UtellStory: Author Talk

I discovered UtellStory a few months ago. I explored the website and made my own presentation for Author Talks. I have used this presentation in my visit at Brent International School Manila. The web app is easy to learn and use. There is also an audio feature for narration and background music. More to explore!

In the meantime, here's sharing what I whipped up at UtellStory.

Book Review: Issued to the Bride: One Navy SEAL

Issued to the Bride: One Navy SEAL by Cora Seton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Issued to the Bride: One Navy SEAL is the first book of a new series by Cora Seton that has a lot of heart, just enough magic to tickle your romantic, and a complicated old man who, I am excited to see, will pull through some surprises as the series unfold.

What worked for me

Going back to Chance Creek is like visiting old friends from way back. I have read three series by Cora Seton and by now, I can comfortably predict her plot lines and casually identify with her characters. There is the hesitant or unsure female lead laden with baggage from the past; the alpha male who has gone full circle and is on the path to rebuild his life; an array of supporting characters that move the lead characters into action as well as lending a layer of conflict and exciting dynamics to the plot; villains who get what they deserve; and favorite characters from previous books in the series.

I am on a familiar ground. Not complaining, as I have invested so much on the first series, the Cowboys of Chance Creek. So meeting Cab and Rose again, is a delight. But in this initial book to the series, Brides of Chance Creek, Issued to the Bride: One Navy SEAL, I gathered an insight on the role that men and women play in the family and in the society at large.

I have always believed that women are strong yet, delicate. As a mother, I once told my daughter this: that women are not weak. We have the great capacity to accommodate another life in our beings, in our souls. Thus, the men in our lives have a great role to protect and keep us safe. But as things go in society and in the world, conflict happens and war breaks out. As things go with people, men and women are imperfect. So, we struggle. We try to keep our best to balance and even things out the best way possible.

Cass and her sisters have been terribly fooled by irresponsible men. Without a father for so long, the sisters were easy prey to people who mean them harm. Brian's presence in the ranch allows a modicum of security and protection. This is not to say that Cass and her sisters have been weak or stupid. They are in fact, smart and kind, beautiful and full of talents. But, I admit, they need a man who will respect them for what they can do and who will value their relevance to the family and to the community they belong to. The message of this book to me is this: treat women well; respect them; value them; work along side them in the farm; in the factories, in offices, support them in all their good endeavors even if it means running for public office; and yes, be honest with them when they are about to fail; call them out when they are going out of line. Love them!

Men, love the women in your lives! If this happens more, then, world peace is a dream that can be fulfilled.

As for the women, know how to value this love and honor the men who love you.

What did not work for me

It's a small thing, but, I'll say it anyway. I just wish Cass is not as young as she is compared to Brian.

I enjoyed reading this new book as the first installment in the new series. I look forward to the love story of Connor and Sadie.

View all my reviews

Movie Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3183660/

Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them
Director: David Yates
Writer: JK Rowling
Rating: 3.5/5

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (FBFT) was our family date movie. It is the first JK Rowling creation which my husband truly appreciated. The kids were entertained and we were bawled over Johnny Depp's sneer at the end of the movie. If anything, FBWFT is only an introduction to the menace of a gathering dark that will sweep the world into greater conflict and war.

What I liked

Eddie Redmayne is fantastic as Newt Scamander. He breathed life to a side character of the Potter universe I only knew from short conversations and mere mentions among the major characters of the series. To some extent, I have always been curious about Newt Scamander. He must be a great wizard to travel the world in search for beasts of magic. How noble was his intent too: to write a book so that wizards and witches, young and old, can get a better grasp of understanding them. A true Hufflepuff!

Hufflepuffs are the underrated witches and wizards of the Wizarding world (UK) but in this movie, we saw a Hufflepuff who truly lived up to its house's traits. And yes, I am glad that Newt Scamander did not end up like Cedric Diggory.

Redmayne's portrayal of Scamander, a wizard and scholar, is charmingly geeky, goofy and gauche. I love him! He cares deeply for his creatures but, when faced with a danger bigger than them, he goes after it with his wand, a blazing light in his eyes and apparates to defend his friends and his beasts. I love Gryffindors, but really, a lead Hufflepuff in a Potter movie is something I truly appreciated.

