Today I had our usual "Pastries and Prose" meeting at 8:30. When we have school IN the building, we begin at 7:25 before school starts. This week and last I had it 8:30, thinking 4th graders would surely be up by then. Well, I had four kids show up. But it's not about the numbers, it's about the quality. And this was a good group.
Where does the procrastination come in? I wanted to share a book but didn't know which one. I had one downloaded but wanted to keep looking for ideas. This was at 8:18. I go into SORA and Women's History Month is being promoted. One of the first books available was Margarita Engle and Rafael Lopez's book, Drum Dream Girl.
I found today's book. Not only is it still "Women's History Month" (longest March ever, huh?) but it is also "Music in Our Schools" month. So this was a perfect match.
Drum Dream Girl
It's hard to believe that it has been almost a year now since Rafael Lopez took leaps with me in Castleton (and in the snow in April!). I am the luckiest person ever because I get to see his inspired artwork every day outside my library.
Multi award winning author and poet, Margarita Engle's lyrical text paired with Rafael's artwork (which won him the Pura Belpre medal) makes one perfect book. I just texted Mrs. Gibney, our music teacher and she simply said, "Love that book." Is there anyone who doesn't?
This book trailer will get you moving and wanting more, for sure:
There are many activities you can do with Drum Dream Girl. To start off, here is a discussion guide.
This article has SO many ideas and further links. These are a few I particularly like:
- Write a story or poem about your own dreams.
- Check out drums on Garage Band, if you have a Mac, or another program out there if you have a PC. Play around with it and make a song.
- Make your own instrument out of toilet paper or paper towel rolls, paper plates and beans or anything else you can think of!
- Listen to Cuban music. Maybe have some art supplies available and see if you are inspired to create something while you are listening.
- Create a mural of dreams with your family.
- Read other books by Margarita Engle, Rafael Lopez or on the same subject or idea. For middle grade readers, I suggest Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson which is her Newbery Honor biography in verse or Ruth Behar's Pura Belpre winning Lucky Broken Girl, based on her own life in fifth grade (in Briarwood, Queens, where I also grew up!) with her Cuban American family. Note: Ruth has a new book, Letters from Cuba, coming out in August that I love, love, love.
- Of course, check out more of Margarita and Rafael's books. There are more books they have done together (Bravo! Poems about Amazing Hispanics and Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreo Played the Piano for President Lincoln) More love.
I found this short video from Ms. Carmina Reads about Millo Castro Zaldarriaga from the book, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls.
Hope these photos get you leaping:
April 5, 2019
(Check out the blank wall behind us!)
The finished mural taken end of June 2019.
I miss that artwork so much now.💜
Haha Elisha Cooper :-)
By The Way
Speaking of Women's History Month, today is the birthday of Sandra Day O'Connor, born in 1930 in El Paso, Texas (yes, plug for my favorite state where I was hoping to be right now for the Texas Library Association conference) and Nancy Pelosi, born in 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland. You can find more information about both of these leaders in our databases: FactCite, PebbleGo (only Justice O'Connor) and of course, WorldBook and Britannica.
Happy Birthday Researching! Happy Women's History Month! Happy Music in Our Schools Month! xo
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