How to use this Page

Billed as the first Mexican/US co-production, "El Americano" is scheduled for release later this year.

Comic-Con International: San Diego is almost upon us, and the organizers have released the event's mammoth program schedule. The madness, taking place from July 24-27, includes hundreds of panels, discussions, art demos, and screenings, with everyone from Buzz Aldrin to Betty White getting their moment to shine.

The countdown has begun for this year’s Los Angeles Latino Book & Family Festival which will be held October 9th and 10th at California State University. Over 120 Latino authors and artists will be in attendance and nearly 50 panels, readings, and workshops will be offered throughout the weekend. In addition there will be books signings, storytelling, folklorico dances, music and much more. The event is free and all are welcome to attend.

Non-profit organization Latino Literacy Now! launched the Latino Book & Family Festival in 1997 in Los Angeles to promote literacy, culture and education and to provide people of all ages and backgrounds with the opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the multicultural communities in the United States in a festival atmosphere.  Today, the Latino Book & Family Festival is hosted in several major Latino markets across the U.S. including Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles. Well known actor and community activist Edward James Olmos is the co-producer of the festival.

A special fundraiser for this year’s event,  “An Evening with the Authors” takes place on October 9 and gives guests the chance to dine with their favorite authors! During the evening the winners of the 2010 International Latino Book Awards will be honored and the 1st annual Latino Books in to Movies Awards will be presented. To purchase tickets to the dinner click here.

Latino Literacy Now has also joined with Pan American Bank (located at 3626 East First Street, Los Angeles) to host a nine week-long children’s program that will feature prominent Latino children’s book authors. The reading program called The Children’s Reading Hour, will take place at 12pm on Saturdays from Sept 11 – Nov 6.  The first 10 children to show up each Saturday will receive an autographed book. Click  here to see the schedule of authors.

“We are thrilled that the authors will join us in supporting our community’s youth. Reading to children is the best way to encourage literacy and life-long learning. It is also an incredible way to teach important lessons,” said Pan American Bank CEO Jesse Torres. “These Latino authors are not only incredible Latino writers – they are incredible authors, period!”

In 1982 a Bolivian immigrant named Jaime Escalante made national news because 18 of his high school students passed the Advanced Placement exam in calculus. Actually, the sensational news was that they were all inner-city L.A. Chicano kids. The corporate testers, Educational Testing Service, threw out their scores, since it's common knowledge, even to this day, that poor brown kids can't do, or in this case, outdo what preppy, rich Anglo kids do, at least academically.

If you never heard about this, then you've never seen the film Stand and Deliver, starring Ed Olmos as Escalante. You can remedy this gap in your education by at least watching the movie, directed by Ramón Menéndez. Briefly though, here's what rolls past before the credits at the end:

• Twelve of those students that year retook the exam and their original scores were reinstated.

• In 1983, 30 students passed the Advanced Placement test.

• In 1987: 73 passed.

There are a number of directions you can go with Hiromi's Hands,the true story of one of the first female sushi chefs in the United States (see my review here). I pulled together a few web resources that teach more about Japanese culture.





Japanese Poetry:

• Haiku
• Tanka

• Japan Past & Present
• Mapping Japan

• Japanese Food & Etiquette (for 2ndGraders)
• Sushi and Sashimi Glossary
• Sushi Masters
• How to Make Sushi (I'm not brave enough to try, but you may be!)

Whether you're a parent, teacher, librarian, or anyone else who enjoys reading books with kids, Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer is a great book that will inspire discussion.
It can be a short conversation or can be expanded into more in-depth learning activities or lessons. Here are just a few ideas.

Baseball

• Discuss the sport and its most prominent figures, past and present
  
• Tell your child Jackie Robinson's story who faced similar issues as Louis Sockalexis
• Compare and contrast the game today to the game back then; in the book, there are many obvious differences, both in the text and illustrations
• Talk about your favorite team or players
• If you or your child plays baseball, discuss an important game you or he/she played

• Talk about the Native American culture, their traditions, and the pride they have in their land and people; why was it important for Louis's father to accept him? What impact did Louis's achievements have on his people?
• Discuss a Native American tribe in your area if applicable
• Visit a museum or exhibit that features Native American culture, art, people
  
• Talk about other famous Native Americans...in the past and present. How are they portrayed in the textbooks and culture?
  

• Louis was treated poorly because he was a Native American...talk to your child about how he/she felt about this and how they think Louis felt. Talk about his strength and determination.
  
• What other groups are victims of racism? Discuss the Civil Rights Movement and the Trail of Tears.
• Have they witnessed or experienced racism first-hand? Have you?
  
• How should you respond when someone makes a racist remark or joke? What should you do if someone is being treated unfairly?
  
• What is the difference between racism and prejudice? What groups are victims of prejudice?
  

This week's nonfiction choice

Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer

• Author: Bill Wise
• Illustrator: Bill Farnsworth
  
• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (March 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584302690
• ISBN-13: 978-1584302698

The year is 1897, and Louis Sockalexis, a baseball player for the Cleveland Spiders is in New York getting ready to face Amos Rusie, the major league’s most formidable pitcher. Getting to this point was not an easy road for Louis, a member of the Native American Penobscot tribe in Maine. Confronted with callous racism and his own father’s disapproval, Louis’s passion for baseball prevent him from giving up his dream. Regarded by many as one of the best players in the league, this momentous game will change his life and the public’s view of him forever.

Bill Wise’s account of the first acknowledged Native American major league baseball player is nonfiction but reads like a story. We are taken back to Louis’s childhood when he plays his first baseball game and falls in love with the sport. We watch him grow into a man and a powerhouse slugger, and we witness the insults, the stinging words, and the prejudice he faced every day. As I was reading, I found myself feeling anger towards the people, empathy towards Louis, and great excitement as Louis stood at the plate. The sepia tones of Farnsworth’s illustrations take us back to the time period, but I hardly noticed the pictures as I was reading because I was so involved with the story. Much more than a book about baseball, Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer is a book about determination, hard work, adversity, and acceptance.

This would be a great pick for a baseball fan or someone who is interested in learning more about famous Native Americans. In addition, it’s a nice book to prompt discussion about prejudice and racism, but I’ll talk more about that tomorrow when discuss reading tips and discussion opportunities.