The rest of the characters in the movie are all cut from the same cloths and patterns of JK Rowling's making: misfits, weirdos, eccentrics, oddballs, mavericks, the quintessential rebel, and the hyperbolic stereotypes. To me, it was comforting to be back in this world littered with such characters because, I have read about these flawed characters who became the hero or the villain of the books. This is one of the many reasons why I stuck with the entire series in the first place. Rowling's imperfect characters appeal to me because I learned early on in life that one's imperfections can be a great gift to others. Depending on one's choices, of course, because it can work the other way. One's uniqueness can also bring destruction to the world.

Once again, in FBWTF, Scamander and his newly found friends are all battling their inner demons or nursing a broken heart caused by a friend, a family member, a loved one or the very institution they put their trust on. We see them struggle and exert effort in rebuilding their lives, gathering up courage to dream again and to believe that doing good every day is one way to banish the greater evil that exist in the hearts of men. This is a Potter spin off that stays true to its mould, but it is slowly growing up into young adulthood.

Let's see how JK rowling spins this story thread further on.

What I did not like

There were gaps in the movie that left me bored. I didn't buy the slapstick and the comic relief provided to fill the gaps. I am a Potter head and I have grown up. I am ready for darker materials and the complexities of the human condition.

I am willing to wait for the next installment!

In Search of Heroes: What Literature Tells Us About Heroes (and some Villains)

I am invited once again to speak about reading. It is for a library conference in Central Luzon. I choose to talk about books, reading (of course) and the heroes (and some villains) we find there. Here is my prepared introduction. This is still a draft, so, it may change in a week or two from now. 

Before becoming an award winning author, I was, first of all, a lover of words and songs and a reader of books. Thank God, I was blessed with a lola who told me stories and sang me songs from the mother tongue. Sadly, I did not learn Bicol, but my lola’s love for stories and music remained in me to this very day. As a child growing up, my mother, who is also a librarian, read books to me that fed my imagination, encouraged my curiosity and sense of wonder. Now you know why I pursued a career in school librarianship. My writing life came in later when I could no longer hold the desire to write my own stories. I felt I needed to write. So, I did. 

 

As an afterthought, I can say that my lola and my mother are my heroes. I didn’t know it then, but I claim it now. If not for their efforts and their own way of loving, I wouldn’t be what I am today. My lola and my mother are not perfect. But, I know they tried their best to uphold the values that have been my moral compass since the day I was capable of spreading my own wings and became my own person. And they did it through instilling in me a genuine love for books, reading, literature and the arts. 

By doing so, they have introduced me to many heroes present in myths, legends, ballads and folktales. The tortoise in the Tale of The Monkey and the Tortoise is still a favorite of mine. The trickster Pilandok and Anansi the Spider from the African folk lore are fascinating characters I pull out when I do storytelling with children. From Lam-Ang to Mariang Makiling, Hercules to Athena, Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, the Little Red Hen and that child who shouted that the emperor has no clothes fueled my imagination and inspired me to aspire for what is good and kind in this world that riddles with chaos and confusion most times. 

And so, I am going to talk about modern day heroes we find in books and literature (including movies and animated films) to find out what makes them so. In the process, we will find ourselves in them since they are as imperfect as you and me. Despite themselves, they made choices and decisions that are difficult. They chose to rise above challenges and sought the path that is not easy but the right one to take. 

Here are our heroes: Frodo the Ring Bearer, nephew of Bilbo the Hobbit; My Neighbor Totoro;

Joy and Sadness; Baymax; Ramona Quimby; Matilda; Geronimo Stilton; Phineas and Ferb; Gru and his minions. 

It is my hope that, by knowing them as heroes, we continue to search for the likes of them in

books and in mainstream literature.

At the Academy Last Week: Poetry and Christmas Reading Passport 2016

Last week at the Academy, we launched the annual Christmas Reading Passport. This reading campaign began three years ago. It has evolved into a program that address reading needs and interests of students. I have also included an aspect of Bibliotherapy by including reflection questions.

Here are posts about the Christmas Reading Passport from previous years:

Christmas Reading Passport 2015
 Christmas Reading Passport 2014
 Christmas Reading Passport 2014 Video

Here's how the Christmas Reading Passport works:

1. Students get a reading passport.

2. The reading passport is designed to encourage students to read four books on the themes of hope, peace, joy and love. There are four questions to be answered, one for each book. This way, students are guided on their book choices. Recommended reads, a list of books about the themes are sent out via email lists to everyone.

3. The passport and the books are taken home over the long holiday break.

4. Students come back after the break with the passports filled out. They submit this to the library staff.

5. They get a token from the library.

 As the grade 9s have started a unit on Poetry in English class, I have put on display books on poetry. Inspired by current events, I picked up some books and stacked them together for a book spine poem I shared with the community.

