José Mujica is no ordinary president. He lives on a small farm with his wife and three-legged dog. He drives a light blue, 1987 VW Bug. When he served as president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015, Mujica donated 90% of his $12,000 per month salary to charities that worked to support small businesses and those living in poverty. It’s no wonder the citizens of Uruguay affectionately called him “Pepe.” But others around the world called Pepe Mujica “the world’s poorest president.” Pepe dismisses this nickname stating, “I don’t feel poor. Poor people are those who only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle and always want more.” Readers should know that Pepe is also known for unapologetically speaking his truth even if his words cause discomfort. Continue reading
Mary Fahrenbruck
Poet Laureate Projects from the Library of Congress
By Mary L. Fahrenbruck, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
This week WOW Currents makes a slight change from featuring resources available from independent publishers to featuring Poet Laureate Projects sponsored by the Library of Congress. Teachers and families can access poetry projects and interactive ideas from eight Poet Laureates including Tracy K. Smith, Juan Felipe Herrera, and Joy Harjo, the current Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. Continue reading
Literacy Resources Available through Cinco Puntos Press
By Mary L. Fahrenbruck, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
This week WOW Currents features teacher and family literacy resources available through Cinco Puntos Press, an independent publishing company located in El Paso, Texas. Bobby and Lee Byrd, owners and publishers, opened Cinco Puntos in 1985 and have been publishing “great books which make a difference in the way you see the world” ever since. Continue reading
Enchanted Lion Books
By Mary L. Fahrenbruck, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces NM
This month WOW Currents features literacy resources that educators and families can bring into their virtual learning spaces. This week WOW Currents focus on The ELB Book Club, and Instagram resources available from Enchanted Lion Books. In a recent interview with Claudia Zoe Bedrick, the publisher, editor and art director of Enchanted Lion Books, I asked her to talk about the resources available to educators and families. Continue reading
Imagination Fridays
By Mary L. Fahrenbruck, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
Each week in November, WOW Currents will feature an online resource that teachers and families can access to support literacy instruction in their virtual learning spaces. This week’s post features Imagination Friday hosted by Worlds of Words: Center of Global Literacies and Literatures and Tucson Festival of Books. WOW offers many amazing resources for teachers and families, and Imagination Friday is no exception. Continue reading
WOW Recommends: Hands Up
Each scene in Breanna McDaniel’s picturebook Hands Up! depicts an everyday life event accompanied by text that ends with the phrase “hands up.”
“Morning, baby. Time to get dressed, hands up.”
Gotta get clean. Reach for the sink, hands up.
“It’s all right, baby girl, I’ll help, hands up.”
MTYT: Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
Mary L. Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson, New Mexico State University, NM
In their fifth and final MTYT installment for April 2020, Mary Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson provide their take on Sal and Gabi Break the Universe written by Carlos Hernandez. The 400-page novel won the 2020 Pura Belpré Author Award.
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MTYT: The Undefeated
Mary L. Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson, New Mexico State University, NM
In their fourth MTYT installment for April 2020, Mary Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson provide their take on Kwame Alexander’s The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson. The Undefeated was the winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal, the winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, and was a 2020 Newbery Honor Book.
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MTYT: Other Words For Home
Mary L. Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson, New Mexico State University, NM
In the third installment Mary Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson provide their take on Other Words for Home authored by Jasmine Warga, named a 2020 Newbery Honor Book.
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MTYT: Sulwe
Mary L. Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson, New Mexico State University, NM
In their second MTYT installment, Mary Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson provide their take on Sulwe written by Lupita Nyong’o and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. The picturebook is a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book for 2020.
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