Mommy Maestra

Inspiring Latinos Series: The Amador Family

2012-02-24T00:14:00.000-05:00

The Libro del Mes, or Book of the Month, for February on our sister site, the Latin Baby Book Club, is the audiobook, Lola's Fandango/El fandango de Lola. It was through this book, that I learned about the wonderful Amador family.

Brian and Rosi are the co-founders of the band Sol y Canto, a Pan-Latin ensemble that has played across the country in places such as the Kennedy Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and even the White House.

But they are also professional voice-over actors. And together with their twin daughters, Alisa and Sonia, they are the narrators of Lola's Fandango and many other audiobooks.

I found their story to be inspirational and one that I really wanted to share with you. The Amadors generously agreed to a short interview, which I'm happy to include below...

How did your family become involved in recording audiobooks?

Rosi: Since the late 1980’s Brian and I were approached by an artist educator colleague who knew us as Latin musicians, to do Spanish and English narrations for Scholastic online. After that, a number of children’s online eLearning publishers (whose products are used nationally in school and educational settings,) including National Geographic School Publishing, Houghton Mifflin, Hampton Brown, among others, also came through a local audio recording studio specializing in eLearning who had heard of us.

When we had our twins, Alisa and Sonia, in 1996, we of course started reading to them in Spanish at a very early age. We even translated books that were in English into Spanish as we read back in those early days. When the Harry Potter series was published, Brian read every single one of them in bed each night, using different accents for all of the characters. They loved it! I continued reading too, but mostly in Spanish.

Our love of narrating stories for children grew and we decided to approach audiobook publishers in 2010. The first was with Live Oak Media, an award-winning producer of distinctive read-along recordings of children’s literature for the school and library market for over 30 years. The husband and wife business owners (just like us!) "carefully select books and produce exceptional recordings that provide children with a meaningful reading and listening experience," says their website, and we agree!

Our very first bilingual audiobook under their umbrella was Mañana Iguana, which won a 2010 Notable Children's Recordings from the American Library Association. After a few more audiobooks with Live Oak Media, we found it easier to approach other audiobook publishers, including, most recently, Barefoot Books, based in the Boston area, where we live. They are an award-winning children’s book publisher with the mission of using the power of stories to nourish the creative spark in everyone and strengthen connections with family, the global community, and the earth. Barefoot Books has only recently gotten started publishing audiobooks, and we were thrilled to narrate two books in both English and Spanish for them, Lola’s Fandango/El Fandango de Lola and Delicious Hullaballoo/ Pachanga Deliciosa.

What is your family’s heritage and (how) does it influence your work?

Rosi: I am from Puerto Rico. My father was from Buenos Aires, Argentina and my mother was Nuyorican. Both of my parents were performers on stage and screen, in theater, movies, and live music. Brian is a Chicano/Gringo mongrel from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He grew up listening to rock, but realized later on that he had always loved Latin Music and the Mexican music he heard in his Grandma’s house as a child.

Our heritage affects our work in that from the outset Brian and I were drawn together by our bicultural/bilingual backgrounds. Initially we chose music as our vehicle for sharing our Latin heritage. Together we led two Latin bands that toured nationally and internationally, the second of which, Sol y Canto, is still active, though not touring as much as in the past. For both of us, singing Latin music reconnects us to our roots, since we have been living in the Boston area for several decades, far from where we were born and raised.

Also because of our bilingualism, and the fact that we are unusual in that we speak both English and Spanish without an accent, we have attracted audiobook publishers seeking to reach the bilingual market, particularly around educational themes.

Your family doesn’t just do the voiceovers for these audiobooks, but you also record and integrate your own original music, and even sound effects. Can you tell us what the process is like? How does an audiobook come to life through your efforts?

Brian: I usually start by going through the book with the audiobook producer to map out musical cues and the atmosphere they’re looking to create in different sections of the book. By musical cues I mean short compositions written to support the text. Then we usually record the narration before I begin working on the music, so that I can write the music to fit with the narration. Once this is done I set to work composing, sometimes sketching out several possible cues for a given section, which I send to the producer for review and feedback. Once we’ve decided which cues we want to use I flesh them out, record them and finally, mix the narration and the music together.

As for the sound effects, I prefer to use home made effects whenever possible. For example, the falling fruit sounds in The Parrot Tico Tango/El Loro Tico Tango were created by dropping objects of different sizes and shapes into the empty case of our bombo, a large Andean drum and adding some reverberation effects! In Lola’s Fandango/El Fandango de Lola in a scene where the downstairs neighbor was annoyed by the ruckus of a party he bangs on the ceiling with a broomstick. To simulate this I pounded on a closet door with my hand. In a different scene where the rain is dripping on the window in a flamenco rhythm, I experimented with dripping water on different surfaces until I found the one I liked (a cookie sheet), then I edited the recording digitally to make the drops fall in rhythm!

[In terms of] the voiceover narration itself, the characters sometimes call for a variety of voices, which we come up with depending on each personality. We often have to voice more than one character and we draw on our acting skills, as well as our much practice producing different sounding voices. This goes for our daughters as well, because, for example, one of our twins, Sonia, who is 15, had to portray a 9 year old girl, so she purposely chose a younger voice when narrating her part. I played two roles: one as narrator, and one as Lola’s mama, for which I used two different sounding voices, one with a touch of Hispanic accent (for the mami) and one in straight English for the narrator. In Spanish this was of course not necessary, so I simply made sure to make the voices sound distinct.

You now have several children’s "talking" books on the market. What other titles can MommyMaestra readers enjoy?

We have the following audiobooks now available for kids from pre-school to 6^th grade (see our website for age recommendations) at www.solycanto.com/shop.html.

On Barefoot Books:
The Parrot Tico Tango/El Loro Tico Tango (published in English and Spanish, separately).

The following titles on Live Oak Media:
Mañana Iguana – English with splashes of Spanish
Delicious Hullaballoo (Completely bilingual)
César Chávez: The Struggle for Justice (completely bilingual)
Hill of Fire – English with splashes of Spanish

On Lorito Books:
The Case of the Pen Gone Missing/El Caso de la Pluma Perdida

Do you have any more titles coming out soon?

Yes, we do! Live Oak Media has just sent us two new books! Hola Mar/Hello Ocean, which will be narrated by our daughter Sonia, and Fiesta Fiasco – the sequel to Mañana Iguana.