Pateros Catholic School Memories: Grade School Years 1979 - 1986

This post was originally published from my old blog (that has closed already) back in 2009. I am resurrecting this piece since there will be a grand alumni homecoming of the Pateros Catholic School on December 3, 2016. I mentioned my grade one teacher in this write up. A few years after writing this, I met her at mass in mall in Mandaluyong. Ms. Pagkalinawan, my grade one teacher recognized me and still knew my complete name.

Looking at this retrospective piece, I feel I need to write about my high school memories too. We'll see. The calendar till December is pretty full.

I was a guest speaker/facilitator in a seminar-workshop at my Alma Mater last week. Being in Pateros Catholic School (PCS) after nineteen years was a strange experience. For one, the school changed a lot! It looked small and compact. Two, most of my teachers in grade school and high school have either left or moved on. And three, it felt odd being treated as a guest by my former grade three Reading teacher who is now the school's principal.

But there are so many things to be happy about.

One, my school is already PAASCU accredited. Two, my grade six teacher in Filipino, Mrs. Flery Natividad-Guevara, is now the licensed librarian of the grade school library. Three, I met my batch mate in grade school who teaches there as well. Last, the whole experience of going back and giving back was completing a life cycle.

I've gone full circle. And with it is the remembrance of childhood days spent in the parochial confines of Catholic education.

In grade one, I was the second smallest girl in class. I remember being friends with John-John, a boy who had a runny nose all the time and colored his chickens red. I colored mine brown even though I was very familiar with the story of the Little Red Hen. That Christmas of my first grade in PCS, my teacher, Ms. Pagkalinawan discovered that I could sing. She had me join the annual singing contest where I won second place with my rendition of Silent Night. There was an audition before the contest so I had to regale the judges with the Christmas Alphabet. Thanks to my musically inclined mother and my very artistic aunt. The costume went well with the song choice.

By grade two, my health faltered. I was often absent in class.

It did not improve in third grade, but I managed to work extra hard for missed classes that I reached the top ten of the class. My third grade teacher, Mrs. Aquino, died late that year.

In grade four I made it to the "pilot class" where the smartest and prettiest compete and converge. I wondered what I was doing there but enjoyed the company of the privileged. It was the Bagets year. Aga Muhlach was the poster of that generation. I collected his photos cut from magazines. Raymond Lauchengco and William Martinez suited my fancy as well. Yep. Grade four and a certified fan girl.

Fifth grade had to be the most unforgettable year. I failed Math. Big time. To get a 74 in the report card amongst the best and brightest crushed me completely. Mr. Bautista, my grade five Math teacher taught me a lesson I value to this day -- that one should not sit on one's laurels. I never recovered from my aversion in Math. It shows at my terrible love affair with dates, numbers, scheduling and yes, keeping a budget. But I did understand, only in later years, the meaning of failure and why it is important when you really think about it.

Bouncing back in sixth grade was not easy. Yet, I survived and graduated. Looking back, I learned tenacity and resiliency in PCS earlier on. It is a blessing seeing the worst in me. I came face to face with my own demons but this I realized only recently. It helps me survive. It helps me understand myself more. It helps me overcome them, these demons I call my own.

In retrospect, I had the best teachers in PCS. Mrs. Flery-Natividad Guevara is among them. She was my Filipino teacher and always commented how stylishly written my compositions were though neatness was much to be desired from my formal themes. Apart from this, she stands out because, she has shown her class advisees that the pilot class can be trumped. I did not belong to her homeroom but I was awed when her class, grade six Fortitude won the newspaper drive several times over grade six Love, the "pilot section". What does this experience taught me? That those in the hetero section can rise above mediocrity. With enough determination and focus, the ordinary student can excel in his or her own uniqueness.

Learning does not completely rest on the grades a student gets. My teachers taught me the basics - reading, writing and arithmetic. Best of all, they taught me what life is like and how to live it well. I owe a lot to PCS.

Filipino Librarian of the Month: Tericel C. Tamayao

Librarians like Tericel Tamayao help kids navigate the digital environment

Our Filipino Librarian of the Month is Ms. Tericel C. Tamayao. Tericel is the teacher librarian of the Early Learning Center of Brent International School Manila. 

a. Why did you pursue LIS in college?

16 years ago, a librarian husband and 2 kids later, I met LIS in PUP that I don’t have a choice but to pursue because I was a late enrollee then. All the most popular and exciting courses were closed. That time, I am not really proud about the course and whenever my friends were asking me about it, just to at peace them, I remember that I keep on telling them that I will shift to Journalism next semester (which is my first choice of course). But it didn’t push through. A lot of crazy things happened.

