By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 5/3/2010 2:00:00 PMDebra begins her memorial with "Rose Zertuche-Treviño, a librarian who devoted her career to helping improve the lives of children, died on April 30 in Houston, TX. She was 58. Treviño spent her last seven years as the youth services coordinator for the Houston Public Library, a system that serves one of the biggest Spanish-speaking populations in the country. She retired in October 2009 and moved back to San Antonio, where she was born and raised.
"How fitting that Rose died on April 30th, El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/ Book Day)," says her friend and colleague Oralia Garza de Cortes, a Latino children's literature consultant. "She loved her work and devoted her life to making sure all children had access to great literature and particularly to programs where children could enjoy and connect to the literature." Read more at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6727935.html?industryid=47074 YTR notes that in his time at the Houston Public Library Rose was indeed unfailingly kind and helpful. What more could be celebrated. |
5/11/2010
Rose Trevino Dies
5/04/2010
Carmen Tafolla Receives Awards
(April 19, 2010)--Carmen Tafolla, visiting assistant professor in the UTSA Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies Mexican-American Studies' program, was awarded the 2010 Charlotte Zolotow Award for Outstanding Writing in a Picture Book and the Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award. The Zolotow award from the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, is given annually for outstanding writing in a picture book for children in the birth through age seven range, published in the United States in the preceding year. Established in 1998, the award honors the work of Charlotte Zolotow, a distinguished children's book editor for 38 years with Harper Junior Books, and author of more than 70 picture books. The Cooperative Children's Book Center is a noncirculating library for adults with a professional, career or academic interest in children's and young adult literature. The Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, established at Texas State University in 1995, encourages authors, illustrators and publishers to produce books that authentically reflect the lives of Mexican-American children and young adults in the United States." Read more about it: |
TEKS Watch
Inquiring minds may wish to follow UTEP's  "The state of Texas is currently revising its K-12 social studies Texas curriculum. The process begins with the standards--known as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)--and will then move on to textbooks, testing, and educator certification. TEKSWatch exists to educate citizens--in Texas and the nation--and encourage them to participate in the conversation." |
Texas Wildflowers by Slight Clutter
Texas Wildflowers by slight clutter Creative Commons, some rights reserved http://www.flickr.com/photos/slightclutter/7221242/
Slight Clutter's original caption: "Took off on a hunt for wildflowers yesterday. My search took me to Brenham, Texas. This photo was taken alongside the road near an overpass. |
![Texas Wildflowers [saturated] by slight clutter.](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/4/7221242_afdcf5eb0a.jpg)
General and Monaville, Texas - Joe Bax
 JOE BAX, rancher, lawyer, authorA few months ago I was browsing a B&N bookstore and saw an interesting book. It was short so I picked it up and began reading its 168 pages. Finished it before I left the store. Reconstruction period Texas with the old man and his family patching things together until racial strife emerges. The story reveals a portion of Texas not often revealed - many in Texas besides the previous slaves really didn't like the degradation of the institution and the lingering virulence. The story is tight and moves well. It's good for the young reader as well as adults. Get a copy. Other reviews:  |
Hard Winter - Johnny Boggs
 The Western Writers of America 2010 Spur Awards include for their the Best Western Juvenile Fiction winner, Hard Winter by Johnny D. Boggs, setting begins in Texas in 1920 and ends in Montana, an oldster recalls the 1886-1887 winter with a youngster. Publishers Weekly: "With hardly a shot fired, Spur Award-winner Boggs delivers one of his best westerns. ... Boggs has produced a tender and suspenseful western that doesn't need to rely on gun smoke." |
4/06/2010
Historic School Buildings
National Trust for Historic Preservation Seeks Applications for Pilot Grant Program for Historic School Buildings
Do you know of a historic school in need of preservation funding? The National Trust for Historic Preservation, in partnership with the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, is currently seeking applications for a new pilot grant program that will fund the stabilization or rehabilitation of historic school buildings by providing funding for construction expenses. Once construction is complete, these buildings must be open to the public for use by the community.
Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, government agencies, and school districts/school boards are eligible to apply. Religious organizations are not eligible for funding. The maximum grant amount will be $50,000.
Grant application must be postmarked by April 30, 2010. To read the complete guidelines and eligibility requirements, and to download an application form, visit the National Trust's web site, and scroll down to
the section titled "Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation Preservation Fund."
Do you know of a historic school in need of preservation funding? The National Trust for Historic Preservation, in partnership with the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, is currently seeking applications for a new pilot grant program that will fund the stabilization or rehabilitation of historic school buildings by providing funding for construction expenses. Once construction is complete, these buildings must be open to the public for use by the community.
Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, government agencies, and school districts/school boards are eligible to apply. Religious organizations are not eligible for funding. The maximum grant amount will be $50,000.
Grant application must be postmarked by April 30, 2010. To read the complete guidelines and eligibility requirements, and to download an application form, visit the National Trust's web site, and scroll down to
the section titled "Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation Preservation Fund."
PLEASE DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO:
Southwest Field Office / National Trust for Historic Preservation
500 Main Street, Suite 1030 / Fort Worth, Texas 76102 / Phone: 817-332-4398 / Fax: 817-332-4512
3/19/2010
Summer Book 2010
Sarah Gish has done it again - her Summer Book 2010, that is. And if you're wondering what the fourth largest city in the USA offers its kids, Sarah's got the best and brightest.
She describes the volume thusly: "THE SUMMER BOOK® is an annual comprehensive guide to Houston day camps and classes for kids 4 years old and up and teens. The guide is published annually in MARCH by Gish Creative and includes information on over 200 organizations offering camps and classes for children in the summertime. The camps are divided by "arts", "educational", "religious", "special needs" and "sports". It also includes information on which camps are free or offer scholarships, which are full day or for teens, as well as a week-by-week chart by date and a chart detailing amenities of each camp. To help parents "map out" each child's summer, there is a camp calendar for organizing weekly schedules. Please note that since every camp experience is unique, we made a decision to not rate the camps and to instead concentrate on information needed by parents."
And having it in hand I can only say, every locale should be so blessed with the organization and practical detail Gish puts into the book. Plus I'm a pushover for the neon colored pages. You can get the spiral-bound volume from Gish Creative for $12.95, a list of retailers is on the webpage.
Sarah is also an artist who sometimes works and imagines in "circles." I think she should identify the "Circles of Houston" iconography and make a book out it; maybe adult, maybe children, leave it up to her.
3/15/2010
Houston Metropolitan Research Center Reopens April 5
The Houston Public Library offers this news release.
"(
The design of the new 21,500 square-foot state-of-the-art archival wing harmonizes with the Spanish Plateresque architecture, with its matching masonry, a clay tile parapet, arched windows, and sculptural decoration. The construction includes an extremely energy-efficient and weather-resistant exterior envelope to protect the archival collection.
HMRC closed to public access at the end of 2009 while it moved its collections to the recently-completed new wing of the Julia Ideson Building (JIB). The collections are now in the new wing which includes a spacious research/reference room on the first floor and three floors of high-density shelving for the valuable holdings of the HMRC. The wing is complemented by a new south loggia and adjacent palm-shaded public garden, also called the outdoor reading room. The two-story loggia, like the wing, was a part of the original plan for the 1926 building but never constructed. It provides open-air seating on both levels and a gracious transition from the first floor of the original building to the outdoor reading room.
Currently, the new wing is the only portion of JIB open to the public while the renovation on the rest of the building is completed. The building is now undergoing hazardous materials abatement and selective demolition of non-historic elements to prepare for new mechanical and electrical infrastructure, new elevators, and restoration of the historical interior materials. The renovation will take about a year, after which the Houston Public Library will spend several months moving the architectural archives and photo lab into the restored building and preparing to reopen in early Summer 2011."
