A lot has been going on over the last few weeks to prepare for Hispanic Heritage Month, and I'm excited to share these projects with you! First of all, I'm happy to be a co-host of the Multicultural Kids Blogs' Hispanic Heritage Month Blog Hop. More about that below.
Secondly, Latinas for Latino Lit launches our Hispanic Heritage Month: Festival of Books today! This month-long event will celebrate through literature the contributions of Hispanic Americans to U.S. history via politics, public service, the arts, and sports. So much is planned for this month, including Google hangouts with Latino authors, two reading lists (one for children and the other for adults!), an online book club for adults and more.
For me, the most exciting part is the reading kits that we've designed for families with children in kindergarten through 4th grade. We've selected three children's biographies about four influential Hispanics who have contributed to our country: activists Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, singer Celia Cruz, and librarian Pura Belpré.
In addition to the books, each reading kit comes with an activity booklet centered around each book and the main character(s). They are full of literacy-based activities and worksheets that help children explore these four historical figures and learn a little bit about geography, music, science, vocabulary development and more. You'll also receive a folder, pencil, and art supplies.
You can learn more about the kits and all the many other elements of our Festival of Books by visiting Latinas4LatinoLit.org.
Next, I want to start off by welcoming you to the Second Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Blog Hop, hosted this year by Multicultural Kid Blogs and 15 of our member blogs! As a co-host of the blog hop, I want to encourage you all to visit each and every blog listed below for some fabulous reads and a chance to enter to win some amazing prizes!
I know that you're already aware that Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 every year, "celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America" (from HispanicHeritageMonth.gov).
Also, be sure to follow our related Pinterest boards:
The Giveaway
As part of the blog hop celebration we're giving away fabulous prizes!You can enter two ways:
1) If you are a blogger, link up a post in the linky at the bottom of this post (each post will count as an entry).
2) Make a comment on the main Hispanic Heritage Month Blog Hop post on the Multicultural Kid Blogs page answering the question, "How do you celebrate your heritage with your children?"
Our Prizes Please note that there are shipping restrictions on some prizes. In the event that the winner lives outside of the shipping area, that portion of the prize will be added to the following prize package.
Grand Prize Package
Annual subscription (print and digital) to one of the following children's magazines (winner's choice!): Babybug, Ladybug, or Ask en español (available at the end of September) or Iguana ($51.90 value). International winners will receive a digital subscription.
Two Spanish activity books with games and exercises to review basic concepts, a card game that teaches wild animals in Spanish and English, two ceramic Day of the Dead skulls, and several small wooden toys.
A Child's Life in the Andes is a 35 page e-book that brings the culture of this historic region alive through rich photographs, kid-friendly information as well as 3 children’s activities, 8 coloring pages, 2 language pages and a word search that features new vocabulary.
Cancioncitas De Los Andes/Little Songs Of The Andes from Daria is a digital CD sharing authentic music from the Andes performed on traditional instruments. The CD includes the most famous song from that region; El Condor Pasa, along with 5 other songs from this historic area of the world.
Sofía en una Aventura por la Selva from Kids Yoga Stories: Fly like a toucan, slither like a snake, and flutter like a butterfly as you act out this journey through a Costa Rican jungle. What else might you see? The storybook includes a List of Kids Yoga Poses and a Parent-Teacher Guide.
First Prize Package
Annual subscription (print and digital) to a children's magazine from Cricket. See details above.
Smart Play Pad(SRP $ 24.99): Interactive tablet like electronic toy makes early learning fun and exciting for little ones. More than 30 touch sensitive keys teach language and pronunciation skills to help prepare children for school. Bilingual feature helps kids learn in English & Spanish. Lightweight and truly portable for on-the-go learning. Ships to US and Canada only.
Travel through Mexico with this beautiful picture book from Barefoot Books. Along the way, learn Spanish words and phrases and discover Mexican culture. Ships to the US, Canada, or Europe only.
Discover the animals of the rainforest with The Parrot Tico Tango from Barefoot Books. The rhyming text and brilliant illustrations teach animals and colors. Ships to the US, Canada, or Europe only.
A Spanish-English picture dictionary, a simple workbook in Spanish geared towards 1st graders in Mexico, the classic "lotería" game, plus a couple of small wooden toys, courtesy of Kid World Citizen.
Second Prize Package
Annual subscription (print and digital) to a children's magazine from Cricket. See details above.
Más Canciones en Españolfrom Music with Sara: A wonderful collection of traditional songs from Latin America. Perfect for children learning Spanish.
Reading kit for one children's biography highlighting Latina librarian, Pura Belpré, courtesy of Latinas for Latino Lit. Includes a copy of The Storyteller's Candle by Lucía González, a 16-page HHM Reading Kit full of book-based activities to promote literacy, with a folder, a pencil and set of colored pencils. Retail value: $15.95 Ships to the US only.
Unidad Lupita, by Jaime Alfonso Sandoval, Illustration by Natalia Gurovich, from LA librería. Ships to the US only.
¡Qué animales! by Eduardo Bustos, Illustrations Lucho Rodriguez, from LA librería. Ships to the US only.
Participating Blogs