A celebration of children, families, and reading held annually since 1996, Children’s Day/Book Day, known as Día, emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In anticipation of Día’s fifteenth anniversary, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) presents a collection of the best of its Día programming ideas, offering A wealth of ready-to-use programs, easily adaptable for a variety of cultures Cultural competency training tips to encourage outreach to minority populations Interviews with library directors about the best ways to heighten awareness of cultural and literacy issues Complemented by numerous bilingual book suggestions, this resource is perfect for collection development, early literacy storytimes, and year-round program planning.

"Anyone interested in ... creating programming for this increasingly popular cultural event sill find much of practical value within the various chapters." -- Public Libraries

"I found this relatively short book crammed with practical ideas for implementation, resources, and committee work." -- Catholic Library World

Check out a sample from the book by clicking here.

Read a related article in American Libraries.

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CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries (Texas State Library, 2008) Available free online.

This is the third edition of the classic resource on how to clean up library collections. 

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Public Library Policy Writer: A Guidebook With Model Policies on Cd-rom (Neal-Schuman, 2008)

"If your small or medium-sized library is just beginning to create policies, you need this book! While geared toward smaller institutions, larger libraries may also find it helpful for revising current policies...The included policies provide a framework for libraries that may be new to writing policies; but what makes this an excellent resource are the supplementary resources and questions designed to help you tailor each policy to your library." -- Public Libraries

Bringing Mysteries Alive for Children and Young Adults (Linworth, 2004)

Kids love mysteries, and you will love promoting learning and literacy with this guide to the mystery genre! This book presents an introduction and a guide to using the various types of mysteries, including true crime, detective stories, ghosts and gothics, suspense, and many, many more! Engage learners and teach concepts within all subject areas! Content is ideal for public librarians as well as school librarians.

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 Hummingbirds has been nominated for the Cybils Award, the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards.

Hummingbirds: Facts and Folklore in the Americas

by Jeanette Larson and Adrienne Yorinks (Charlesbridge, 2011)

"Birders of all ages would enjoy this lovely little book." --Chicago Post-Tribune

Named to the SB&F Summer Reading List 2011.

In a narrative that flows easily between fact and lore, hummingbird behavior is thoroughly described and interwoven with the folktales it generated among Native American peoples. -- School Library Journal

"In this seamless presentation of words and art, readers of all ages will find enormous appreciation for this tiny, enchanting creature." --Kathi Appelt, author of The Underneath.

"I love how the authors chose to juxtapose the ancient stories with the scientific facts. What are scientists, really, but astute observers who try to explain the natural world?" -ProseandKahn

For activities and other printables, click here.

Quilt of States by Adrienne Yorinks (National Geographic, 2005)

Jeanette wrote the Texas entry and collected and edited the 49 entries for other states.