PAT MORAAuthor, poet, and advocate for the Hispanic community

Biography Born on January 19, 1942 in El Paso, Texas. Her family moved to the United States during the Mexican Revolution. Grew up in a bilingual home and attended an English-speaking school. She realized that her Mexican heritage had

never really been welcomed at school.

Biography (continued) Re-discovers her Mexican heritage and biculturalism through her writing She has written more than 40 books in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction among others She has won 10 adult book awards, 7 young

adult book awards, and 58 children’s book awards.

Founder and promoter of "El día de los niños/El día de los libros,"

Themes Family Desert Diversity Mexican-American culture Embracing different traditions and customs

Her Poetry Free verse and rhyme

I say yo soy libre

I am freefree, free,

free as confetti.

Her Poetry Incorporates Spanish words with English text

Her Poetry Graceful repetition Colorful language that appeals to the senses,

and a feeling of love and respect for the desert environment.

Snippet of "One Blue Door" 

To make a poemlisten: crow calls.Rain paints a door,blue in the sky.

To make a poem you need the doorblue and lonelyswinging in the rain. To make a poem you need to leapthrough that blue door onto a crow.

To make a poem you need to glideon crow's back caw,skimming the trees. To make a poem you need to tastepetals of rain.Open you mouth… … Leap through one blue door.

 

Illustrations Provide a vivid image of a diverse and

dynamic Mexican-American culture The use of bold reds, blues, and oranges

illustrate traditional Latin art Colorful

Some Titles Young-Adult and

Adult Dizzy in Your Eyes:

Poems About Love Pat Mora My Own True

Name Poetry

Agua Santa: Holy Water

Borders Communion Chants Adobe Odes

Some Titles Children’s

The Rainbow Tulip The Desert is My Mother The Race of Toad and Deer A Birthday Basket for Tía A Library for Juana Book Fiesta Love to Mamá Uno, Dos, Tres, One, Two, Three Yum! ¡Mmm Qué Rico! America’s Sproutings

Use in the Classroom Can easily be used in Social Studies instruction

Read a poem from Confetti and have students prepare a Me Bag that contains different items about their culture and have them share with their classmates  

After reading Delicious Hullabaloo and learning about indigenous foods of the Americas, Have students prepare their own “pachanga deliciosa” and share their own culture’s traditional foods Introduce students to Latin music and instruments and have them share their own music and dances which they can perform for their classmates