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Pat Mora reading to fans in the Faulkner Gallery. |
April 14 to 16, beloved children's book author Pat Mora graced Santa Barbara with her lovely presence. Hosted by The Santa Barbara Public Library, Santa Barbara City College, UCSB and other organizations*, Ms. Mora was in town to deliver the Association for Library Service to Children's 2016 Arbuthnot Lecture, "a paper considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children's literature."
The Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation was honored to help sponsor this nationally renowned presentation by hosting a Welcome Dinner for Ms. Mora on April 14 at Stella Mare's, attended by librarians from every corner of the country as well as library staff, foundation board members, sponsors, local philanthropists, authors and artists. A grand time was had by all!
Ms. Mora's lecture, "Bookjoy! ¡Alegría en los libros!," on the importance of reading, was delivered in City College's Garvin Theatre on April 15, to a rapt audience. Book sales and signing followed. You can watch the lecture here!
On Saturday it was Ms. Mora's turn to read to 100 young people and families in the Faulkner Gallery, and to answer questions from budding writers about where she finds the storylines for her books. Warm and gracious, Ms. Mora enfolded the children with great ideas, and hugs!
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Dads helping to make tissue paper flowers during Dia activities. |
Activities in the Children's Library followed, as part of "
Día,
Children's Day, Book Day/El día de los niños, El día de los libros." Created by Pat Mora in 1996 to raise awareness about the importance of "bookjoy,"
Dia is now celebrated across the nation annually.
*Other sponsors include The Diana and Simon Raab Foundation, the Santa Barbara Foundation, The Friends of the Santa Barbara Public Library, Santa Barbara City College, including the School of Child and Family Studies and the Luria Library, and the University of California at Santa Barbara, including the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and the Center for Chicano Studies. Media sponsors were Voice Magazine and the Santa Barbara Independent.
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