Category: Chapter News

Grab your biggest bags because you’re going to need them! It’s that time of the year where we all meet at the Miami Book Fair (MBF). We’ll shop through the Street Fair, we’ll eat delicious food, we’ll enjoy amazing music, and we’ll meet incredible authors! Are you ready for all of these literacy and culture galore!!!???

This Fall membership social will be at the MBF on Sunday, November 19th. Details of the meeting time and location will be shared with members via email. You can connect with us via reformafl@gmail.com.

That Sunday, November 19th at 3:00 PM, REFORMA de FL’s president, Maria Vega and immediate past president, Mari Martinez Serrano will be moderating a middle-grade chapter book panel titled: “Through the Looking Glass: Adventures in Alternate Universes” with authors Ryan Calejo, Angela Cervantes, Monica Magaña, and Justine Pucella Winans.

We hope to see you there!

A special thank you to our partners:

This year, Jumpstart’s 18th Annual Read for the Record campaign will be held on October 26, 2023. Thousands of schools, libraries, organizations, and communities will celebrate early literacy by reading the book: With Lots of Love/ Con mucho amor by Jenny Torres Sanchez, illustrated by André Ceolin! This is a beautiful story about family, finding ways to stay connected, and sharing love across distances. This is also a touching story that celebrates Latino culture and voices!

Jumpstart’s Read for the Record is a national campaign to bring young children together with valued grownups in their lives to read the same book, on the same day, in communities all over the world. The event– a day of celebration and fun– builds an intergenerational community through reading and raises awareness around the critical importance of early literacy and access to inclusive, high-quality books. Over 18 years to date, more than 26 million people have participated in Read for the Record, and Jumpstart has distributed hundreds of thousands of high-quality books to children in underserved communities. 

Visit Read for the Record (opens in a new window) to learn about Jumpstart’s work with children, find out about this year’s campaign, and register to read. #ReadfortheRecord2023 #ShareLove 

More about the Book: With Lots of Love/Con mucho amor is a story about a girl who has moved to the United States from her home in Central America, away from everything she leaves behind and longs for especially her Abuela (grandmother).

Rocio does her best to adjust to a new way of living, but there are many things she misses from her old life – Abuela’s cooking, Abuela’s piñata creations, Abuela’s warm hugs, and of course, Abuela herself most of all. But Abuela finds a way to send Rocio something special just in time for her birthday – a gift wrapped with lots of love – and that fills Rocio to the brim.

About the Author: Jenny Torres Sanchez is a full-time writer and former English teacher. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, but has lived on the border of two worlds her whole life. She is the author of We Are Not From Here; The Fall of Innocence; Because of the Sun; Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia; and The Downside of Being Charlie. She lives in Orlando, Florida, with her husband and children.

Download free activities to celebrate this year’s Read for the Record!

*We also learned that the app Novel Effect will be offering the soundscape of the title for free on October 26!

Please join our celebration and welcome our new presidenta, Maria Vega from Broward County.

The official presidential gavel was passed to our new presidenta by the past president, Mari Martinez Serrano at the Conference on Children’s Literature on Friday, September 22, 2023. During the conference, REFORMA de FL hosted an information table and gave away books to new members. Also, the chapter’s past and incoming presidents and longtime Reformista and award-winning author, Lucia M. Gonzalez led a Q&A with Florida Latina Authors Vanessa Garcia, Chantel Acevedo, and Jenny Torres Sanchez. During this celebration of Latino heritage and literature, panelists discussed REFORMA and the importance of representation in youth books and media. The Q&A concluded with a Broward County Library and REFORMA de FL sponsored book raffle!

We can’t wait for our next membership event at the Miami Book Fair! Save the date. More details coming soon.

Since our big comeback in 2020, we haven’t had the chance to all meet in person… until NOW! We’re excited to announce our first Fall membership social at the Conference on Children’s Literature on Friday, September 22, 2023, in Broward County. Learn more, register for free, and save the date on the Conference’s official page.

A little bit more about the Conference on Children’s Literature:

Held every year in one of Broward County Library’s branches, this free, all-day event is full of excellent and engaging creators. The Conference this year will be held in the African American Research Library and Cultural Center (2650 W Sistrunk Blvd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311) from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Read more about which authors you’ll meet at the Conference HERE!