See also: http://www2.houstonlibrary.org/hmrc/
3/05/2010
Falling in a Circle - a Collaborative Texas Novella
Mike Kearby is a skilled Texas author with a record of writing good books for the YA market. He also coordinates The Collaborative Novel project involving Texas high school students from ten schools. The project eventually produces a novel year year. This year they offer a free e-book version of the work to any junior high, middle school, or high school librarian who requests one.
The student writers also visually designed the book as well as contributed the plot and writing. Real-life issues come into focus. "This year's project speaks of students with disabilities. One of this year's writer, Marcus Parks, is disabled and he wrote the afterword for the book."
If your junior, middle school, or high school library would like to receive a complimentary copy of the 50 page book, Falling in a Circle, e-mail Mike at - kearb@hughes.net and he will e-mail a PDF. version back to you. The file size is 278 kb
Kearby summarizes the volume as "A collaborative effort by ten Texas high schools, Falling in a Circle explores the cruelty often passed along to those among us with physical disabilities. The novella provides its audience with a fascinating glimpse into one character's emotional pain, and internal conflict. Will Kat learn from her past and cope with her future? Or will she continue Falling in a Circle?"
The back cover blurb for the book is below:
"Kat Morelli, a student at Cedar Lake High School , gains attention from her peers by making fun of other students …especially those who are handicapped or disabled. Before her senior year, Kat receives a devastating diagnosis from her doctor. She has bone cancer. The cancer is so widespread that doctors must to remove part of her lower leg, leaving Kat to endure the same cruel jokes she once delivered thoughtlessly on her classmates."
This is not the same 2006 Noah's Ride: A Collaborative Novel, by Phyllis Allen, Judy Alter, Mike Blackman, Mike Cochran, Jeff Guinn, Mary Dittoe Kelly, Elmer Kelton, James Ward Lee, James Reasoner and Mary Rogers.
See Mike at http://www.mikekearby.com
2/28/2010
Tejas Star Book Award
Region One Education Service Center recently inaugurated a new category of recognition of children's books - BILINGUAL. Check their website to see the current titles nominated for the next round. Its self-description: "The Tejas Star Book Award was created by the Region One ESC Library Advisory Committee to promote reading in general and for readers to discover the cognitive and economic benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism. All the children of Texas will have the opportunity to select their favorite book from the Tejas Star list during the month of February 2010." The volumes have not been reviewed for their having Texana content, but some are likely to apply. The Tejas Star Book Award Committee selected the following books for the 2009-2010 Tejas Star Book Award.
Alire Sáenz, Benjamin. (2008). A Perfect Season for Dreaming/Un tiempo perfecto para soñar. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos. Esau Andrade Valencia (illus.). Lluis Humberto Crosthwaite (trans.). ISBN: 978-1-933693-01-9. Gr. 1-5.
Anaya, Rudolfo. (2007). The First Tortilla: A Bilingual Story. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. Amy Córdova (illus.). Enrique R. Lamadrid (trans.) ISBN: 978-0-8263-4214-0. Gr. 3+.
Brown, Monica. (2007). My Name is Gabito/Me llamo Gabito. Flagstaff, AZ: Luna Rising. Raúl Colón (illus.). ISBN: 978-0-87358-908-6. Gr. K-3.
Costales, Amy. (2007). Abuelita Full of Life/Abuelita llena de vida. Flagstaff, AZ: Luna Rising. Martha Avilés (illus.) ISBN: 978-0-87358-914-7. Gr. K-2.
Garza, Xavier. (2008). Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos. ISBN: 978-1-933693-24-8. Gr. 2-5.
Gonzalez Bertrand, Diane. (2007). We Are Cousins/Somos primos. Houston: Piñata Books. Christina E. Rodriguez (illus.). ISBN: 978-1-55885-486-4. Gr. K-3.
