It's April 30.  That means its time to celebrate the joy of sharing books with youngsters. The amazing Pat Mora has developed an annual celebration of books for children everywhere.  It is based on the the traditional Mexican holiday, El día delos niño, the celebration the child. Mora expanded on this concept and has developed a festival honoring the joy of books and literacy for children and their families.
Join the celebration!

Looking for resources to help you celebrate?  Pat Mora and ALSC have created a booklet packed with ideas to help keep the bookjoy going all year along.  Find crafts, games, downloadable posters, ways to involve families and much more.

Try this sample of  picture books and middle grade readers. 
​Bonus: many are bilingual or have both Spanish and English editions.

A day of reading, singing, and dancing call for a grand finale. Cap off the day of festivities with paletas. Frozen treats made with fresh fruit come in a variety of flavors. This recipe uses strawberries and mangoes.  But combinations are limited only by one's imagination and available fruit.  Easy to make.
Está buenísimo.

It begins with the cover. All the trauma, drama, insecurities of summer camp are perfectly captured in this image. She’s got the gear, all the gear. She’s got the uniform with requisite badges. She’s got the wilderness setting, complete with flags and tents and little critters.

​But wait.  She's got a look that seems to cry out "Help!"
​This is NOT at all what she signed up for. Not. At. All.

Vera had heard the stories of camp and was sure that a summer experience was what she desperately needed. With a great deal of coaxing, her mother relented and signed Vera and brother up for Russian camp. Certain that this would be the experience she envisioned, she set off with high hopes.

In a strange twist of fate, her brother who initially protested the idea of summer camp, instantly took to the experience and dived right in.  Vera, on the other hand was having a miserable experience. No friends, mean girls, unfamiliar routines: this just wasn't working out. Unfortunately, it is too late. Mom has deposited the siblings and Vera is stuck at a summer camp for children of Russian heritage.

Exploring camp, Vera finds a directional sign for Hollywood.

Further investigation brings her to the horrifying conclusion: a
​visit to Hollywood is a dreaded necessity.

Look at her face. It captures the range of her emotions and sensations.

Kudos to Brosgol for predominantly featuring Russian culture. From occasionally use of Cyrillic alphabet, depictions of Russian Orthodox services and icons, and traditional foods, she brings her heritage to the forefront.

Russian camp setting notwithstanding, this dramatic recreation of real-life youth camp transcends a specific culture. Vera's story will resonate with all youngsters who feel different but want to be accepted and included. 

Brain Camp by Susan Kim, Lawrence  

Camp Midnight by Steven T. Seagle Jason Adam Katzenstein

Chiggers by Hope Larson

Dimple is the quintessential techie nerd. Behind her ever-present spectacles is the face of one determined young lady. With high school behind her and plans of Stanford this fall, Dimple will summer at Insomnia Con, an app creation competition for teams of bright young minds from across the country.
However, her Mamma has other plans. The only reason that she consents to her daughter's attendance at this summer program has nothing to do with establishing a career as a web developer and everything to do with finding a husband. Mamma has left nothing to chance. She knows that Rishi Patel, son of family friends will be attending the Con.  She is certain that he will be the "Ideal Indian Husband" for Dimple. It's Mamma, scheming marriage plans her for daughter verses a modern-thinking Dimple dreaming of higher education and a career. Who will win?

It's a tough life being royalty and the heir to the throne. The expectations are high. Your parents assume that you will continue the traditions set by previous rulers. They also expect you to marry and maintain the royal dynasty. Anxiously, they arrange glittery balls filled with eligible young maidens. When that doesn't work, they plan for intimate dinners with families of princesses from nearby kingdoms.
For Prince Sebastian, this only complicates matters. He carries a closely-guarded secret: he is a crossdresser who goes to great lengths to conceal his passion for elegant feminine attire. Deep inside, he wonders: how can he be the monarch that his parents expect him to be?
It takes a simple dressmaker to help him accept his identity and give him the courage to come out to his parents. Sebastian learns that being true to oneself is the best way to be good son, loyal friend, and prince.

Saaket Ferdowski is trying to downplay his Iranian heritage, opting to use the first name Scott.  He feels suffocating pressure from his parents to make concrete plans for his life. A string of mediocre grades, unimpressive test scores, and a history of quitting every extra-curricular activity is not his parents' formula for success. His father attempts to keep Scott “on track” by using all his connections to arrange a summer internship for his son at the university lab.
It turns out that Scott has other plans.  As soon as his parents leave the country, he ditches the internship and climbs aboard a Greyhound bus, headed to Washington D.C. Ignoring his parents' advice, fabricating false stories during their regularly scheduled check-in phone calls, Scott contacts a famous psychologist living in D.C. to learn the secret to success. Self-discovery will take him places that he and his parents never imagined.

