Inspiring Future Writers and Artists

By René Colato Lainez

Children need to see their faces on books. If a child can see a boy or girl just like him or her on a book, that child will get inspired to create and explore his or her culture and heritage. This is the main goal of these three great multicultural anthologies published by Children's Book Press.



Honoring Our Ancestors: Stories and Paintings by Fourteen Artists. Edited by Harriet Rohmer

This original collection brings together fourteen artists from different communities to honor the ancestors who most touched their lives.



Just Like Me: Stories and Self-Portraits by Fourteen Artists. Edited by Harriet Rohmer

This remarkable collection highlights the art and inspirational paths of fourteen outstanding artists who have shared their art and lives with children. They present self-portraits and brief descriptions that explore their varied ethnic origins, their work, and their feelings about themselves.



On My Block. Edited by Dana Goldberg

In this lovely homage to neighborhoods everywhere, 15 gifted artists portray the places most special to them. Readers soar from the rooftops of south Brooklyn to the desert of Taos Pueblo, from a basement in San Francisco’s Japantown to a Mississippi Gulf Coast porch. A garden in Mexico overflows with brilliant flowers while one in Tehran hums with the purring of 32 cats. Moving, funny, and unexpected, the stories and images encourage children to explore and observe their own neighborhood and to ask, What is my world? What is my special place?

• March 1 - BORDERS BOOKS -
READS ACROSS AMERICA

Join Borders at ABQ Uptown for special events for Reads Across America weekend on Saturday, March 1, 2008:

1 p.m. – Storytime
Our storyteller will read the new Fancy Nancy book, Bonjour, Butterfly. In her latest escapade, Fancy Nancy’s grandparents show her a thing or two about throwing a truly fancy gala.

2p.m. – Storytime & Signing
Rene Lainez Colato to sign Playing Loteria.
A little boy visits his grandmother in Mexico, and with the help of la lotería, learns a new language and how special the bond between a boy and his grandmother can be.

2p.m. – Discussion & Signing
Ellen Klages to sign The Green Glass Sea.
Set in Los Alamos during World War Two, this coming-of-age novel about friendship and loss at the beginning of the atomic age is a compelling page-turner. Klages brings history to life for the reader with an unusual setting, complex issues, and fearless writing.

2p.m. – Discussion & Signing
Glenys Carl to sign Hold My Hand.
Glenys Carl's life changed for ever with one phone call saying that her son Scott, who was halfway round the world in Australia, had suffered a traumatic head injury and was not expected to live. It was the start of a remarkable journey for Glenys – and for Scott, who survived with his personality intact but could only move one arm. In this inspirational biography, Glenys describes her fight to rehabilitate Scott after the doctors advised that no more could be done to help his mobility and he should be put in a home. A wonderful story about the power of hope, courage, and mother’s love.

Borders is located at 2240 Q. Street NE, Albuquerque, 505.884.7711