Latino Heritage Month celebrates the independence of Latin American countries including: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (as well as Mexico and Chile not geographically located in Latin America).

You can celebrate with your family by checking out any of the links below or snuggling up with a great book. We like I Love Saturdays y Domingos, by Alma Flor Ada.

• American Sabor at San Francisco Public Library
• Colorín Colorado salutes the rich history of Hispanic culture with games, books, activities, and fun!
• Hispanic Heritage Month 2011 Recommended Reading List from Florida Department of Education
• Hispanic Heritage Month Teaching Resources from Smithsonian Education
• KQED celebrates the richness and diversity of our community by scheduling a special lineup of programs in September, focused on Latino themes and issues.

Sunday, August 14 in San Francisco’s Civic Center/ Tenderloin Districts

The Tricycle Music Fest West kicks off for a third year of family rock concerts with Frances England, queen of kindie rock, and local favorite, Charity and the JAMband, at an outdoor event outside the Main Library on Sunday, August 14. This show is the same day as Sunday Streets Civic Center/Tenderloin, so don’t forget to boogie down to the library with your bike, skates, and scooters!

The event runs 11:00am-2:00pm with activities including Tree Frog Treks animals, a tour of the new Green Bookmobile, and more! Charity and the JAMband take the stage at 11:30am, Frances England at 1:00pm, and SF Rock Project at 2:00pm.

Find the full list of Tricycle Music Fest concerts this summer and fall at sfpl.org/tricycle.

 

click on the map below to view details about Sunday Streets

If you’re on the other side of the Bay, we recommend:

Laurel Street Neighborhood Fair
Saturday, August 13, 2011
11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Cost: FREE
Laurel Street - 35th & MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA

Mobile apps represent a new, and often inexpensive, resource now available to parents, educators and others who support children in the mastery of early literacy skills. There is a lot out there to choose from. How does one decide which apps are worth the download?

The following recommendations were posted to the Association for Library Service to Children(ALSC) blog by Kiera Parrott.

• A great app or ebook should be interactive and encourage creative thinking and problem solving.
• A well-designed app should strike a balance between opportunities for exploration outside of the narrative as well as opportunities to lose oneself in the story alone.
• An excellent book-based app or ebook should offer the user a dynamic experience that engages the senses and allows for interaction in a variety of ways – beyond the visual which might include auditory or kinesthetic learning styles
• A good app will be user friendly and easy for children to navigate with customizable features such as the ability to alter the settings (easy/medium/hard) and accessibility options (such as font size or narration speed.)
• A good app or ebook should entice children to enjoy and explore them again and again- just as a good book invites multiple readings.

Other Review Resources

Attached you will find a list of iPhone/iPad/iPod apps complied by Harvey Pressman and Andrea Pietrzyk of Central Coast Children’s Foundation, Inc. that support early literacy learning for young children. The list is not all inclusive, but provides a starting point if you are interested in using mobile apps. The 34 page document includes reviews for apps focused on skill development related to the alphabet, phonics and reading. Some apps can be used in a multilingual settings while others may be helpful for struggling learners.

You might also visit Touch and Go for recommendations. This guide to the best apps and enhanced books for children and teen is hosted by School Library Journal.

While these apps can be useful learning tools nothing compares to the quality time a parent spends with a child when sharing a book.

photo from apple itunes

San Francisco Unified School District’s KIT (Kindergarteners In Training) Camp is up and running and partnering with local organizations to help support a smooth transition into Kindergarten for San Francisco’s youth. Raising A Reader (RAR) is offering the participating Kindergarten classes weekly read aloud sessions in the classroom and is one of the main presenters at the camp’s Family Literacy Nights. June 14^th kicked off the first Family Literacy Night; hosted by SFUSD, Raising A Reader and San Francisco Public Library (SFPL). Families were provided with a dinner, while the SFPL offered library services. Parents were able to fill out library card applications and board the Book Mobile with their children; where library cards were distributed and books were checked out. RAR and SFPL then joined forces in the cafeteria and presented two interactive stories. RAR ended the evening with the parents by facilitating a conversation about early literacy skills, brain development, and the importance of maintaining healthy reading habits in the home.

On the other side of the Bay, program coordinators have been talking to parents about preventing the “summer slide” by maintaining reading routines throughout the summer and visiting local libraries. Parent are provided handouts with tips on promoting the six early literacy skills and kindergarten readiness.

Diagram from the San Mateo School Readiness Assessment, 2008. Page 54
This core set of skills reflects the five dimensions of readiness articulated by the National Education Goals Panel.

