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 creates books for adults, teenagers, and children. Pat Mora grew up in El Paso, Texas. Her grandparents came to El Paso from northern Mexico. She studied at the University of Texas at El Paso. She also received special honorary degrees from other universities. The American Library Association made her an honorary member.
Pat Mora loves to help people learn to read. In 1996, she started a special day called Children's Day, Book Day. In Spanish, it is called Spanish: El día de los niños, El día de los libros. This day is now celebrated every year on April 30 across the United States.
Pat Mora's Career
Pat Mora worked as a teacher in El Paso schools. She also taught at El Paso Community College. Later, she worked at the University of Texas at El Paso. There, she helped the Vice President and then the President with academic tasks.
Writing Books
Pat Mora started writing professionally in the early 1980s. She has written many different types of books. These include picture books, poetry, and biographies. Her writing is often inspired by her life near the Mexico–United States border. She was born and lived much of her life there.
Pat Mora says the desert was her "stern teacher." The landscape of the Southwestern United States has been her world. Her books show the many different cultures and people in this region. She writes about the rich "diversity within Mexican American experience." Mora believes it is important to keep cultural heritage alive. She writes so that "the stories and ideas of our people won't quietly disappear."
Mora strongly supports reading in two languages. Early in her career, she created the idea of "bookjoy." This word describes the happiness and pleasure of reading.
Pat Mora often mixes English and Spanish words in her writing. When she writes a first draft, she lets her ideas flow freely. She focuses on editing her work later. Pat Mora has also worked with her daughter, Libby Martinez. They created two children's books together. 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 that helps families read together. It is also known as Día. In 1997, a group called REFORMA officially supported her project. REFORMA helps libraries serve Latino and Spanish-speaking people.
Mora based Día on Mexico's National Children's Day. Mexico has celebrated this day since 1925. Día has two main parts. First, it encourages reading and "bookjoy." Second, it ends with book celebrations that bring communities together. Pat Mora chose April 30 for Día because it was the last day of National Poetry Month. The first Día celebration happened in 1996.
Children's Day, Book Day has grown in the U.S. It now includes all children, languages, and cultures. 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. Pat Mora believes that if we want a nation of readers, we need to work together. We must inspire communities to help families read.
Awards and Honors
Pat Mora has received many awards for her writing. Some of them include:
- 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)
- Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award for Gracias~Thanks (2011)
- Eureka! Children's Nonfiction Award for Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems About Love (2010)
- International Latino Book Award for Abuelos (2009)
- Border Regional Library Association Southwest Book Award for House of Houses (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)
She has also received honorary doctorates from North Carolina State University and SUNY Buffalo. She is an Honorary Member of the American Library Association. Pat Mora was a visiting professor at the University of New Mexico. She also received and judged poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Family Life
Pat Mora raised her three children while working in El Paso. In 1989, she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. She is married to Vern Scarborough, who is a professor of anthropology. Today, Pat Mora lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
