Friday, September 11, 2026
Thursday, September 10, 2026
2026 MIBF Moment: Ang Batang Marunong Magbasa
Kahapon, sa aming book signing sa Lampara Books (booths 424-444) sa MIBF, SMX Convention Center, may mag-aama na napadaan sa sulok kung saan kami nakaupo. Sa mga naka-display na aklat namin sila nakatingin. Hindi sa manunulat o sa illustrador. Napansin ko ang kilos ng mata at ulo ng batang babae: kaliwa-kanan; kaliwa-kanan.
“Go ahead! You can read my book.” sabi ko sa kanya.
“I can?!” Tanong niya.
“Yes! Go read!”
At sa loob ng lima-pitong minuto, nagbasa siya ng kuwento ni Talia at Cara. Nagsabay pa silang mag-kuya sa bandang gitna ng kuwento, habang nakingiti naman ang ang kanilang tatay. Ang sarap pakingan ng batang nagbabasa!
“Let’s buy the book now.” sabi ni Tatay.
Binili din nila ang aklat ni Leo Kempis Ang dahil mahilig silang kumain ng balut!
Nagpapirma sa amin ang mga bata sabay pa-picture. Nalaman ko na grade 2 na ang magkapatid at kambal pala sila! Isang MIBF moment ito na hindi ko malilimutan.
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Monday, September 7, 2026
Saturday, September 5, 2026
Book Review: Stray Cats
For me, this is what makes the novel’s fantasy so powerful. Sarmiento does not use fantasy to escape reality. She uses fantasy to make reality harder to ignore.
The tikbalang, kapre, and other creatures of Philippine folklore invite us into a world that feels strange and magical, but as Elisa moves deeper into that world, the difference between the fantastic and the real begins to blur. The creatures become a way of seeing what might otherwise remain unseen: the inequalities, vulnerabilities, violence, and suffering that exist alongside the ordinary lives we inhabit.
Stray Cats becomes a story not only about finding someone who is missing, but about learning to see. It is there where the strands of the twine come together: friendship leads to care; care leads to curiosity; curiosity leads to encounter; encounter leads to awakening; and awakening demands a response.
Growing up, then, is painful because it means discovering that the world is not the world we thought it was. Realizing that once we have seen it, we cannot simply become unseen again.
P.S I missed my cats while reading the novel. I rest in the knowledge that Ohren and Golden are being cared for by someone who knows better than I can.
Friday, September 4, 2026
Thursday, September 3, 2026
The Lighthouse Diary Entry #91: From Finding Information to Making Informed Choices
A couple of weeks ago, in our Grade 8 English class, we had the opportunity to revisit a previous lesson on Types of Sources and Determining Their Credibility. More importantly, we continued the conversation about why we choose particular sources and how those choices are shaped by purpose and the evidence we need.
Starting with the claim, “Schools should limit smartphone use during class,” the students unpacked the kinds of evidence needed to support or challenge it. By phrasing these as keywords and conceptual phrases, they were able to identify and match possible sources to specific evidence needs.
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In our second meeting, the Grade 8 students moved from identifying sources to using them purposefully. They selected and evaluated sources, took notes, extracted bibliographic information, and examined the pros and cons of the claim.
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The process was a simple but meaningful shift from finding information to making informed choices about information, an important step toward becoming more critical, purposeful, and independent researchers.
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Monday, August 31, 2026
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Poetry: At Fifty and Two
At fifty and two
I hold a vessel
filled with tears and laughter too.
It is an offering to
the Diwata of Light
and the Word Witches
who gather in mountain and fog,
in sunlight and in rain.
One of them whispers
and I lean in to listen.
“Life is not measured
by what we keep,
but by what we pour out and give.”
©️
zarahgeeh 08272026
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Friday, August 28, 2026
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Sunday, August 23, 2026
Saturday, August 22, 2026
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Book Review: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
One scene where this is evident is when she comforts her father after the news of her grandfather’s passing. Cisneros writes with a precision and poignancy that affected me in ways I have not experienced in a while.
I also appreciate the feminist writing that is subtly narrated, yet cuts like a knife. It is real. It is something I recognize because I know girls and women like Sally, Nenny, Esperanza’s mother, and her grandmother, who was forced to marry at a young age. Their stories are not presented loudly, but they are there, in the limitations placed on their lives, in the choices taken away from them, and in the ways they learn to survive.
This is what makes The House on Mango Street linger. It is a quiet book, but its truths are never silent.
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Monday, August 10, 2026
Sunday, August 9, 2026
Every Story Holds a Hand: Reading for Care and Belonging
I will be conducting a Reading for Care/Bibliotherapy workshop at the Philippine Readers and Writers Festival 2026. This workshop is for parents, teachers, librarians and professionals working with children. We will read children’s books and design engaging activities that foster belonging and empathy building.
Every Story Holds a Hand: Reading for Care and Belonging
5PM - 7PM Prologue Room
National Bookstore, Araneta City
Cubao, Quezon City
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