June 21 is Summer Learning Day

This national advocacy day is a great opportunity to showcase summer reading programs and get the word out about the importance of continued learning.

Summer learning programs:

• help participants maintain and advance academic and developmental growth
• support working families
• keep children safe and healthy
• send young people back to school ready to learn

June is Pride Month

We know that families come in different colors and sizes. They are headed by single parents, extended family members, are multiracial, adoptive or gay or lesbian parents. At storytime we make room for everyone in the circle! Click on the book covers below to learn more about each title.

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Raising A Reader congratulates all the preschoolers transitioning to kindergarten. Librarians eagerly await their visits to the library with their blue bags. While many students will not have the benefit of Raising A Reader over the summer, we encourage all families to visit their local libraries and sign up for the summer reading program. This year’s theme is One World, Many Stories.

Visit the links below to find out what your library local libraries have to offer.

• Alameda County Library
• Berkeley Public Library
• Hayward Public Library
• Oakland Public Library
• San Francisco Public Library
• San Leandro Public Library

Click HERE to listen to Billy Gorilly’s song - One World, Many Stories.

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage month, we are highlighting some culturally relevant books by Rosanne Thong, illustrated by Grace Lin.

These vibrantly colored books provide an opportunity to explore colors, shapes and numbers. Concept books lay a foundation for learning. Share a book with your child today.

Community Calendar of Events for the week of May 16th

Wednesday, May 18 * 11:15am
Storyteller Clara Yen and her Chinese folk, family and fairy tales
Oakland Public Library- Elmhurst Branch, 1427 88th Ave. near International Blvd.
Stories, songs and fingerplays for children, ages 3 to 5 years old. Groups, please call in advance, 510-615-5727. (more…)

El día de los niños/El día de los libros, or Children’s Day/Book Day, is a nationwide annual celebration of children, families and reading which emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Hundreds of libraries, schools and communities throughout the country will host celebrations and programs that honor multiculturalism and stress the importance of books and literacy.

“Since 1925, Día del Niño, or the Day of the Child, has grown as an annual celebration throughout Mexico. This day recognizes children, pays homage to their importance in society, and endorses their well being. Pat Mora, a Texas native and nationally recognized author of children’s books, first heard of this Mexican tradition during a 1996 interview for a public radio program.”

Source: http://www.texasdia.org/Toolkit/History.pdf

Through lots of hard work and grass root support for a celebration linking language and literature, Día became an officially recognized event on April 30, 1997. This year Día will celebrate it’s 15th anniversary!

Join in the fun and check out these great local events:

Oakland Public Library - Elmhurst Branch

April 23rd, 2:30pm - 5pm

San Francisco Main Library

April 24th, 1pm - 4pm

San Leandro Main Library

April 30th, 11:00am - 1:30pm

Oakland Public Library - Cesar Chavez Branch

April 30th, 12pm -4pm

Oakland Public Library - Martin Luther King Jr. Branch

April 30th, 1pm - 2:30pm

Carmen Flores Recreation Center, Oakland

May 7th, 12pm - 3pm

To learn more about Pat Mora, the event’s core mission, or other celebration ideas visit www.patmora.com

Click here to download the 2011 Día book list.

In honor of Earth Day (April 22nd), help make a positive impact on the environment by using recycled materials!

Organizations like SCRAP in San Francisco or the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse are great resources for parents and teachers to put recycled items to good use. From buttons to bookcases, they’re helping to make useable excess materials available as art supplies and diverting it away from landfills. So, you can create projects that are not only environmentally friendly, but are free or low cost too! For more details about collecting or donating materials, visit their websites.

For other ways to celebrate Earth Day around the Bay, check out these great events happening this week:

Academy of Science Free Admission (San Francisco): Wednesday, April 20th, 9:30am - 4pm

Oakland Public Library Re-Useable Tote Bag Giveaway: Saturday, April 22nd, 12pm- 8pm
Berkeley Earth Day Celebration: Sunday, April 23rd, 12pm - 5pm

^{Earth Stroll 2011 (San Francisco): Sunday, April 23rd, 10am - 3pm}

Children’s book author and illustrator, Gerald McDermott, is scheduled to speak at the San Francisco Public Library on Tuesday, April 5th as part of the Effie Lee Morris Lecture Series. There will be a reception and book signing at 5pm in the Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room. The 6pm lecture entitled Tricksters: The Art of the Folktale will be held in the Koret Auditorium on the Lower Level of the Main Library - 100 Larkin Street at Grove, San Francisco. For more information about the event download the invitation.

McDermott has authored many Raising A Reader favorites including:

Click on the book covers to learn more about each title.

You can read more about the author on his website.