we are incorrectly called Spanish, when in fact some of us are immigrants from or descendants of Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Chile, Argentina, and all of the other Spanish-speaking countries that form Central and South America. Many of us are born in the United States. When I'm asked "what are you?" (yes, people do ask) I reply that I am American-born, and that my parents are Bolivian. I identify with both cultures. I speak Spanish, but I am not Spanish.

One of the essays reminded me of a disappointing conversation I suffered with my college roommate many years ago. She seemed to think I was a "good" Hispanic because I did not "act like one". I remember her saying something about "those people", and how I didn't look like them, or "talk fast" like them.

So what is this term Latina all about? For me, and the writers in Border-Line Personalities, it's a feeling, an outlook, an attitude, a way of life, a source of pride. Latinas relate to each other on another level because of the way we've been raised, the similarities in our different cultures, because of what is expected of us, and because of the way we're perceived in the greater picture of American life. Latinas continue to redefine themselves while also contributing positively to the forward movement of their families and their communities.

Want to read this book? I'll be glad to send it to you. Comment on this post by Monday, August 4, and mention if you are interested in receiving my well-kept copy. I will select a winner and mail the book to you.