González, Lucía. (2007). The Storyteller's Candle/La velita de los cuentos. San Francisco: Children's Book Press. Lulu Delacre (illus.). ISBN: 978-0-89239-222-3. Gr. 3-6.
2/23/2010
Reading in Fort Worth
Littlest Dancer
Littlest Dancer by cybertoad
Some rights reserved Creative Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertoad/269796073/
(At the Dallas State Fair)
(At the Dallas State Fair)
2/17/2010
Derby Girl - Shauna Cross
Ambrosia Salad reviews Derby Girl (the movie's Juno) by Shauna Cross. For YA and adult. An extract from the review reads:Bliss' "only friend is the beautiful Pash Amini who moved into town and shares the same indie rock spirit as Bliss. They spend most of their free time slaving away at the "Oink Joint," a gross barbecue restaurant that all the local hicks frequent. The only thing that gets them through the hell of small town Texas life is each other. That, and imagining finding the perfect rocker boyfriends whilest getting the hell out of Bodeen.// But everything seems to change when Bliss picks up a flier for Roller Derby while shopping in downtown Austin with her mother and sister one day."
Read more at
2/12/2010
Texas Roots of Spanish Educators
In Armando Rendón's "Somos en escrito" a posting The roots of Texas education planted in Colonial Spanish days by Brownsville native Dr. Lino García, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Spanish Literature at University of Texas-Pan Ameican, provides a lengthy revival to and extension to Max Berger's earlier work "Education in Texas during the Spanish/Mexican Periods" in the July 1947 Southwestern Historical Quarterly. The commentary covers the Indian mission efforts, local schooling, government decrees, supportive land grants, etc. The primary focus is San Antonio but other locales are included. Read more at
another version from last September is at
2/02/2010
Angela 1 - David Bedford
Angela 1: Starting Over. A novel by David A. Bedford. NY: Eloquent Books, 2009. hardback with pictorial front. 188 pages ISBN 978-1-60860-755-6 $25.95 http://www.eloquentbooks.com
Yes, Angela's got a zit. Add to that the impending divorce, the move from
Before the dance contest, the Kitty Kats get that jerk Leroy to "attack" her for which Angela flips him and sends him the hospital for which the principal suspends her of all things. Her mother pulls a Corleone and gets her right back in. And the story goes on from there.
In the short 16 chapters, author David Bedford relates in a fasting moving narrative proving life's troubles can be overcome and one can even come to enjoy Corpus as a new home by the sea.
The volume may be most readable by YA honors students in high school or even middle school. Good work,
1/15/2010
Heart of Texas Writing Project
 Self-described as " (UT Org)- The Heart of Texas Writing Project- UT Austin What is The Heart of Texas Writing Project? The Heart of Texas Writing Project is a site of the National Writing Project promoted by the United States Government to respond to the literacy education needs of the country. This project seeks to improve the teaching and learning of reading, writing and 21st century literacy skills by providing in-service professional development to schools and districts, hosting one day workshops for teachers throughout the school year, hosting an intensive four week summer institute, sponsoring child and teen summer writing camps, and maintaining a dedicated group of literacy professionals in the community. Teachers also meet in different study groups around the Austin area to discuss student work and books they have read. The workshops and summer institute have two main focuses: firstly, to learn how to better teach reading and writing and secondly, to work on your own reading and writing. The Heart of Texas Writing Project mainly works with Austin Independent School District (AISD), Round Rock ISD, Taylor ISD, Leander ISD, Lake Travis ISD, and Del Valle ISD. Ultimate Goal The mission of The Heart of Texas Writing Project is to improve the teaching and student experience in the areas of literacy, reading and writing in the greater Austin area. The Heart of Texas Writing Project also believes that teachers learn best from other teachers and utilize this belief in facilitating all of their professional development pieces. " Read more at http://www.heartoftexaswritingproject.org/index.html |
1/07/2010
Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Conservancy Video and Calendar
