This young adult novel is Meg Medina's third book to hit the market and it releases today. You can read the review on the LBBC, but I wanted to share with you one of the ways that Medina is creatively launching her newest title.
The Hope Tree Project is a celebration of art, reading, and culture. About 500 high school students will be working with Medina and The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia, to create their own milagros "that symbolize a hope or dream that they have for themselves or for the community." Milagros are religious folk charms commonly used in Latin America as an offering or a gift to a particular saint, or to symbolize a specific need, wish, or problem.
 |
| photo by Urban Woodswalker |
Medina wants the project to encourage the young adults to think about their future and what they want out of life. By creating a small charm that reflects their wishes and goals, she hopes the kids will be motivated to make their dreams a reality. On her blog, Medina says, "If you don’t make a dream for yourself, others are only too happy to rush in and fill in the vacuum."
The milagros that the high schoolers create will be used to decorate five crepe myrtle trees in the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. On April 30th (Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros), at 5 p.m. the trees will be unveiled in a celebratory event, and visitors are encouraged to add their own milagros to the display. This project will be featured through July 4th, and afterward, certain milagros will be chosen to be placed on display in the City Hall for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Con mucho cariño...