Pat Mora
Photo
of Book
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Brief
Description of Book
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In
a series of poetic sentences, a young boy (biracial Mexican/Caucasian) tells
about some of the everyday things for which he is thankful. Come share the
joy, and think about all the things for which you can say, ¡Gracias! Thanks!
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A
gentle text and innovative artwork depict a pivotal summer in a boy's life
when he and his family leave their Texas home for farm work in Iowa. One
morning, while his parents pick corn, Tomás visits the imposing town library
and meets a kindly librarian who gently coaxes him inside. Throughout the hot
days thereafter, she offers Tomás cool drinks of water and adventurous
escapes into books; on slow days he teaches her Spanish until it's time to
return home to Texas.
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In
this joyful and spirited collection, award-winning poet Pat Mora and fine
artist Enrique O. Sanchez celebrate the vivid landscape of the Southwest and
the delightful rapport that children share with the natural world.
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In a heartwarming intergenerational
story, Pablo cannot wait to visit his grandfather and discover what treasures
will be placed on his tree, a tree that was purchased when Pablo was adopted
and that, each year, is decorated with special surprises.
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"From blueberries to vanilla,
indigenous foods of the Americas are celebrated in this collection of haiku,
which also includes information about each food's origins"
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With the help and interference of her cat
Chica, Cecilia prepares a surprise gift for her great-aunt's ninetieth
birthday.
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Poems that describe the landscape,
people, and animals of the American Southwest.
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It's dinnertime. Look at all the food!
Es la hora de cenar. ¡Cuánta comida!
There are beans, tortillas,
Hay frijoles, tortillas,
cheese, and even a green salad.
queso y hasta una ensalada de lechuga.
Enough for the whole family.
Suficiente para toda la familia.
Let's sit down and enjoy it together.
Vamos a sentarnos y disfrutarla juntos.
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Stella loves her family and her Mexican
heritage, but she doesn't always like being different from the other kids at
school. Now her class is going to dance around the Maypole at the school's
May parade, and Stella wants her tulip costume to be special, even if she
won't look like the other girls at school. Sometimes being different can be
exciting. This touching story that celebrates diversity is based on author
Pat Mora's mother's childhood and is brought to life by Elizabeth Sayles's
evocative paintings
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Interesting
Facts:
○ Pat Mora was born in El Paso, Texas in
1942 and currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is the oldest of four
children. She grew up in a bilingual home where she learned to speak and write
English and Spanish, and still uses that to her advantage.
○ She began to love reading and writing
poems when she was as little as a first grader. Her favorite present from her
parents, and still is, was a portable typewriter for her 8th grade graduation.
○ Pat Mora’s husband is an archaeology
professor at the University of Cincinnati so she spends a lot of time in
Cincinnati as well.
○ Pat
Mora received her B.A. in 1963 from Texas Western College and her M.A. from the
University of Texas at El Paso in 1967.
○ Mora
is the recipient of numerous awards, some of which include the Creative Writing
Award from the National Association for Chicano Studies in 1983; Women Artists
and Writers of the Southwest poetry award, 1984. She also received Southwest
Book Awards from Border Regional Library for her collections of poetry--in 1985,
for Chants, and in 1987, for Borders. In 1988, she was named to the
El Paso Herald-Post Writers Hall of Fame.
Major Works:
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Una Biblioteca Para Juana (2002)
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The Night the Moon Fell (2000)
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My Own True Name: New and
Selected Poems for Young Adults (2000)
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Aunt Carmen's Book of
Practical Saints (1999)
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The Rainbow Tulip (1999)
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This Big Sky (1998)
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Tomas and the Library Lady (1997)
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House of Houses (1997)
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Agua Santa-Holy Water (1997)
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The Gift of the Poinsettia (1995)
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Pablo's Tree (1994)
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Nepantla: Essays from the
Land in the Middle (1993)
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A Birthday Basket for Tia (1992)
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Communion (1991)
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Borders (1986)
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Chants (1984)
Quotes:
○ "I did realize, as you do, how blessed I was to know bookjoy, the private pleasure of savoring text." - Pat Mora
○“I
became a good writer when I saw the age of forty coming at me.”- Pat Mora
○“Advice to the writer: Be curious. Read
what excites you. Prepare for the journey; it’s joyous but not easy. Pack
snacks. Learn to savor revision.” - Pat Mora
○“Advice to the writer longing to be
published: Ponder how you handle rejection. It’s not that much fun. Assess
your level of stubbornness. It’s a challenge: keeping the heart soft and the
skin thick.” - Pat Mora
○“I’ve
written eight books for adults, two poetry books for teens and over thirty books for young readers. I’m always busy writing new books”- Pat
Mora
○“If
you look at my books, you’ll see what interests me, what excites me. I like the
desert and all nature: plants, animals, rocks, the moon and stars. I also like
families, folktales, special people (like Tomás Rivera and Sor Juana Inés),
word sounds and celebrations.” - Pat Mora
Bibliography:
Links to videos:
Brief
Reflections:
○
Tomas and
the Library Lady is a children’s book that Pat Mora wrote and that was illustrated
by Raul Colon. This book is based on a true story about the son (Tomas) of a
migrant farm worker in the United States during the 1940s. The family in the
story moves from Texas to our lovely home of Iowa. Tomas falls upon a library
and is welcomed into the the world of books. The librarian at the library is
very understanding of Tomas and shows kindness toward him. Tomas starts to
develop a love for books and learning. The librarian starts to learn a little
more about Tomas and his dreams to be a chancellor at a university.
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I think that Pat Mora likes
to tell stories of triumph and passion. She focuses on in this book of a family
who isn’t wealthy and the traditional “happy”. I think that this book does a
great job of showing that working hard and following your dreams can turn out
for the best. In a harsh world we can become wrapped up by a book and by
connecting with someone who is kind hearted and welcoming can change our life.
○ The Rainbow Tulip is about a little girl who does not always like to
be different. Stella and her family are
from Mexico and she is proud of her
culture. At Stella’s school they are
having a celebration and a May parade.
Stella wants to wear a rainbow dress at the May parade
even though she won’t be dressed like the other girls in her class. This book is about finding your place and
being proud to be different or unique. I
liked this book because, in a way, this book celebrates diversity which we have
been studying all semester.
○ Pat Mora has
several books that combine poems and different forms of literature
together. Adobe Odes is another one of her books that combines her works
together. This book is a reflection of
important things, moments, events, and thoughts she has had. It has many different kinds of subjects which
makes any reader able to relate and connect to this book.
■ From reading these books, I feel Pat Mora puts a lot
of herself into the books she writes and her experiences. She emphasizes how important her Mexican
culture is as well as her American culture throughout many of her books. A lot of the characters in her books are
reflections of herself. She draws out the
important aspects of her life in a lot of the children’s books and books on her
collections.
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