To fast forward, all my dedicated and hardworking professors in PUP greatly influenced and motivated me to continue and finish the LIS course. Most especially when I did my practicum and was exposed to libraries and see how librarians were very enthusiastic and passionate about their job. It was only when I became a librarian that I realized that I didn’t choose to pursue LIS. It is LIS who pursued me. ☺ Now, I know I have the best job in the world! 

My family is very proud that I never gave up being a librarian.

b. What is exciting about your job as a school librarian?

The exciting part of my job as a school librarian is everything! I get to interact with students everyday. I get to read great stories to them and teach them library skills. They are so funny and excited about books. How I wish the whole world loved books as much as they do. They have opened my mind to a world of possibilities in learning, in technology, in life. There are so many wonderful children’s stories out there and I love introducing children to these stories. I love to see their faces glow and get so excited about something we’ve just read and most especially when they found a just right book for them. I enjoy helping students and teachers find answers to questions they have and I love connecting them to good books.

Storytelling and reading aloud are activities that kids look forward to!

c. What challenges do you face as an LIS professional?

The STEREOTYPE! “Oh, do you teach lessons in the library?” There’s the other challenging part: people think we do nothing but sit around, sshhing the kids and read books all day! There are still many people who do not have an understanding of what we do and what we can do. 

I currently have a very supportive administration, but this has not always been the case. We should be advocating for what we do, sharing our abilities and skills with the students, teachers and to the community. Going above and beyond what people expect.

Since becoming a librarian, I have discovered that I need to step up and be visible on who I really am and what I am doing to shine a positive light on my profession. I am very proud of the fact that I am a school librarian serving the school alongside with teachers. I want everyone to know that I am a teacher librarian. I teach kids every day and I engage them to love reading.

Advocating books, reading and literature is a job Teri enjoys doing.

d. Recommend 5 Must-Reads for K-3 readers, teachers and parents.

It is very hard to trim down the recommended must-read books for K-3 readers because I have a long list. But anyway, these 5 books that I chose to take a special place in my heart and were among my top 5 read-aloud favorites.

1. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein – It’s hard to imagine a story more poignant than the tale of a tree that gives its life for a boy turned self-centered young man. It’s been interpreted along environmentalist and religious lines, but all can agree on the beauty of its underlying theme of generosity.

2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle – A cheery caterpillar nibble his way through an assortment of colorful foods and transforms into a butterfly.

3. Love You Forever written by Robert Munsch; illustrated by Sheila McGraw – A mother cradles her sleeping and sings him a lullaby and keeps up the habit for years and years.

4. A Perfectly Messed-Up Story by Patrick McDonnell – Louie becomes angry when the story in which he appears is ruined by messes from jelly, peanut butter, and other things that do not belong in books.

5. The Book With No Pictures by B. J. Novak – In this book with no pictures, the reader has to say every silly word, no matter what.

Book reviews from:

http://time.com/100-best-childrens-books/

Interview on Bibliotherapy for Special Education

Here is part 3, the last installment on the interview on Bibliotherapy.

11. We had a hard time finding therapy centers in the Philippines that facilitate regular bibliotherapy sessions. Why do you think this is the case in our country?

Because, one, it is not a one-hit therapy wonder drug and two, books and reading are hard to sell. We see books as textbooks and our view of literature is for perfunction and cognition. Not as tools to nourish the soul. We need a lot of growing up to do as far as books and reading are concerned.

Also, it needs more study and research as a therapy tool.

12. Does bibliotherapy require a center in which it is to be held?

No, it does not.

13. In what ways can bibliotherapy be incorporated in the general classroom? Special education?

Storytelling is one strategy for bibliotherapy to happen in the classroom.

14. How is storytelling/shared stores/directed or guided reading related to bibliotherapy? What are their similarities and differences?

Storytelling is the opening for engagement to a formal bibliotherapy session. It is presenting the material. In reading, there is always the pre-reading, during reading and post reading framework. This can be used to support or in integration with the different stages of bibliotherapy (see PPT)

15. Where do you see the future of bibliotherapy in the Philippines?

It needs to be practiced, documented and researched on - to grow it and further develop its science and craft.

Interview on Bibliotherapy for Special Eductaion 2 of 3

Here is part 2 of the Bibliotherapy interview of Ms. Ardeth Aquino.