Look at the smug expression on the face of this young lion. Here is one cub who exudes self-confidence, convinced that I'm the Best! He sets off into the wild to proclaim his prowess to other members of the animal kingdom, announcing to each that he is: the loudest, the fiercest, the prettiest, etc.
Each boast from the lion is met with the retort, "oh really?" Eventually he comes to the realization that there are other animals who have some superior attributes.
All ends well. His younger brother arrives and after a playful romp, admiringly announces that his older brother is "the best."
A delightful picture book that celebrates the unique qualities that make each individual special.

Here is a sample of von Kitzing's  fun interactive activities.

Did you know that there are two additional Little Lion titles? This trio of tales follow this cub who has a major attitude. He taunts boldly Can't Catch Me! and seeks a nighttime playmate when he asks Are You Sleeping?
​Triple reading pleasure.

Have you ever read a book that you desperately wanted to talk about? A book brimming with suspense and mystery. A story of friendship, family, and misunderstandings. A novel filled with the daily emotional bruises of high school life. A study in keen observation and searing self-introspection.
However, no matter how strong your desire is to rave about the book, you must be oh-so-careful about what you say and how you say it. You want to have an in-depth discussion about the book, but you don’t want to give anything away.
This is my current dilemma. I want to talk about this exquisite YA novel. But in fairness, I should only talk about Picture Us in the Light with others who have read it.

Carefully examine the book jacket. The front features a black and white sketch of an artist creating what appears as a colorful graffiti design on a brick wall. Unfold the jacket and a new image comes into view. It's a bold and colorful dragon. There's more symbolism to be found in this cover. After you read the book, let's talk about all of it.

Kelly Loy Gilbert is the author of Conviction, a 2015 Morris Award Finalist. I had the opportunity to meet her and to listen as she and her editor chatted about the development of this novel, her writing process, and their working relationship as author and editor. FYI: their relationship is definitely one of mutual admiration. Afterward, she graciously signed my copy of Picture Us in the Light. It's a keeper!

Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker's Story is an inspiring retelling of the life, courage and important contributions of Chester Nez.
Joseph Bruchac organizes Nez's story chronologically, using descriptive names of Navajo months as page headings.
In October 1929, Month of Small Wind, an eight-year-old boy named Betoli leaves his family home to attend boarding school. Immediately he is stripped of his Navajo name and given the English name of Chester. The school's objective is to help Navajo children "survive in the white man's world." They accomplish this by systematically removing and erasing all traces of Navajo language, religion, and culture.

While Chester successfully masters the English language, he loves and longs for the language and traditions of his people. He makes a concerted effort to retain his Native tongue and his connection Navajo heritage.

In 1941, during the Month of Crusted Snow, tenth grade student Chester Nez resolves to serve his country. Along with a group of Navajo men who speak both English and Navajo, he develops an unbreakable code developed to relay information in the Pacific Theater during World War II. This code becomes a key communication component used by the U.S, military.

Using simple, yet powerful language Bruchac conveys the majesty and enduring strength of Navajo religion, traditions, and language. The book makes it clear that pride in his heritage and a determination to retain his identity and language is a defining aspect of Chester Nez’s character.

Illustrations by Liz Amini-Holmes boldly fill each page with images that are both realistic and highly symbolic. Large black birds flying off with strands of his shorn locks is graphically arresting. Likewise, the two-page spread with a praying altar boy facing a boy praying outside a Hogan stand in stark contrast to each other.

The Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Tribal Empowerment Library located near El Paso in west Texas, actively works to keep alive the language and cultural of these indigenous Native Americans. Representatives from the Texas Library Association visited the tribal library to learn more.

Claire Messer is back! This time she’s brought the dog. Meet Robert Exelby Perdendo.
A large dog with a very large name. But wait. Take a look at the dog featured on the cover. This doggo is a canine with some serious side-eye. What's with that?

Readers discover that he has absolutely no interest in leaving the house. When he hears the command "Walkies!" No thank you. He is NOT interested.
Hence, his owner calls him Lazybones.
But here's the interesting part. He puts forth considerable effort to escape notice and uses his ingenuity to avoid the leash.

Things change when on a walk he meets a dog who likes to play hide-and-seek. Lazybones is a master at hiding, Now a walk outside becomes a game that he wants to play.

As with her previously published picture book Grumpy Pants, Messer’s signature illustration style introduces an animal with a distinctive personality. The hand-crafted linoleum prints feature a limited color pallet, strong graphic design elements, and uneven color application of ink, giving the images depth as well as added visual interest.
There are several charming little details waiting to be discovered: ​Park scenes feature a variety of dog breeds that are fun to identify. Careful observers will also note that a certain penguin makes a cameo appearance.