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

"...those who are new to the field will gain some insight on how a storytime or reading event can be conducted for a wide variety of patrons." -- School Library Journal

Check out a sample from the book by clicking here.

Read a related article, Building a Culture of Literacy, in American Libraries.

Order your copy!

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. 

NEW for 2012: Check out the addendum on weeding e-books!

Order a copy!

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.

Order a copy!

Books for Young People

Hummingbirds: Facts and Folklore in the Americas

 Order a copy today!

"Ingeniously illustrated with fabric collages created with paint, glitter, cotton, and silk, this book provides solid information about topics including size, appearance, habits, migration, and reproduction. Each section is followed by a thematically related folktale."--The Horn Book Guide (Fall 2011)

AWARDS AND HONORS

Selected to represent Texas at the National Book Festival, 2011.

Honor Award in the Nature & Ecology category, Skipping Stones Magazine.

Honor book, 2012 Storytelling World Resources Awards.

SB&F Summer Reading List 2011

Nominated 2011 Cybils Award, the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards.

by Jeanette Larson and Adrienne Yorinks (Charlesbridge, 2011)

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

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.

"Your hummingbird book stories were a joy to read. I'm only sorry my mother did not have a chance to read it." --Lynda Johnson Robb

"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.