6. What are the steps in implementing bibliotherapy?

You may refer to the ppt I sent you for the stages and steps in a bibliotherapy session.

7. What assessment skills and tools do you use in bibliotherapy for clients? How is progress evaluated?

For developmental bibliotherapy, the assessment is very authentic. Students who go to the library often want to read for two reasons: they need academic support and they need to unwind. Meeting students needs for academic support can be met through a reference query process. It is the “unwinding” needs that is more exciting since the inquiry can begin with generic questions to personal ones.

In cases like these, students would ask for books that are light and easy to read. I move on asking them what they have read from the library so far. If they say a title or two, I ask them if they liked it or not, then I suggest or recommend similar titles. I also have a list of book reviews ready for further recommendation. The reviews were done by students. When readers looking for books to read learn that the book review was done by a friend, a classmate or a school mate, they become more interested in reading it. There is a social aspect to reading. I think this is the success generated by Goodreads.com.

Assessment for developmental bibliotherapy can be done with the help of the school guidance counselor. For example, in the school where I work, we have recent concerns on bullying. The guidance counselor conducted individual intervention as well as a group processing of the issue at hand. This is an opportunity to support the counselor’s efforts in conflict resolution through bibliotherapy. So, bibliotherapy here is not a method used in isolation. What I am doing right now is selecting books and reading materials on conflict resolution to further enrich the counselor’s approach in assisting our students develop a coping mechanism to solve personal problems. The list contain that books range from individual titles on personal, self-help and fiction books. The guidance counselor will make use of this list to recommend books for a student to read or for a group counseling session. A similar approach and strategy can be done with classroom teachers.

Clinical bibliotherapy by medical health practitioners is focused more on mental and psychological therapy and requires a different set of asessment tools.

8. What types of activities would you use with a particular population?

The activity would depend on the developmental need of an individual or a group. But, the principle of mirroring or catharsis is the basis of any activity for a bibliotherapy session. It is important to know the profile of different age groups, their learning modalities and context. Reading ability is also a factor.

For children, reading aloud can be done. For more independent readers, they can read on their own pace and time allotted for the session.

9. How are the families, and significant others involved in the assessment process and intervention?

Interviews with family members and friends may help to establish content. They can also be included in special meetings or counseling sessions.

10. What is the biggest challenge in facilitating bibliotherapy?

Tracking and documentation of readers’ progress. Bibliotherapists also need a wide array of resources, other than books, movies and songs can be used for sessions, but our library system in the PH is very poor and such resources are expensive to keep and manage.

Interview on Bibliotherapy for Special Education

UP Special Education graduate student, Ms. Ardeth Marcelino, sent me questions on Bibliotherapy. This is for a research she and her group mates are working on. They are looking at Adjunct Therapy for use in teaching students with special needs. Bibliotherapy is an identified method.

I am posting the first part of three installments of questions in the blog.   

1. How long have you been in this field? Why did you pick bibliotherapy as your field of interest?

I am a school librarian, so my interest in bibliotherapy came from an aspect of my work with children, books and reading. Reading guidance is a school library service that is akin to bibliotherapy. Storytelling programs are gateways in which bibliotherapy can funnel through.  Libraries that serve children and young people must have a storytelling program and reading guidance services in place because, such a program and services foster the development of literacy, well-being and overall life skills.

I started out as a preschool librarian in 1995.

As a school librarian, my work is not only the organization of intellectual structures and information systems for easy, efficient and quick access. Part of my job is the recommendation of books and resources that address the different needs, interest and skills of learners. I work with teachers to support student learning and often, I engage in professional conversations and teaching practices with them that help them choose, select and evaluate books and resources suitable for their students. I touch base with parents and community resources to further enrich the library’s programs and services.

Thus, bibliotherapy is part and parcel of my job.

2. What are the goals and objectives of bibliotherapy?

Bibliotherapy involves the use of books and/or the written word to address a personal problem. It is the assistance given to young people who are going through issues in life by prescribing books and reading materials (Crothers, 1916). The ancient library in Thebes had an inscription that the library is a healing place for the soul. So, bibliotherapy is not a new thing.

There are two kinds of bibliotherapy: developmental and clinical (Brewster, 2008).

Developmental bibliotherapy is the use of books and reading materials in schools and libraries to promote self-knowledge, personal growth and a sense of accomplishment in a particular stage in life. Clinical bibliotherapy is used by doctors and medical practitioners with persons who have emotional and behavioral problems.