Lastly, Rosi, you mentioned in an email that your family is committed to Latino education. Why is this important to you, and how do you see your role in it?

We feel that it’s very important for children of a Hispanic background understand and appreciate their culture as it’s important for all kids in this country to learn about the contributions of different cultures. By raising our daughters bilingually we know that we have given them a treasure: another way to look at the world and understand it. They often express their gratitude to us for having insisted that we speak only Spanish at home, even though when they were younger they did sometimes complain. By narrating educational audiobooks we hope to contribute to the cause of providing high quality educational resources to kids far and wide.

We have also done this through our music, since in 2003 we recorded a bilingual children’s CD called El Doble de Amigos/Twice as Many Friends, which is available on our website, www.solycanto.com. This CD was released nationally by Rounder Records and is still a popular item in our catalog. It won a Parents’ Choice Award and received critical acclaim. Our twins, 7 at the time, also sang on several of the songs! It features a combination of original and traditional Latin children’s songs in the toe-tapping, danceable styles of plena, son, calypso, reggae and more. Our intent is to immerse children in the joys of a bilingual musical fiesta and introduces them to rhythms from Puerto Rico, Cuba and much more in a completely interactive musical and joyful experience. Songs address topics including numbers, days of the week, parts of the body, self- esteem, the environment, peace, flying kites, celebrating bilingualism and Puerto Rican circle game songs. We also continue to perform in school settings where we offer highly interactive educational programs on Latin music and culture with lyrics expressing our belief in peace, hope, cross-cultural understanding and environmental stewardship as well as programs that highlight the roots of our Latin music.

To learn more about the Amadors and the making of their book, Lola's Fandango, check out this video that they made for Barefoot Books.

Nothing But Lorax

2012-02-23T09:30:00.001-05:00

This year, the National Education Association (NEA) has partnered with Universal Studios and their latest film, The Lorax, which premieres on March 2nd. Created by the same people who did Despicable Me, this is one movie that the kids and I are really excited about seeing. We're headed to the library in the morning to see if we can find the book. My kids do love Dr. Seuss, and we have several of his books, but not this one.

Anyway, if your family happens to be Seuss lovers, too, then be sure to check out the Lorax movie's website. There you'll find not only additional footage, but also a whole ton of activities including a daily activity, printables, lesson plans, a story contest, and online games.

And if you follow The Lorax Movie on Facebook, you'll find more great activities. You can even show your support by adding a Lorax (or his moustache!) to your photos. You can also sign up for 60 days of Seuss-isms (except that they're down to the last 11 days!).

And if you just can't get enough of Dr. Seuss, take a moment to check out Seussville.com. This incredibly fun site was created just for children and features many educational games with Dr. Seuss characters.

I haven't found a whole lot of Dr. Seuss in Spanish, yet, but I did find the Spanish version, El Lórax! I'm always ~~careful~~ picky about translations, and I haven't read this one, but I'm encouraged because it is on DelSolBooks.com.

One final thing to share, if you haven't heard of The Lorax Project, and you have a budding scientist at home or in the classroom, you're missing out! I love this site and it's challenge to young people to take action by learning about and helping to save the endangered species and ecosystems on our planet today.

Con mucho cariño...

Read Across America

2012-02-22T11:39:00.000-05:00

Every year on March 2nd (the birthday of Dr. Seuss), the National Education Association celebrates Read Across America, an annual reading and motivation program. On this day, the NEA shares the activities they've developed to encourage families and children to read 365 days a year. On their website you can find free, printable calendars, activity books, sticker sheets, certificates of achievement and appreciation, posters, and even a variety of booklists.

Their Spanish/English Bilingual Booklist has an excellent list of bilingual books grouped according to grade: K-4, 5-8, and 9 and up. (It even includes some of the banned titles in Arizona - gasp!).

The NEA has partnered with many organizations across the country. One of those is Target, who will be hosting a Dr. Seuss Storytime: Reading of THE LORAX this coming Saturday, February 25th. From 9 to 11 a.m., Target stores will be having live readings of The Lorax, and children attending will receive goody bags, fun activities, and more. If you visit their website, you can download a Lorax Reading Guide, free Dr. Seuss inspired activities, and even take their online quiz to find out which Dr. Seuss character your are.

More to come...

Celebrate America! with Little Hands®

2012-02-21T08:33:00.001-05:00

In the spirit of yesterday's holiday, I wanted to share with you one of the books I am using to teach American history to my kindergartner and 2nd grader. Little Hands® Celebrate America! is such a fun book for introducing young children to our nation's history.

Inside these pages, parents and teachers will find a short - but informative! - story (description) of the symbols, history, geography, and heritage of our country. For each topic, there is also an accompanying craft or game. For instance, at the beginning, Hauser talks about the U. S. flag and the symbolism behind each element. Children can create their own personal flags with a picture of themselves in the blue square, and/or design their own American flag using stars, stripes, and the colors red, white, and blue.

Hauser also introduces important works such as our national anthem, and describes in simple terms the meaning behind the Pledge of Allegiance. My children loved creating their own miniature Liberty Bell, as well as the simple science experiment that explains why the Liberty Bell broke to begin with...

As you go through this book with your students they will learn to identify famous American landmarks, memorize patriotic songs and poems (America the Beautiful, etc.), discover famous Americans (Lewis & Clark, Sacagawea, Martin Luther King, Jr., Tecumseh, etc.), and learn about our national holidays.

Along the way they'll make a freedom drum, a cornucopia, a Navajo bracelet, a suspension bridge, and many, many other fun crafts.

This is simply the best book for young, children. I have been using it as the core, and supplementing it with books I purchased on Etsy and Amazon, as well as some from our local library. I've also been using printables that I've found online (check out my Pinterest page).

This book is available in English only.

So if you are looking for a great little book to teach your K-5th grade child about American history, this one's for you! You can find new and gently used copies in my online store.

Con mucho cariño...

Disclosure: I purchased this book for my kids' lessons. I was not contact in any way by the publisher.

Presidents' Day Activities, Coloring Pages, Books and More

2012-02-20T00:14:00.001-05:00

Happy Presidents' Day!! The more that I learn about our U.S. presidents, the more I appreciate this day. Although Presidents' Day typically focuses on George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, we have had a number of fascinating men running the United States: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Garfield, Theodore Roosevelt, Kennedy, the list goes on and on. I am grateful to them, and their willingness to take on the incredibly difficult job of running this country. Have you noticed that every single president has left office with a head full of gray hair? I don't think that a single person entering into this position has a clue about what they are getting into and how hard it will be to try and hold the country together.

