Pat Mora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pat Mora
|
|
|---|---|
Mora at a book signing in 2015
|
|
| Born | Pat Mora January 19, 1942 |
| Occupation | author |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | M.A. |
| Alma mater | University of Texas at El Paso |
| Genre | Poetry, Nonfiction, Children's literature |
Pat Mora (born January 19, 1942) is an American writer. She writes poems and books for kids, teens, and adults. Pat Mora was born in El Paso, Texas. Her grandparents came to El Paso from northern Mexico.
She went to the University of Texas at El Paso. Later, she received special honorary degrees from other universities. She also became an honorary member of the American Library Association. Pat Mora loves to help people learn to read. In 1996, she started a special day called Children's Day, Book Day. It is also known as El día de los niños, El día de los libros in Spanish. This day is now celebrated every year on April 30 across the United States.
Contents
Pat Mora's Writing Career
Pat Mora started writing professionally in the early 1980s. She has written many different types of books. These include picture books, poetry, and biographies.
Inspiration for Her Books
Pat Mora's writing is often inspired by her life. She grew up near the Mexico–United States border. This area, with its unique culture, shaped her stories. She once said that the desert was her "stern teacher." The landscape of the Southwestern United States was her world.
Her books show the many different people and cultures. These cultures are found in the Southwest U.S. and northern Mexico. She celebrates the rich "diversity within Mexican American experience." Pat Mora believes it is important to keep cultural heritage alive. She writes so that the stories of Mexican Americans are shared. She wants them to be studied in schools and colleges. This way, their stories and ideas will not disappear.
Writing Style and Goals
Pat Mora strongly supports reading in two languages. She created the idea of "bookjoy." This word describes the happiness and fun you get from reading.
Sometimes, Pat Mora uses both English and Spanish words in her writing. This is called code-switching. When she writes her first draft, she lets her ideas flow freely. She doesn't worry about why she is writing. She just writes without too much thinking. Later, she uses her critical eye to edit and improve her work.
Pat Mora has also worked with her daughter, Libby Martinez. They wrote two children's books together. These books are I Pledge Allegiance and Bravo, Chico Canta! Bravo!. Libby Martinez drew the pictures for these books.
Children's Day, Book Day
In the mid-1990s, Pat Mora started El día de los niños, El día de los libros. This is a community program for families to enjoy reading. It is often called Día for short. In 1997, a group called REFORMA officially supported her project. REFORMA helps libraries serve Latino and Spanish-speaking people.
Mora based Día on Mexican National Children's Day celebrations. These celebrations have been happening since 1925. Día has two main parts. First, it encourages people to love reading and books. Second, it ends with book celebrations that bring communities together. She chose April 30 for Día because it is the last day of National Poetry Month. The first Día event happened in 1996.
Children's Day, Book Day has grown in the U.S. It now includes all children, languages, and cultures. Pat Mora hopes that books and celebrations for Día will include "all languages spoken in the United States."
In 2004, a part of the American Library Association became a partner for Día. This group is called the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC). Pat Mora believes that if we want our country to be full of readers, we need to work together. We need to help families enjoy reading.
Awards and Honors
Pat Mora has received many awards for her writing. Here are some of them:
- Texas Writer Award (2015)
- International Latino Book Award for The Beautiful Lady: Our Lady of Guadalupe (2013)
- Loretto Legacy Award for Arts and Literature (2012)
- Con Tinta Achievement for Literary Activism (2012)
- Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award for Gracias~Thanks (2011)
- Eureka! Children's Nonfiction Award for Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems About Love (2010)
- Literary Legacy Award from El Paso Community College (2010)
- International Latino Book Award for Abuelos (2009)
- Independent Publisher Book Awards Bronze Medal in Poetry for Adobe Odes (2008)
- Luis Leal (writer) Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Letters (2008)
- Pura Belpré Honor Award for Doña Flor: A Tall Tale about a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart (2006)
- National Hispanic Cultural Center Literary Award (2006)
- Arizona Governor's Book Award for Confetti: Poems for Children (2004)
- Fahd Elbadry Southwest Book Award for A Birthday Basket for Tia (1992)
- El Paso Herald-Post Writer's Hall of Fame Inductee (1988)
- Kellogg National Fellowship Leadership Award (1986)
- Border Regional Library Association Award for Borders (1986) and Chants (1984)
She has also received honorary degrees from North Carolina State University and SUNY Buffalo. She is an Honorary Member of the American Library Association. Pat Mora was given a special fellowship to write in Umbria, Italy. She has also been a judge for poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Pat Mora's Family Life
Pat Mora raised her three children in El Paso. In 1989, she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. She is married to Vern Scarborough. He is a professor who studies anthropology. Today, Pat Mora lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
