THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

    As you know, La Casa Azul Bookstore will soon be a physical reality in East Harlem.  Owner Aurora Anaya Cerda was able to raise the $40,000 necessary to get her own store front, and she is hoping to open in late Spring.  Right now, she is busy painting, arranging furniture and bookshelves, ordering books and looking at art. One of the "extra" features of La Casa Azul Bookstore will be it's Inagural Exhibition of Latino Artists.  Hence, Aurora is putting out a call to all artists, in all mediums. "Work submitted may be of any traditional or non-traditional mediums or genre (painting, drawing, collage, photography, printmaking, sculpture, new media, site specific installation, performance etc.) using books as a source of inspiration and exploration.   "8-16 artists will be chosen from entries to be included in the exhibitions. There will be 6 shows in the 2012-2013 season, each show running for 8 weeks." DEADLINE: MARCH 31, 2012, Mi...

   Who am I?  Where do I come from?  Who are my parents--my real parents? These are questions we ask ourselves at one point or other.  These questions are especially important to adopted children of all ages.  And such a question is at the heart of Leila Cobo's latest novel, THE SECOND TIME WE MET. Book Summary:   Adored and nurtured by his adoptive parents in California, Asher Stone has moved effortlessly through a nearly perfect life. He is on the verge of a professional soccer career-when a car accident throws his future into doubt. Suddenly, Asher begins to wonder about his past, and about the girl who gave him up for adoption in Colombia two decades ago. And so begins his search for a woman named Rita Ortiz. From the teeming streets of Bogota to a tiny orphanage tucked into a hillside, Asher untangles the mystery of Rita’s identity, her abrupt disappearance from her home, and the winding journey that follo...

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION DETAILS: John Jay College of Criminal Justice 524 W. 59th Street, (at 10th Ave) Conference Center Saturday, February 25, 2012, 2-5pm Please join John Jay College of Criminal Justice Latin American and Latina/o Studies students as they stand in solidarity with the students of Arizona and the Librotraficante Tony Diaz in protest of the book banning in Arizona. Guests include Librotraficantes Tony Diaz, Bryan Parras, LiLo, Writer Sergio Troncoso and others. Students, writers, scholars, and activists will discuss the following during the teach-in: 1. Why should NY care about what is going on in Arizona? 2. Why are students across the country so inspired about this cause? 3. What is the historical context for this moment? 4. Why is there an anti-Latina/os movement in the United State of America? 5. Why should other cultures care about the plight of Latinos? You can also donate banned books to the Librotraficante caravan in one of two ways: ...

   UNDER THE MESQUITE by Guadalupe Garcia McCall (Lee and Low Books Inc.) has won the 2012 Pura Belpre Award.  Garcia McCall's winning entry is an "emotionally riveting" tale of growing up in a bicultural community in Texas from the point of view of fourteen-year-old Lupita, the oldest of eight children, who is in charge while her mother battles cancer. The 2012 Illustrator Award went to Duncan Tonatiuh for DIEGO RIVERA: HIS WORLD AND OURS.  Tonatiuh wrote and illustratrate the book, which was published by Abrams Books for Young Readers. The annual award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library.  For the complete listing of winners and honorable mentions, click here .

   Let’s celebrate the Month of Love with a charming tale of unrequited love in turn-of-the-century Mexico. In LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, each chapter begins with a recipe since our protagonist, Tita, is most comfortable in the kitchen, the heart and soul of the Mexican family. Tita is the youngest daughter of a well-to-do rancher. She falls in love with Pedro, but her mother decrees that Tita must remain single and care for her as tradition dictates. In a cruel twist of fate, it is her older sister Rosaura that marries Pedro and they move into the family home. Tita pours all her passion and frustrations into her cooking with hilarious results. Luckily, her unrequited love survives the Mexican Revolution, the births of Rosaura and Pedro's children, even a proposal of marriage from an eligible doctor. And in the end, Tita does manage to break with tradition for herself and future generations. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mexican author Laura Esquivel started writing while working ...

        Congratulations to our friend author Tor rey Maldonado for being named one of the Top Ten Latino Authors to Read and Watch for 2012 by  LatinoStories .  Here's what they had to say about Torrey and his book: Torrey Maldonado's book [SECRET SATURDAYS] is one of the great success stories of the year. Given all the negative press that teachers have received in these difficult economic times, it's great to see a talent like Mr. Maldonado emerge.  Following in the tradition of school teachers like Wally Lamb, whose debut grabbed national attention, this author is sure to continue to impress. This is a heartfelt story about a twelve-year old boy growing up in Brooklyn housing projects with a voice that is captured with great sensitivity. To see what other authors made Latino Stories' Top Ten List, click here . To read The Latina Book Club's interview with Torrey, click here .  Congratulations again, Torrey.  It is wel...

Happy New Year Happy Reading Looking forward to a new year full of wonderful Latino authors. Stay tune....