These series of books are the result of the passionate work of a group of college students enrolled in Spanish 311 courses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. They are part of a bilingual writing project (Spanish-English) that asked the participants to think about our communities, and specifically about the ways in which, through creative writing, they could inspire, empower, educate, or just pass down their experiences and thoughts to younger kids during the remarkably difficult year that was 2020 and its aftermath in 2021.
The commitment, dedication, kindness, and thoughtfulness of the students who authored these stories and created the read-alouds went above and beyond, and for that they deserve all our appreciation. Special shout outs to the group of elementary and middle school children who also participated in the read-alouds, for their generosity, their contagious laughter, and their big hearts.
Thanks to the enthusiastic support of Library Media Technology Specialist Shelley Block, and former Franklin Elementary School Principal Sylla Zarov, this collection of stories has been shared with teachers in Franklin Elementary School, and with other librarians in the Madison Metropolitan School District. It is our hope to make these books available to the children who have always been their intended audience.
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Project Coordination, edition and proofreading: Saylín Álvarez Oquendo (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
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Library Media Technology Partner: Shelley Block (Franklin Elementary School)
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Read aloud: The authors, and a marvelous team of Hamilton Middle School and Randall Elementary School students (some of them Franklin’s alumni).
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Contact: salvarez2@wisc.edu
Madison, Wisconsin
2021