PALMDALE – The Palmdale City Library recently received a $5,000 grant from the Association of Library Services for Children (ALSC) to create a book club in celebration of Dia de los Niños entitled “Leamos Palmdale.”
The Association of Library Services for Children is a division of the American Library Association. This grant was awarded to only six libraries nationally in the Palmdale City Library’s size category.
This grant will create a series of programs to promote a love of books and reading to multicultural children, and stimulate discussions of family and community heritage and values using the following four books:
- Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin,
- Mi Abuelita by Tony Johnston,
- Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, and
- I Too Am America by Langston Hughes.
Each of these books will be provided free to participants while supplies last. The first of these programs, discussing Mi Abuelita, will take place on April 6 in the Lilac Room of the Chimbole Cultural Center.
El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), is a celebration of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
As celebrated by libraries and librarians, Día is an enhancement of Children’s Day, a celebration which took hold in 1925 following the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland as a day to bring attention to the importance and well-being of children. Each country selected its own day for the celebration with Mexico and many other Latin American countries choosing April 30.
In March 1996, author Pat Mora learned about the holiday being celebrated in Mexico. She proposed linking Children’s Day, the celebration of childhood and children, with literacy and bilingualism, creating a new holiday: El día de los niños/El día de los libros.
The Palmdale City Library is open seven days a week. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 8 pm; Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm; and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm.
For more information, call the Palmdale City Library at 661-267-5600 or TDD 267-5167, or visit www.cityofpalmdale.org/library.
(Information via press release from the City of Palmdale.)
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John Mlynar says
Some very cool stuff happening at the Palmdale City Library. We just interviewed the new Library Director Thomas Vose and boy does he have some great ideas!