If you’re planning to attend the Conference, please email us so we can keep in touch and let you know where to meet the rest of the chapter. We can’t wait to see you there!

Books & Library Connectionsfor Unaccompanied Refugee Children

The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos & the Spanish Speaking

If you or someone you know is looking to donate Spanish and bilingual books for children, consider sending them to REFORMA’s Children in Crisis Project!

REFORMA Children in Crisis – Est. 2014

Founded in 2014, The REFORMA Children in Crisis project has been addressing the needs of asylum-seeking children arriving at our borders. Over the years, they have worked with shelters, charities, and many other grassroots organizations to collect and bring Spanish and bilingual Spanish/English books for children and their families arriving at the borders. As more and more little ones arrive with their families, the need for more books is constant and urgent. Help us spread the word about this initiative and learn how you can support their efforts to share the wonder of stories and literacy with arriving children because libraries have no borders.

Making a donation is easy! Visit their donation page to learn about the many ways you can help from anywhere. On that page, you can make monetary donations that are used to select, purchase, and ship books to recently arrived unaccompanied refugee children. Also, If you wish to donate Spanish or Spanish/English children and teen books in new or gently used condition please send an email to the project’s Task Force at cic@reforma.org.

The Annual Conference of the American Library Association is a gathering event for library professionals from all over the United States (and visitors from other countries as well!)

For those of us in local chapters like REFORMA de Florida, this is a chance to meet our colleagues from REFORMA National and attend the meetings, programs, and events sponsored by our national association.

In addition to attending the organization’s business meetings representing the Chapter, some Floridians who attended were able to participate in important events, such as the REFORMA President Program, the Pura Belpré Award Celebración, and the Awards Reception and Fundraiser.

And talking about awards… our very own RdeF member Lucia M. Gonzalez received the “Elizabeth Martinez Lifetime Achievement Award” during this ceremony! Read more about it in the REFORMA national website, and enjoy some pictures from those who were present!

Congratulations, Lucia!

This year, the Awards Committee selected long-time REFORMA de FL member, Lucia Martinez Gonzalez as the LAA recipient.

What is the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award:

The Elizabeth Martinez Lifetime Achievement Award (LAA) was created to recognize those who have achieved excellence in librarianship over an extended (over 20 years) period of service and who have made significant and lasting contributions to REFORMA, as well as to the Latino and the Spanish-speaking communities.

About Lucia Martinez Gonzalez (from the REFORMA National website)

Lucia Gonzalez came from Cuba to the US with her parents and sister as refugees. She was 11 years old and didn’t know the language. In 1983 she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and in 1988 her MLIS from the University of South Florida, Tampa.  She is the author of The Bossy Gallito, 1996 Pura Belpré Children’s Literature Honor Medal; Señor Cat’s Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin America, and The Storyteller’s Candle, 2009 Pura Belpré Children’s Literature Honor Medal.  Lucia served as Chair of REFORMA’s Children & YA Services Committee from 2006-2016; is a co-founding member of Noche de Cuentos; two-time recipient of Library Journal’s Movers & Shakers Award, the 2010-11 Past-President of REFORMA; and the 2020-21 President of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).  She is inspired by the pioneering work of Pura Belpré and the visionary librarians who were, and continue to be, innovators in providing services to immigrant families and who understand the importance of honoring culture and preserving stories.  

REFORMA de Florida Nominations Committee is pleased to announce that the election to fill positions on the Executive Board 2023-2024 has concluded.  Thanks to all who cast their votes, you are helping us to shape and empower our chapter.

Congratulations to Maria Feliciano and Isabel Castro! 

Maria Feliciano has been elected as our new vice president. She is a recent MLIS graduate from USF and is now a children’s librarian. 

Isabel Castro has been reelected as treasurer. 

Everyone Can Serve! We remind you that there are special committees that also need your participation and support. Visit our website to learn more about the different opportunities to serve the chapter and help REFORMA de FL thrive! 

Also, please check your REFORMA membership status. Some of your memberships expire soon, so we want to make sure your renewal doesn’t slip by you. 

We look forward to another great year! 

REFORMA de Florida
Executive Board 2022-2023