With this being an election year, I think now is an especially good time to discuss the office of the presidency, how a president is elected, and what they must do once they are in office.

Tonight, as I type this, my husband and children are sitting in the next room watching Abraham and Mary Lincoln, A House Divided: American Experience on PBS and learning about Lincoln's life. Though it is way past their bedtime, we're letting them enjoy the moment, knowing that tomorrow we will be remembering him and other US presidents.

Anyway, in honor of all the men who have so bravely led this country, here are some excellent resources for learning more about them and the office that they've held.

LESSON PLANS

• Scholastic has a good lesson plan titled, If I Were President, that covers a wide range of activities.

• Teaching Resource Cneter has a some great activities and lesson plans on George Washington. They also have an article dedicated to a Code to Teach the Oath of Office.

• lovetoknow home school also has some good lesson plans.

• I really love this math/social studies activity where students graph/map which state has produced the most presidents.

• I think older children will really enjoy these lesson plans from Lesson Planet.

• Mr Donn's American History page on American Presidents has lots of great lesson plans, games and activities, too.

• Mr G's World of Social Studies has a page dedicated to the presidents of the US with some fun trivia, and other data.

• ClassroomHelp also has information on topics like who died in office, who had a nickname, presidential salaries, and vice presidents who became presidents.

• Here is a printable story in Spanish on Presidents' Day from edhelper.com.

ACTIVITY SHEETS & COLORING PAGES

• Enchanted Learning has some great printables for Presidents' Day. These include worksheets and short books for beginning readers.

• FreeKidsColoring.com has a nice sized coloring page of the President's Seal and several for both Lincoln and Washington.

• Crayola.com has a great coloring page for George Washington and others for Presidents' Day.

CRAFTS

• First, I have added so many cute Presidents' Day crafts to the MommyMaestra Pinterest board, Presidents' Day, so be sure to check that out.

• Kaboose has some super cute crafts, such as this Craft Stick White House and this Powdered Wig.

VIDEOS & PHOTOS

• National Geographic Kids has a great collection of U.S. Monument photos including Mount Rushmore, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and more.

• If I Were the First Latina/o President - super cute video of Latino children's description of what they would do if they were the first Latino president.

• Love this video on how a president is elected.

• Schoolhouse Rock/America Rock - Presidential Minute video.

BOOKS

• Who Was George Washington? by True Kelley and Roberta Edwards

• Who Was Abraham Lincoln? by Janet B. Pascal

• Presidents' Day by Anne Rockwell

• If I Were President by Catherine Stier

• If I Ran For President by Catherine Stier

• Little Hands Celebrate America!: Learning about the U.S.A. Through Crafts & Activities by Jill Frankel Hauser

BILINUGAL BOOKS

• Yo también puedo ser presidente (Spanish Edition) by Yanitzia Canetti

• El Día de los presidentes by Mir Tamim Ansary

• Otto se presenta para presidente: (Spanish language edition of Otto Runs for President) (Spanish Edition) by Rosemary Wells

• Día del presidente (Presidents Day) by Rebecca Rissman

Music with Sara: más canciones en español {Giveaway}

2012-02-17T20:56:00.002-05:00

Last year, musician Sara Horlick Quintanar asked me if I'd share her adorable music video with you. This month she has released her new album, Music with Sara: más canciones en español, with 18 songs in Spanish. I do love her music! Her versions of the selected Latin American children's songs are original and creative without sounding hokey (as sometimes kids' albums in Spanish can be), and I especially appreciate the cultural rhythms I hear. But you don't have to take my word for it! Listen to these samples from her new album...

THE GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of her new album, Sara is offering one of her CDs to a MommyMaestra reader.

To enter to win, simply leave a comment below.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Thursday, February 23rd. The winners will be chosen using Random.org. and contacted via email - so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment!

And to increase your chances of winning, you can:

1.) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following: Win a copy of the new album, Music with Sara: Más canciones en español, from @LatinMami http://bit.ly/zJBsar #Spanish #music #giveaway

2.) Blog about this giveaway and include the link to your post in the comments below.

Don't forget to let me know by posting a separate comment for each entry!

By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Sweepstakes Rules. No purchase required. Void where prohibited.

¡Buena suerte!

Disclaimer: I have not been compensated for this post.

Collaboration: One of the Keys to Education Reform

2012-02-16T00:21:00.001-05:00

Tonight on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams there was a fascinating piece by Chelsea Clinton on how one charter school (The Learning Community) in Rhode Island is sharing their reading strategies with local public schools to help their students improve their reading performance to grade level. When this collaboration began three years ago, only 37% of K-2nd graders were reading at or above grade level. Within 8 months, that number was up to 66%.

As Clinton talked with the teachers and the students I was amazed to discover that these new and innovative strategies were things like "sketch it" (kids listen to the story and the draw pictures related to it), "connection" (kids think about the story then relate it to a similar experience they've had), and "retelling" (kids tell the teacher what the story was about). The teachers also make it a point to have one-on-one time with each student every week to help them with their reading.

These are all practices that I use with my kids, and I bet so have most homeschooling moms. I'm not a trained teacher. My major in college was English with a creative writing emphasis and a minor in Social Work. But I learned most of these techniques with the curriculum I was using to teach my kids how to read, and from reading articles about developing your child's literacy skills. And I don't think these ideas are new to teachers, either. Maybe for some. But I know that there are many teachers who are either teaching their students this way, or would like to but can't.

Although I was really sad to see that these strategies are not commonplace techniques in ALL school districts across our country, I was so very glad to see this type of collaboration between the charter and public school system. I have had a very high opinion of charter schools for a while now, and even considered enrolling my own daughter in one when she was ready to start Kindergarten. (More on that another day.)

Anyway, in the interview, one of the questions Clinton asked was why we weren't seeing more collaborations like this across the country. The teachers readily admitted that "sometimes public school teachers can perceive charter schools as a threat" when it comes to resources and personnel. How sad is this? I wonder if this perception isn't promoted by "upper management" within the school districts.

But you quickly learn that this group of teachers have a different outlook. I was so happy to hear one of the other public school teachers say "We all share the same goal. It's student achievement."

And isn't that just what it all boils down to in a nutshell?