 The Cattlemen'sTexas Longhorn Conservancy, headquartered over in Gonzales, a place where Spanish cattle have roamed for a couple of centuries or better, is pretty serious about their self-assigned task: "Founded in 2005 as a not-for-profit corporation and bestowed the tax exempt status of a 501(c)3 public charity, the mission of the Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Conservancy is to engage in scientific and historical research, education and other charitable purposes associated with Texas Longhorn cattle. Imported to the Western Hemisphere more than five hundred years ago by the earliest Spanish explorers, the Texas Longhorn played a significant role in the history of the Americas and became recognized as North America's original bovine. Nearly cross-bred into extinction following the great Western trail drives, the Texas Longhorn was acknowledged as a national treasure by the U.S. Congress, which in 1927 established a protected herd on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. The Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Conservancy recognizes the value of this national treasure in its original phenotype (appearance) and genotype (genetics) and is intended to provide ongoing resources toward research and education pertaining to this naturally evolved, historic breed." The calendar hangs on the wall with its pre-punched hole. When opened it's 11 x 17. squarely. Of course, each month has a special color photograph of and quotation about the breed - and by that the CTLC means the unique breed that emerged from the early Spanish stock and formed the basis of millions of cattle first run up the great cattle trails after the Civil War. They weed out the cross-breeds. Only $15. The downloadable educational video is about 15 minutes long and is professionally done. History, modern challenges, and efforts by themselves and others are spotlighted. It's available online or in a disk form. The website describes it as: "This 15-minute educational video  was designed for use in public schools as introduction into Texas History, Social Studies and Science curricula as well as for use in Museums, Historic Sites, Libraries, State Parks and other public learning centers. A Longhorn Educational DVD will be mailed to anyone making a donation to the Conservancy or joining as a member." Enrique Guerra, current president and one of the CTLC founders, Maudeen Marks, part of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Fayette Yates, longtime rancher, and others are interviewed and they speak well for those who wish to raise, perpetuate, and care for our official state large mammal, the true TEXAS LONGHORN. Read more at http://www.texaslonghornconservancy.org/ |
God and Texas
  The Texian Christian Writers organization has a collection of books demonstrating their self-description: "We, the Texian Christian Writers, do covenant with our Lord Jesus Christ and one another to become Christorians -- dedicated to remembering, researching, recording, and restoring the God of History to the people of Texas and the world.
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1/01/2010
... y no se lo trago la tierra - Tomás Rivera
 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of Tomás Rivera's, "... y no se lo trago la tierra / ... And the Earth Did Not Devour Him" receipt of the Quinto Sol Literary Prize in 1970. La Bloga's Jesse Tijerina offers a retrorspective entitled "Un tragito para Tomas" on this now classic identity search of a young Tejano. Tijerina's review begins: "Prior to Tomas Rivera's groundbreaking novel, searching for a literary work with the ability to portray the life of migrant farmworkers with such precision and haunting reality would have been time and energy hard spent. While the experience's of Rivera's characters survive between 1945 and 1955, their stories of heartbreak and joy along the migrant stream differ only in decade as familiar situations and circumstances continue to cultivate in the fields of fruits and vegetables toiled by today's migrant farworker."Do continue reading the commmentary at |
House Slave Next Door
 The Houston City Hall Examiner comments in an articleew entitled "Houston's controversial true news story on slavery is out in a book" on the volume House Slave Next Door about child trafficking and slavery in the Houston and Sugarland areas, particularly the case of Celestina Ifeacho.One of the review's paragraph's clearly understates the volume's contents "This book is not a biography, but simply, a compilation of investigations and story pieces published in the International Guardian on a controversial alleged child-trafficking victim who eventually ended up in immigration jail somewhere in the North side of town, awaiting deportation amidst sloppy bureaucracy over official classification of her status as a victim of slavery." Read more of the review at To read this book, please visit https://www.createspace.com/3417904 |
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