3. What is the theoretical framework in which bibliotherapy is anchored on?

In Reading Education, one framework for developmental bibliotherapy is the reader’s response strategy in which readers react or respond to the text they have read. The teacher or librarian uses a set of questions that show a reflection or insight to the character or event in the story. In pastoral care, the process of priming, engagement with the text, reflection and action is the framework.

I think this question can also be referred to in my answer in Q1 where in the concepts of reading guidance and storytelling are basis for bibliotherapy to happen and take place.

In literature, the concept that “literature mirrors life” is another framework for bibliotherapy. Psychology and Philosophy has something to say about the way we see ourselves in the materials that we read, but I suppose, that is a research that you and I can further look into, after all, we are both interested in the topic :-)

4. How can one be qualified to facilitate bibliotherapy?

Know your reader. Know what reading materials are appropriate for him/her. Read a lot. Match and classify reading materials developmentally according to the needs of the readers. Be real, sincere and honest. EMPATHIZE.

You need to be stable and healthy in body, mind and spirit before conducting a developmental bibliotherapy session.

Medical practitioners and guidance counsellors would have a set of requirements for clinical bibliotherapy.

5. What does a therapist need to prepare prior to facilitating bibliotherapy?

A knowledge of the reader. Books to read by and with the reader. A set questions and activities that follow this process: priming, engagement, reflection and action.

Check this link for more information on bibliotherapy - http://lovealibrarian.blogspot.com/2016/10/bibliotherapy-101.html

Inclusivity and Diversity in the School Library: What is an Inclusive Library?

November 24-30, 2016 is National Book Week. This year's theme is Today's Readers: Inclusivity and Diversity. If anything, the theme prompts us to look at our library services and programs as culturally tolerant, embracing the uniqueness individuals and accepting the differences of peoples who go to the library, and making sure that the library is a "safe place" for everyone. And at the heart of it all is the librarian who is competent enough to plan, implement and deliver programs of inclusivity and diversity.

I am wrapping my head around it because, to me at least, it appears more than looking at the library's collection. Although, by building up a collection that is diverse and represents people of color, indigenous groups, the marginalized, political refugees and the LGBT community, then it is a start to begin thinking of programs and services for them.

Here are two blog posts from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) on what an Inclusive Library is, its qualities and the competencies that librarians must possess to run such programs and services.

#act4teens: The Inclusive Library: More Than A Diverse Collection Part 1

#act4teens: The Inclusive Library: More Than A Diverse Collection Part 2

You may wish to head on to the YALSA website for more resources and news. They spear head the Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week celebrations.

Pa-Shawie Shawie Pag May Time

The 2016 Picture Book Month is On!

The 2016 Picture Book Month is on!

Head on to the website of Picture Book Month and read the post for the day. Today's featured author is Carmen Oliver. Read her essay on Why Picture Books Are Important and learn about her published books. You will also find a Literacy Activity to the theme of the day, which is on bears, recommended books to fill up your classroom library, your personal book collection, or your picture book collection in the school library, and links to the Teacher's Guide on using picture books in the classroom across subject areas.

There is also 2016 Picture Book Month Calendar (in colored and B&W) that can be downloaded for free!

Being a Picture Book Month Champion in 2013, I remain an ambassador of this awesome campaign on books, reading and literacy development through picture books!

For old time's sake, click this link to read my essay on the importance of picture books. I am not the lone Filipino in the roster of champions. Sergio Bumatay III was a 2012 Picture Book Month Champion. His illustration of Tight Times (Patindol, Adarna House 2012) was featured as well.

So, he believes that -

Picture books are important simply because they open the door of imagination. My love for books and art as a grown-up probably blossomed from the wonderful books when I was young. There is truth in saying that books are magical and that they can bring us anywhere we can imagine, no matter how cliché the statement seems. Picture books offer fun and adventure in ways that no toys nor gadgets can. Like works of art, they replenish our souls. Great picture books always stay in our memories.

On November 19, our very own, Isabel "Pepper" Roxas will tell us why this industry of books and magic making is very much important in the lives of children age 0 to 92!

November is Picture Book Month! It is an international literacy initiative that celebrates the print picture book during the month of November. Founder, Dianne de Las Casas (author & storyteller) www.diannedelascasas.com, and Co-Founders, Katie Davis (author/illustrator) katiedavis.com, Elizabeth O. Dulemba (author/illustrator) www.dulemba.com, Tara Lazar (author) taralazar.wordpress.com, and Wendy Martin (author/illustrator) wendymartinillustration.com, put together their worldwide connections to make this happen.

Read*Share*Celebrate!