When asked why the program is successful, a charter school teacher responds that "We just keep it dynamic. We make decisions right there on the spot about how to meet the needs of every single student in the class." What a profound statement. This is something I do every day at home with my kids. Isn't it a shame that teachers across America aren't allowed the freedom to make these decisions with their own classrooms?

There are so many lessons to be learned from this segment. I think it is an inspiring story during this time when there are so many negative feelings associated with our current education crisis. So I want to share it with you here...

I really wish that instead of so much fighting and distrust, our education systems would find a way to work together for the sake of our children. Enough with the jealousy, the bickering, and the OVERLY competitive outlooks.

I would love to hear from some of the teachers reading this blog. What are your thoughts about this issue?

Con mucho cariño...

The Librotraficante Caravan

2012-02-15T12:24:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I shared my thoughts on the Arizona book ban. Perhaps you, too, were outraged by the assault on our culture and on our children. Perhaps, you were already outraged by that and many of the other issues occuring in the state...and around our country.

Well, we're not the only ones. A revolution has begun. And one of the forms it has taken is the Librotraficante Caravan. (Librotraficante means "book trafficker" in Spanish.) Next month, on March 12th, 2012, a group of librotraficantes from across the country will be smuggling contraband books back into Arizona. Spearheaded by author Tony Diaz, this movement is supported by many Latino authors, many of whose works have now been banned in Arizona, such as the esteemed Rudolfo Anaya whose book, Bless Me, Ultima, is now forbidden to be taught in classrooms. (Seriously?!? Bless Me, Ultima? This may be one of my favorite books ever. I read it in a high school lit class.) Other supporters include Sandra Cisneros (her book, House on Mango Street? BANNED!), Dagoberto Gilb (Wood Cuts of Women), Luis Urea (has FIVE books banned), Carmen Tafolla (Curandera), Sergio Troncoso (The Last Tortilla & Other Stories), to name just a few.

The caravan is intended to:

1. Raise awareness of the prohibition of the Mexican-American Studies Program and the removal of books from classrooms.
2. Promote banned authors and their contributions to American Literature.
3. Celebrate diversity: Children of the American Dream must unite to preserve the civil rights of all Americans.
4. Create a network of resources for art, literature, and activism.
One of the goals of the Caravan is to create "Underground Libraries," or sites to which the banned books will be donated. And it will be making stops along the way in places like San Antonio, El Paso, Mesilla, and Albuquerque. You can see their current schedule here.

To learn more about the Librotraficante Caravan, and to show your support, visit their site: Librotraficante.com.

Cristina y la rana {Giveaway}

2012-02-13T21:41:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day (a few hours early)!! Does your family celebrate this holiday? My children have already enjoyed their Valentine's party with all of their homeschooled friends, but tomorrow we will splurging with heart-shaped pancakes and some of the crafts I have in my Pinterest board for this holiday.

And to express my gratitude for all of you dear readers, I'm delighted to introduce you to another giveaway.

This one bring you this sweet story of Cristina y la rana. It is about young, lonely Crisitina, who one day finds una rana in her garden. She gives it a little kiss, hoping for it to turn into a playmate. But when she lets it go, the little frog disappears. And to her surprise, it is not a little girl who suddenly appears, but a baby...

Based on the popular folktale, The Frog Prince, this book is a sweet, simple story perfect for bedtime reading. It is written completely in Spanish.

THE GIVEAWAY

Author Alma Flor Ada has generously donated several of these books for a giveaway. I am so pleased to announce that THREE MommyMaestra readers will receive a copy of this beautiful little book.

To enter to win, simply leave a comment below.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Sunday, February 19th. The winners will be chosen using Random.org. and contacted via email - so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment!

And to increase your chances of winning, you can:

1.) Leave a comment sharing with us the title of your favorite folktale.

2.) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following: Be one of THREE winners of the Spanish children's book, Cristina y la rana from @LatinMami #Spanish #reading #giveaway

3.) Blog about this giveaway and include the link to your post in the comments below.

Don't forget to let me know by posting a separate comment for each entry!

By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Sweepstakes Rules. No purchase required. Void where prohibited.

¡Buena suerte!

Valentine's Around the Web

2012-02-13T08:40:00.000-05:00

This year I have seen an explosion of great ideas for celebrating Valentine's Day with your niños. There are so many clever and creative crafts, that I wanted to share some of my favorites. So stop by and take a look at the MommyMaestra Pinterest board on Valentine's. Enjoy!

(Note: Since I am not big on candy, you will mostly see other types of treats and ideas for giving as Valentines.)

Con mucho cariño...

Bilingual Valentine's Day Cards for Children {Printable}

2012-02-09T23:37:00.000-05:00

This weekend, if you are looking for an activity to keep the kids busy, why not have them fill out some Valentine's cards? I have now listed a set of bilingual Valentine's Day cards in my etsy shop. There are two versions of six designs (one with "te amo," the other with "te quiero," etc.), so that you can print the one that best suits your familia. I've also included an optional "back" to the cards in case you'd like a decorative space for writing names.

My daughter used these at our Valentine's party on Wednesday. She used a hole punch on either end of the cards and pushed some Valentine-themed pencils through as her gift, (see the picture on the MommyMaestra FB page) but you could also use lollipops, erasers, or other treats.

Have a great weekend!

Strawberry Chocolate Smoothie {RECIPE}

2012-02-09T07:21:00.014-05:00

A Valentine's Day treat from 12-year-old homeschooler, Angelica!

Strawberries + Chocolate = Valentine Smoothies!

These smoothies are easy, sweet and colorful! Adding small chocolate hearts only make them cuter, don’t ya think?

Use frozen fruit instead of ice to boost the nutritional value, thicken the smoothie naturally and avoid using sugar.

Strawberry Smoothie

By Angelica Rodriguez

2 cups frozen strawberries
1 ½ cup milk
½ cup yogurt
1 tbsp agave or honey
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Place all ingredients in blender (except chocolate). Blend until smooth.
Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave in 30-second intervals until chocolate is melted.
Use spoon to make hearts on parchment paper.
Refrigerate until ready to garnish your smoothie.

Makes 2

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Angelica is a 12-year-old homeschooler with dreams of becoming a pastry chef.

Addicted to comics, food network, and carnival rides, Angelica loves taking over her mom's kitchen. She is currently working on perfecting her piecrust while her family reaps the benefits. You can find her sharing her baking skills over at Sweet Life.

