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!

Overwhelmed and ocupadísima

Some of my fellow twitterers and bloggers (who happen to be educators) have posted "I'm still here!" updates. It seems September has brought its customary rushing around to many folks, me included.

It is comforting, in a way, to know I'm not the only one with an over-heaped plate. That doesn't help me with my to-do list, though. Someone mentioned "mapping out" what one has to do, before setting out to do it all. That's exactly the habit I need to develop. I'm known for signing up for more work - chairing committees, organizing events, writing articles, presenting workshops, starting up new projects - only to become flustered when I can't get to everything properly.

Before the piles of paper get too high, before the projects become too numerous to keep track of, before I fall behind in my work and start making mistakes, and before I lose sight of the fact that I am a wife and mother first - I have to sit down and take a look at everything I've committed myself to. I'm not one to drop what I can't do. I just have to do a better job of managing everything.

So, I want my readers to know - I'm still here, bear with me please. I'll soon get everything under control and will get back to blogging regularly.

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.

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!

Bilingual Book Review - Oh No! Gotta Go!

Please stop over at Latin Baby Book Club, where I've shared my book review of Oh No, Gotta Go!, a bilingual story-in-verse of a little girl who realizes she needs a bathroom while riding in the car. Susan Middleton Elya weaves Spanish words and phrases into the verses in such a way that invites the reader, bilingual or not, to chime in. Go there to read about it!

Happy Blogoversary to Me!

Yesterday, March 30, marked a year that I have been writing this blog! Just realized it this morning.

Happy Day!

Extendiendo, creciendo

How exciting to discover that folks from all over the globe visit my blog. One of my goals with this blog is to reach out past my immediate world; it’s great to know Reach for More has reached your homes.

Ideally, a blog should have one focus. You may have noticed this one has a few. I started this project with the intent of sharing my poetic attempts and original short stories. Then it occurred to me that it would be a place to exchange ideas with educators, people like me who live a life of swimming against the current while pushing kids ahead. My vision for this blog grew, as I thought I would also touch on issues of bilingualism, multiculturalism, and reflect on what it means to be a Latina, a professional, a working mother, and an optimist, in an environment that shifts between rejection and affirmation.

I will celebrate this blog’s 1st anniversary on March 30th. When I started this project, I was stressed by it, even somewhat obsessed, and thought, “What have I gotten myself in to?” On several occasions I considered abandoning it. I suppose I was overwhelmed with work, or even doubted I had anything important to say. I also suffered long bouts of staring at the screen without typing anything – the infamous “writer’s block.” Once, I almost let it go after someone dear to me asked, “Why do you even do it?”

Luckily, here I am still, enjoying all the directions in which Reach for More has extended. As the author of this blog, I have stretched in many ways. It makes me be and do more.

Thank you for visiting this blog, and don’t forget to leave a comment letting me know you were here. I would love for this blog’s reach to grow even more. Please share it with others, display my link on your page, or subscribe.

Reaching Out, Stretching

Qué ilusión saber que mi blog ha sido visitado por personas en otros países. Una de mis metas al escribir aquí es de alcanzar más allá de mi mundo inmediato; me encanta saber que Reach for More haya alcanzado sus hogares.

Idealmente, un blog debe de tener un enfoque. Yá se habrán dado cuenta que este blog tiene unos cuantos. Comenzé este proyecto con el plan de guardar aquí mis intentos poéticos y algunas historias originales. Se me ocurrió también que sería ideal intercambiar con otras personas que enseñan, que son maestros, que viven la vida diaria de luchar contra la corriente mientras empujan a la juventud. Luego, surgió la idea de abrir aun más este blog, para tocar los temas del bilingüismo, el multiculturalismo, y refleccionar un poco en lo que significa ser una mujer Latina, profesional, madre trabajadora, y optimista, en un ambiente que fluctua entre el rechazo y la aprobación.

El 30 de este mes, celebraré el aniversario de este blog. Cuando comenzé este proyecto, me causó algo de estrés y obsesión, y pensé “¿En qué me habré metido?” En varias ocasiones durante este pasado año, quise dejarlo. Fué porque estaba demasiada ocupada, o dudaba que tenía algo importante que decir. Muchas veces, sufrí largos ratos con los ojos mirando fijamente a la pantalla, sin escribir nada – el triste “writer’s block”. Casi lo dejo porque una persona muy querida me preguntó, “¿Por qué lo haces?”

Felizmente, aquí sigo, gozando de todas las maneras en que a crecido el “alcance” de Reach for More. El ser autora de este blog me ha extendido en tantas maneras. Me exige a ser y hacer más.

Gracias por visitar este blog, y no olviden dejar un comentario haciéndome saber que estaban aquí. Me encantaría que el alcance de este blog se amplíe más. Pido que lo compartan con otras personas, que muestren mi enlace en su propio blog, o que se subscriban.

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.

Binge reading

Because books are like bread, and because I love a challenge, I've committed to the Chunkster Challenge 2009! "Chunksters" are books that are 450 pages or more. I signed up at the Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? level; that means I'll read 3 - 5 chunksters by November 15.

Thanks, Think Pink Dana, at Feelin' Chunky, for setting this up!

What I Learned in 2008 Part I - Technology Rules

Many things about technology still befuddle me, although I have increased my tech-knowledge by leaps and bounds this past year.

Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo, who asks What did you learn in 2008?, I've been thinking about the past year in terms of my technological growth spurt.

1. I started a blog, and so began a series of new experiences. I've been posting, commenting, embedding, linking, adjusting templates, and checking stats. I've figured out how to make minor changes to Html in the layout of my blog. I also use RSS feeds and subscribe to several blogs through Google Reader.

2. I use a digital camera and my cell phone to take photos. I send or save photos to my computer, attach photos to email, embed them in my blog, and use them in lessons and presentations. I use my scanner to save old photos. I also use photo-making programs to crop, retouch, and "improve" my pictures.

3. I use my iPod daily. I download songs, rip and burn CDs, and create playlists for personal and classroom use. I also use other music sites, such as Pandora, so I have control over what I'm listening to, and for the opportunity to discover new artists.

4. I have abandoned trips to the mall; I shop on-line.

5. I visit certain websites regularly, examine new ones daily, and utilize many as resources in my classroom. A day doesn't go by without discovering one more site to add to my "tool-kit".

6. I'm also using my lap-top for news-following, bill-paying, symptom-checking, You-tubing, etc.

7. I use my computer daily for work, lesson plans, professional and personal writing.

Technology has moved me forward, and there is so much more to learn.

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?

Some "Brazen" self-promotion

This Brazen Teacher has paid me an awesome compliment! Do visit her blog and find out why I'm smiling.

Brazen is an art teacher with an attitude. She writes a thoughtful and humorous blog about school, teachers, kids, and life. You can tell she has faith in her craft and in the kids she teaches, regardless of how confining a place called "school" can be. What I like most about her blog though, is that she asks tough questions of both the reader and herself. I imagine Brazen, sticking out her chin, head tilted to one side, asking "But why? Why does it have to be like that?"

Brazen asked me some questions and posted them on her site. She made me remember a student from a long time ago, and she had me thinking about why I do what I do. Read the interview and check out the rest of her blog at http://thisbrazenteacher.blogspot.com.


And thanks Brazen, for the validation, support, and for reminding me why Oil of Olay is my best friend!