Publishers, Booksellers, Librarians Partner to Kick Off Latino Books Month

    NEW YORK, April 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Celebrations featuring
 beloved radio personalities, bestselling authors and scholars, parents,
 educators, librarians and children nationwide focus attention on literacy
 in both English and Spanish.
 
     El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day),
 known as Dia, is a year-round celebration that is officially recognized
 annually on April 30. Founded by children's book author Pat Mora in 1996
 and administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC),
 the day highlights the importance of literacy among children of all ages
 and of every cultural and linguistic background. The celebration culminates
 on April 30 with a range of festivities across the U.S., and serves to kick
 off Latino Books Month in May. These events also support the national Get
 Caught Reading!/Aja! Leyendo public awareness literacy campaign, which
 features public figures getting "caught" reading their favorite books in
 both English and Spanish.
 
     The Association of American Publishers has teamed with ALSC to present
 a recommended reading list of children's books published by AAP members,
 intended to foster "bookjoy" and encourage families to read together on
 April 30, and every day. Books on the list include those in English and in
 Spanish as well as bilingual titles, nonfiction, picture books, and novels,
 all celebrating Latino culture and Latin American identity.
 
     April 30 Dia Events in Miami and New York: Great for Live Broadcast
 Shots or Media Interviews!
 
     New York City Hosts Univision's Dra. Isabel: Wednesday, April 30
 
     5:30 - 6:30 pm Queens Public Library, Jackson Heights Branch, 35-51
 81st Street. Beloved Univision radio personality Dra. Isabel, reads in
 Spanish to children from her children's book, La cancion de Gabriela: Como
 me adapto a un lugar nuevo? (Gabriela's Song: How Do I Adapt to a New
 Place?) published by Rayo/HarperCollins Publishers. The book features a
 little girl named Gabriela, who shares her fears about her family's move to
 a new country, the United States, and teaches young readers how to deal
 with their own feelings. At 6 pm Dra. Isabel reads to parents from her
 adult title, Los 7 pasos para ser mas feliz: Como liberarte del estres, las
 preocupaciones y las angustias del pasado, published by Vintage Espanol.
 The program will offer advice on developing healthy relationships,
 preparing a path to success, and finding true happiness. This appearance
 follows her educational panel earlier in the day at the offices of
 children's book publisher Scholastic to volunteers from Learning Leaders, a
 nonprofit organization that provides education to tutors supporting over
 960 public schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City.
 
     Miami, Florida's Books & Books Hosts Children's Reading: Wednesday,
 April 30
 
     4 pm - 6:30 pm Books & Books, 265 Eragon Avenue, Miami, FL. Recognized
 as one of the nation's leading bookstores in offerings of books in Spanish
 and English nationwide, Books & Books plans to support El dia de los ninos
 by hosting third-graders from Coral Way K-8 Center, the nation's first dual
 language school, who will kick off the afternoon by reciting classic
 Spanish poems at 4 pm. Following, Dr. Barbara Zurer Pearson, Ph.D., will
 give a presentation on raising bilingual children and provide insights to
 an audience of eager parents from her book Raising a Bilingual Child,
 published by Random House. To close, a middle school theater troupe from
 Coral Way will perform their play, "Pueblo de las mujeres" by Hermanos
 Alvarez Quintero, in the courtyard.
 
     To learn more about Dia, please visit http://www.ala.org/dia . For more
 information about Get Caught Reading!/Aja! Leyendo, including the
 recommended reading list, please visit http://www.getcaughtreading.org .
 
     About ALSC
 
     ALSC leads the way in forging excellent library service for all
 children by supporting the profession of children's librarianship through
 education, advocacy and collaboration. For more information about ALSC
 awards, projects and events, visit www.ala.org/alsc, or contact the ALSC
 office at 800-545-2433, ext. 2163, alsc@ala.org.
 
     About REFORMA
 
     REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library Services to
 Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, was established in 1971 as an affiliate
 of the American Library Association (ALA). REFORMA seeks to promote the
 development of library collections to include Spanish-language and Latino
 oriented materials; the recruitment of more bilingual and bicultural
 library professionals and support staff; the development of library
 services and programs that meet the needs of the Latino community; the
 establishment of a national information and support network among
 individuals who share our goals; the education of the U.S. Latino
 population in regards to the availability and types of library services;
 and lobbying efforts to preserve existing library resource centers serving
 the interests of Latinos.
 
     About the Association of American Publishers
 
     AAP is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing
 industry. The association's more than 300 members include most of the major
 commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and
 non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. AAP
 members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational
 materials for the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and professional
 markets, scholarly journals, computer software, and electronic products and
 services. The protection of intellectual property rights in all media, the
 defense of the freedom to read and the freedom to publish at home and
 abroad, and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the
 association's highest priorities.
 
     About the AAP Publishing Latino Voices for America Task Force
 
     AAP formed the Publishing Latino Voices for America Task Force in 2002
 in response to the burgeoning market of books by and for Latinos with a
 mission to address those issues that are of particular concern to
 publishers in this market. The PLVA has expanded its activism to include
 participation in the Get Caught Reading campaign, BookExpo America, Latino
 Books Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and the inaugural Las Comadres and
 Friends National Latino Book Club. To find out more about the PLVA or El
 dia de los ninos bibliography, contact Tina Jordan at
 tjordan@publishers.org or 212-255-0200 ext. 263.
 
 
 

SOURCE Association of American Publishers