How To Praise Your Bilingual Child

2012-02-08T17:30:00.000-05:00

Wow! It's February already?

My family and I just returned home from a two-week vacation in Texas. And we got back just in time for our 4-H club's annual Valentine's Day party! I have several Valentine's posts scheduled for the next few days, including adorable bilingual Valentine cards that I created for my daughter.

But first, I wanted to be sure and share with you all this lovely printable that mi amiga, Unknown Mami, has created and is now offering as a free download on her site. It is a small poster with "101 Ways to Praise a Bilingual Child." I thought it especially appropriate to share this week with Valentine's Day coming up. What better way to show your child how much you love him or her than by building them up and helping them to find the confidence that comes with a parent's love?

How often do we remember to praise our children for their hard work and good deeds? I am guilty of not doing it enough. And I am thankful for Unknown Mami for creating this beautiful piece and offering it to all of us. It now sits in a frame on my mantel in our school room, a lovely reminder to tell my children how much I appreciate them.

If you go over and download it, please leave her a comment and tell her MommyMaestra sent you. ;)

Con mucho cariño...

Los Tweens: A Site for Latino Kids

2012-02-05T21:16:00.000-05:00

Have you heard about Los Tweens, yet? It is a website for children ages 7 to 12 and their parents. The site covers a diverse set of topics related or of interest to tweens and their parents. The creators of the site publish multicultural content so that through learning, kids can develop a global perspective and appreciation for world cultures and their people.

On its pages, parents can find everything from "Tween Cuisine" to a parent's struggle with violet video games. Although the site is still in a Beta version, families can register and navigate all the areas of the website.

LosTweens.com is new, but worth keeping an eye on. If you are a parent of a tween, you might like the articles included so far. And as usual, I encourage parents to explore it first before signing their kids up.

Con mucho cariño...

The 2012 Pura Belpré Award Winners Announced!

2012-02-01T21:31:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, the winners of the 2012 Pura Belpré Award were announced. I was so excited that three of them were chosen as the Book of the Month on our sister site, the Latin Baby Book Club, last year. You can find a list of this year's winners here.

One of the Illustrator Honor Book Winners was Rafael López, whom I greatly admire. Written by Samantha Vamos, The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred, is a beautiful book. Samantha sent me a video that Rafael created upon learning about the award. I'm happy to share it with you here...

Aventura en la selva tropical

2012-01-31T18:37:00.004-05:00

Whenever I travel, one of the first places I like to hit up are the bookstores. You NEVER know what treasures you'll find. Today was a jackpot day.

Waiting for me on the shelf was a small pile of Aventura en la selva tropical, an educational activity book completely in Spanish. Young readers pretend to join an international team of scientists to explore and protect our planet's tropical forests. Along the way they face many challenges and mysteries, which they must solve in order to decifer the secret code to open the box. Inside they will find a game board, playing chips, 4 tropical animal miniature figures, 24 animal stickers and a travel journal filled with field notes.

I cannot find it available online anywhere here in the States, but you can look at this site for more pictures and additional information.

~~If you’d like to purchase this activity book, it is available for $20.00 (includes shipping) on a first-come, first-served basis. I only have a few of them. Contact me~~ ~~here~~. SOLD OUT!

Engineering Summer Day Camp for Girls in 6th & 7th Grades

2012-01-31T13:16:00.000-05:00

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at The University of Texas at Austin is now accepting applications for its summer program for middle school girls: Careers in Engineering for Women (CEW). This non-residential day program is designed to introduce students to engineering. The long-term goal of CEW is to increase the representation of women in the field of engineering. During this
unique, interactive, and fun week long experience, CEW participants will put their math and science skills to practical use.

CEW is a non-residential summer day camp for girls currently in 6th or 7th grade. Although housing will not be provided, but there are many hotels around the campus. This weeklong session will be held June 11-15, 2012. Forty exceptional middle school students will be accepted to attend.

During CEW, participants will explore different aspects of engineering through hands-on activities and challenges. The girls will work in teams to design, construct, and implement solutions to exciting engineering problems. Students will also interact with industry personnel, Cockrell School of Engineering faculty, and energetic UT Austin engineering students.

The CEW application along with a brochure is available online at:

http://www.engr.utexas.edu/swe/cew.html

Applications must be postmarked by February 15, 2012

Quinoa Cookies {RECIPE}

2012-01-30T14:02:00.001-05:00

Today's post is written by our 12-year-old homeschooled contributor, Angelica.

Cookies are a great way to introduce your kids to Quinoa (keen-wa). This is how my mom first served up this little grain, smart. With a tall glass of cold milk, my sister and I quickly gobbled them up! As we enjoyed our cookies my mom began to share the history of quinoa and its healthy benefits.

Quinoa contains more high quality protein than any other grain. It is called a complete protein which means it provides your body with all nine essential amino acids.

Helps to increase tissue growth and repair. A great source of magnesium and iron.

Quinoa is gluten free.

The Incas considered Quinoa a sacred food. A staple in their diets, these warriors turned to quinoa to fuel their bodies for war, hunting season, and when the tribe relocated their families. Known as the “mother seed” quinoa had been cultivated in the Andean mountains for 5,000 years. In an effort to control the Incas, the Spanish Conquerors destroyed every field where quinoa was grown. The Conquerors ended the cultivation of quinoa by sentencing death to anyone who tried to grow quinoa.

Quinoa was not grown until the 1980’s in Colorado. In the hopes of giving back a bit of the Inca history, two Americans began to cultivate quinoa. These Americans realized that quinoa grew well in drought. Soon quinoa would be considered a super crop, helping the United Nations feed the hungry. It was also served by NASA on long flights in space.

New Moon Quinoa Coconut Cookies

By Simple Spoonful

January 9, 2009

1/2 c natural peanut butter

1/3 c raw agave nectar

2 T freshly ground flax seeds

2 c cooked quinoa, completely cooled (Make sure this is not too wet or the cookies won’t hold together. It should be on the dry side and fluffy. If yours is pretty saucy, make sure to cook it a bit longer to evaporate the excess water.)

1 c rolled oats

1/2 c dried, shredded, unsweetened coconut

1/4 c raw cacao nibs (Optional) I did not use them

Preheat the oven on its lowest setting. Mine was 170 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. The parchment paper is non-negotiable. (FYI, you could easily pull this off in a dehydrator or solar oven, if you have either.)

In a bowl, mix together the peanut butter, agave, and ground flax seeds. Mix in the quinoa, oats, and coconut. Fold in the cacao nibs if you’re using them. Your mixture should be pretty clumpy, as shown below. If your quinoa was a bit on the wet side when you started, it may not want to hold together at this point. If that’s the case, toss in a bit more flax and peanut butter and see if that helps.

Next, scoop tablespoons of delicious quinoa goop onto the parchment paper and flatten them with your fingers. Lick your fingers off. Continue the process until you’ve used up or surreptitiously managed to eat the entire batch. Make sure the cookies have decent structural integrity, as they’ll dehydrate slightly in the oven and small weak spots will become bigger. In other words, make sure they’re pretty tightly formed.

Put them in the oven and let them set up for about an hour. (my cookies took 1 ½ )

Make sure to store leftover cookies in the fridge and consume them within a week.

----------------------------------------------

Angelica is a 12-year-old homeschooler with dreams of becoming a pastry chef.

Addicted to comics, food network, and carnival rides, Angelica loves taking over her mom's kitchen. She is currently working on perfecting her pie crust while her family reaps the benefits. You can find her sharing her baking skills over at Sweet Life.

My Opinion of the Arizona Book Ban

2012-01-24T23:09:00.003-05:00

The recent book ban in Arizona has left a bad taste in my mouth.

The people implementing the ban claim that they aren't actually banning books, but rather banning the ethnic studies programs. (How is that supposed to make it any better?) However, they did decide to box up and cart away all the students' books to a "district storage facility." The Tucson School Board was basically told that if they did not abolish the ~~ethnic studies~~ Mexican American Studies programs, then they would lose more than 14 MILLION DOLLARS in state funding.

As a Latina mom who is extremely concerned about the education of not only my children, but ALL children in this country, and especially those who come from Latino families, it infuriates me that such outrageous blackmail is possible.

For years, now, I have publicly voiced my opinion to encourage publishing houses to print more books by Latino authors FOR Latino children. I have said time and again how important it is for our children to see their own faces reflected in literature... in a positive manner. Studies have shown that "Latino adolescents in the U.S. who maintain ties to their culture of origin are more likely to develop healthy behaviors than their peers who do not. Latino adolescents with strong awareness of their family’s culture reported higher self esteem, fewer social problems and less hopelessness, aggression, and substance abuse." This is the exact opposite of what the ethnic studies are accused of doing.

The Arizona school superintendent, John Huppenthal, instead claims that the ~~Mexican American Studies~~ ethnic studies programs “promote the overthrow of the United States government,” “promote resentment toward a race or class of people” and “advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.”

Mr. Huppenthal, I don't think you need to worry about the ethnic studies programs doing this. You seem to be doing a great job of it all by yourself.

Mamiverse has a great commentary on the subject written by Beatriz Terrazas. So does Multicultural Familia. Both object to the banning of books.

In my opinion, the ones who suffer the most from these horrible actions are our children. Instead of growing up in a world filled with possibility, they are being treated with no respect and are being told their history is not worthy of studying.

We must fight for our children. Because if we don't, who will?

So I want to challenge those of you who oppose this atrocious act of censorship and repression to sign the petition created by Norma Gonzalez to the Tucson Unified School Board asking them to return the books to the students. Norma is a teacher in the TUSD, whose culture class has been terminated. Take a moment to read her words about the petition, as well as the petition itself. I have hope in our society. Today, I have watched the number of signatures skyrocket. As I write this, already nearly 10,000 people have signed this petition.

We, Latinos, are a strong and resilient people. And we have determination in our blood. César Chávez and Dolores Huerta are prime examples of the things we can accomplish when we set our minds to it. There's not much you can throw at us that our ancestors haven't already experienced and survived. Don't believe me? Read the REAL history books. I am proud of my heritage and the blessings that God has given us.

It is time for us to put a stop to this nonsense. It is time to say, "Enough."

We will be educated. And we will be heard.

Swag Bucks: An Easy Way to Earn Books for School

2012-01-23T23:04:00.001-05:00

I have an intimate love of Amazon.com. I find so many resources there for homeschooling my kids, that whenever I have the opportunity to get a gift card, I take it. And one of my favorite ways to get a gift card is by simply using Swag Bucks.

Swag Bucks is an online search engine, similar to Google. I earn points or "Swag Bucks" just by using it to look up information online. Once I've accrued a large number of swag bucks, I can turn around and redeem them in the Swag Store and get any number of prizes. I, of course, prefer to save up and redeem my bucks for a gift certificate to Amazon, but there are many other stores including Barnes & Noble, Bass Pro, Old Navy, STARBUCKS, JCPenny...the list goes on and on.

So what are you waiting for? Get over there and sign up! (And while you're at it, tell them I sent you so I can get some extra swag bucks!)

Con mucho cariño...

Inspiring Latina Series: Samantha Garvey

2012-01-23T00:53:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of Samantha Garvey? The New York teen recently made the headlines because she is receiving a $50,000 scholarship from AT&T to the college of her choice. And JCPenny gave her a $5,000 gift card. Oh, and Whole Foods gave her a $1,000 gift card, too.

She's also one of the semifinalists for the Intel Science Talent Search, a prestigious competition whose grand prize winner will receive a $100,000 4-year scholarship. And she's been invited to attend President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address next Tuesday.

Did I mention that she's homeless?

Or, actually, she was - until her story was picked up by the media and the county found her family a rent-subsidized home in which to live.

Samantha's mother is from El Salvador and her father is from North Carolina. She wants to be a marine biologist and is a bright student, maintaining a 3.9 gpa in the hopes that her education will bring about a better life for both her family and herself.

You have to read her fascinating story. This article is good, too.

Better yet: Watch her incredible story on Newsday...

Now say, "YES!" to education.

Lorito Books {Giveaway}

2012-01-20T09:17:00.005-05:00

Not long after my kids received their copy of The Polar Express with its read-along CD, I discovered Lorito Books. At the time, it was a new company that had just launched its collection of audiobooks. I'm happy to say that they have done well despite the sluggish economy, and have, in fact, really grown over the past year.

The company's president, Pam Fochtman, saw a need in the community for these materials. The company is committed to developing second language literacy and promoting the beauty of Latino culture. And they believe that audiobooks are a valuable tool to accomplish these goals.

Their high quality, word-for-word audiobook read-alongs for young readers and second language learners are carefully chosen for their culturally relevant content and values. Their products include Growing Up With Tamales/Los tamales de Ana, The Desert is my Mother/El desierto es mi madre, Icy Watermelon/ Sandía fría and other popular titles in Latino children’s literature.

I've had the pleasure of reviewing several of their books with CDs through the Latin Baby Book Club, and I especially appreciate how Pam has chosen native speakers - who just happen to be outstanding storytellers - to record the books. You can learn more about the narrators on the Lorito Books website.

Pam has generously offered two of her new releases as giveaways for MommyMaestra.

The sun shines through the windows of Martha’s Panadería onto the shelves of freshly baked treats. The bakery holds tray after tray of hot Mexican sweet bread—conchas, orejas, cuernitos, empanadas, and cochinitos—all ready for hungry customers...

The Runaway Piggy/El cochinito fugitivo is a bilingual takeoff on the gingerbread man story. It's full of the sounds and people that make up a traditional Latino neighborhood. There is a cochinito cookie recipe included in the back of the book and even comes with piggy cookie cutters! You can listen to some audio samples here, or learn more about the story here.

Older readers will enjoy The Case of the Pen Gone Missing/El caso de la pluma perdida. The character is a Latino "Encyclopedia Brown" who gets tongue-tied when the most popular girl in school asks him to solve a mystery. It's very sweet. You can read a review of this book on the Latin Baby Book Club. Brian Amador of Sol y Canto is the narrator. This book is available as either a stand alone audiobook or a book + CD set. You can hear an audio sample here.

THE GIVEAWAY

Two MommyMaestra readers will receive a copy of one of the books with CD.

To enter to win, simply leave a comment below letting me know which book you'd like to win.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Monday, January 23rd. The winners will be chosen using Random.org and contacted via email - so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment!

And to increase your chances of winning, you can:

1) Visit Lorito Books' website, then come back and leave a comment telling me which audiobook you'd like to hear most.

2) Follow MommyMaestra on Facebook

3) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following: Win bilingual audiobooks from Lorito Books and @LatinMami http://bit.ly/xRqrmL #bilingual #audiobooks #giveaway

Don't forget to let me know by posting a separate comment for each entry!

By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Sweepstakes Rules. No purchase required. Void where prohibited.

¡Buena suerte!

Juanita the Spanish Lobster from Maestro Classics {GIVEAWAY}

2012-01-18T22:50:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited this week, because I will be running THREE giveaways! I've already shared one with you, and today's is another treat.

I am always looking for ways to introduce my kids to classical music. I have a nice collection of CDs that I play on a regular basis with classical pieces from Mozart, Grieg, and many others. A week or two ago, I clicked on a link that had caught my eye, and it led me to the most wonderful website: Maestro Classics.com.

You cannot even begin to imagine my delight to discover a company that produces educational materials centered around classical music - for young children! They offer a series of classical CDs, each one dedicated to a particular orchestral story. Inside each CD set you will find a short story (length varies depending on the particular story), a section about the story, another section about the music, and one or two bonus soundtracks. It also comes with an activity booklet.

You can also sign up for their Kids Club and receive monthly puzzles, games, and other activities in your email. January's email was focused on Swan Lake, and came with a video, music excerpt, link to their curriculum guide, and a coloring page. Yes, I said curriculum guide. Their awesome site also includes a section with education materials perfect for homeschoolers, teachers, and parents. Yay!

Intrigued, I purchased their album, Juanita the Spanish Lobster, and downloaded the MP3 version because, a) I prefer to be able to download it on my children's school computer, and b) I was too impatient to wait for the actual CD. The best description of this story is found on their website:

"Juanita is an imposing Spanish lady lobster. Not content to knit seaweed with the other lobsters in the grotto, Juanita prefers to dance a fierce flamenco and sing about her troubles. She loathes her boring underwater life and longs for more excitement. Thinking she can find more fun on the land, she leaps into a fisherman’s lobster trap one day. Her admirer, a lovesick little lobster named Caradoc (as in the Arthurian knight) saves her from certain doom. In the end, a newly contented Juanita learns to love the grotto, and she sings about her marvelous life with all of the other sea creatures."

Not only did I love it, but more importantly, my kids loved it! They have been listening to it over and over. We sat and listened to the story, then learned about who created it and how, then listened to it again, then learned about the different music styles used in the story. It was just fantastic. The MP3 download came with a pdf version of the activity booklet, which was perfect because with two children, I was able to print up the same pages so that they could each have a copy to work on. It is filled not just with activities, but also with a History of Flamenco and Amazing Facts About Lobsters.

Now for the best part: They offer a Spanish version of this particular CD! Juanita la langosta española has been completely translated into Spanish by the very talented, Yanitzia Canetti, whose translations of children's literature I have admired for its smooth sophistication and the way in which it captures the essence of the story.

The music on the Maestro Classics CDs are performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Stephen Simon. The narrator of Juanita the Spanish Lobster is Dr. Konrad Czynski (a.k.a. Yadu), professor of Humanities at Minnesota State University-Moorhead. (He has, in fact narrated several of the other CDs including Peter & the Wolf, Mike Mulligan & His Steam Shovel, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice.)

But the narrator of Juanita la langosta española is Rosi Amador, lead singer of Sol y Canto. Rosi has narrated a number of childrens books, including recent releases by Barefoot Books (which I mentioned yesterday).

Below is a short video of Maestro Classics' co-creator, Bonnie Ward Simon, talking about Juanita la langosta española:

THE GIVEAWAY

Maestro Classics is kindly offering a copy of their Juanita la langosta española CD to one MommyMaestra reader.

To enter to win, simply leave a comment below.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Monday, January 23rd. The winners will be chosen using Random.org and contacted via email - so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment!

And to increase your chances of winning, you can:

1) Visit Maestro Classics' website, then come back and leave a comment telling me which CD you'd like to hear most.

2) Follow Maestro Classics on Facebook

3) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following: Win a a copy of Maestro Classics' Juanita la langosta española from @LatinMami http://bit.ly/xtAwyq #Spanish #classicalmusic #giveaway

Don't forget to let me know by posting a separate comment for each entry!

By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Sweepstakes Rules. No purchase required. Void where prohibited.

¡Buena suerte!

The Value of Audiobooks

2012-01-18T13:45:00.002-05:00

Since I have dedicated this week to audio books, I want to take a moment to explain why and to sing their praises. Growing up, the only experience I had with them was a small set of cassettes that someone gave me when I was about three or four years old. It was a set of two or three cassettes and the accompanying children's books, the only one of which I can remember was Sinbad ("Don't worry about me men, I'll be all right!"). So I never REALLY enjoyed the beauty of listening to a book on tape. Back then, it was sort of frowned upon. Like you were cheating; too lazy to read the book, so you decide to listen to it instead.

So I never really thought much about them. But a little over a year ago, my mother sent my kids a copy of The Polar Express...and it came with a CD. One evening, too tired to read to my kids, I popped the CD in and laid down on the bed with my kids. Moments later the sound of Liam Neeson's voice swept me and my children away and off to the North Pole. That was their favorite book for weeks. Maybe even months.

The thought that maybe I was missing the boat and depriving my kids slowly crept into my brain and began to take hold. I began to notice little snippets of conversations by other homeschoolers and articles would catch my eye. And then, through my work with the Latin Baby Book Club, I was contacted by a publisher who was selling bilingual books with an accompanying CD (more about them later). I received samples and listened to the tapes.

And I was SOLD.

This past Christmas, I purchased several books from Barefoot Books during their Winter Sale. Both of them came with a CD. My children LOVED them. And I learned a valuable lesson: Audio books are a valuable tool to increase literacy in children. In fact, I would go so far as to say that ALL children should have access to audio books.

The act of listening to a story has such powerful impact on a child's literacy skills. I could see in my own children how it refines their listening skills and helps to build reading comprehension. If you have a child who is struggling to understand what he is reading, using audio books in conjunction with their reading practice could actually improve their ability to remember what the story is about, and help them internalize the meaning.

My husband asked me, "How do you know he's not just memorizing it?" I don't. Yes, he might be. And that's okay, because when I go back and ask him to read it again, pointing to the words as he reads, he remembers the story, which in turn helps him to remember word sounds and decode what is written on the page. His eyes are seeing the word, and his brain is remember the sounds and the meaning. Next time he runs across that word, it will be easier to read. Makes sense, no?

I think audio books also help children learn the rhythm of a well-written story. By listening, they learn about inflection and intonation. It trains their ear, so that they will begin to look ahead as they read so that they can read aloud in a similar manner.

They are also a wonderful way to introduce young children to literature that is too difficult for them to read, for example, the Classics. I think if we wait until children are old enough to read some of the classics, then our kids will be bored. They have to learn to appreciate well-written literature while they are young, before their minds get used to the easy "candy" on the bookshelf. The garbage that doesn't really inspire the imagination, or incite thoughtful consideration, but rather just evokes a good laugh and is written purely for entertainment's sake. I'm not saying there's not a time and a place for a mindless story, but I think we ought to train our children's minds to savor the challenge and sophistication of well-written literature from the start. And a well-told audio book of good children's literature can capture and entertain a child's mind as easily as the next book.

If you'd like to read more about the benefits of using audiobooks with children, take a look at the following articles:

• Benefits of Audiobooks for All Readers on Reading Rockets

• The Literacy Benefits of Listening: Use audio books to bring life and depth to your child’s reading experience on Scholastic

• 8 Teaching Benefits of Audio Books on Ezine @rticles (A great article!)

Con mucho cariño...

Bilingual Books on Tape {GIVEAWAY}

2012-01-16T23:08:00.003-05:00

This week is dedicated to audio books and the valuable place they have in our children's education. I mentioned last week that I'm committed to incorporating more audio books in our studies, and I'll be sharing resources for them over the next few days.

But I want to kick off this week with a giveaway. I have two sets of four CDs featuring the stories of author Alma Flor Ada. This set includes four books in Spanish, and one in both English and Spanish.

The first CD is collection of 29 songs for each letter in the alphabet and one original alphabet song. All of them are in Spanish and are from the book, Abecedario de los animales, written by Alma Flor Ada and Suni Paz.

The second CD is a series of stories read by the authors, F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada. It is their own versions of the 12 traditional tales that they wrote for their book, Cuentos que contaban nuestras abuelas. Some of the stories included are Blancaflor, Juan Bobo, Martina Martínez y el Ratoncito Pérez, El caballito de siete colores, and many others.

The third CD is actually in both English and Spanish. Once again read by the author. The Gold Coin or La moneda de oro is a beautiful book about generosity and transformation. You can read the moving and inspirational story behind this tale on Del Sol Books' website.

And our last CD is actually another collection of 27 songs based on the book, Gathering the Sun: An ABc in Spanish and English, written by Ada and Paz. These songs originate from simple poems written about the lives of Latin Americans; one for each letter of the Spanish alphabet. You can read a review here on the Latin Baby Book Club site.

I am so happy to be able to giveaway one of these CD sets to two readers. And I am especially grateful to Alma Flor Ada, for generously offering these as giveaways.

THE GIVEAWAY

I have two sets of each CD to giveaway and will choose two winners.

To enter to win, simply leave a comment below.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Sunday, January 22nd. The winners will be chosen using Random.org. and contacted via email - so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment!

And to increase your chances of winning, you can:

1.) Leave a comment telling me which CD you are looking forward to the most!

2.) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following: Win a set of bilingual audio books for children from @LatinMami http://bit.ly/AeG1er #Spanish #reading #giveaway

3.) Blog about this giveaway and include the link to your post in the comments below.

Don't forget to let me know by posting a separate comment for each entry!

By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Sweepstakes Rules. No purchase required. Void where prohibited.

¡Buena suerte!

UPDATE: A NOTE FROM ALMA FLOR ADA -

Dear Mommy Maestra readers:

I'm delighted to know that you will be able to share with your children some of the CDs that Isabel Campoy, Suni Paz and myself have created with great love. It would be nice to hear their reaction to the stories and songs. You can contact us at: http://www.almaflorada.com/, http://www.isabelcampoy.com/, http://www.sunipaz.com/. Do not miss visiting Isabel's new website! And let us know if you want a free subscription to the monthly enewsletter Smiles and Butterflies, with ideas on sharing books with children. All best wishes. ~Alma Flor Ada

Disclosure: This giveaway is offered in collaboration with the authors. I have not been compensated in any way for offering this giveaway, and it results from my contacting them and asking for a contribution to our Music in Education series.