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Hood River News Editorial
March 3, 2007
A time to celebrate books“Our land is
alive, Esperanza,” begins one of the two books in the new “Hood River
County Reads” project starting today.
Starting today, the whole county can find life in the stories
“Esperanza Rising” by Pam Munoz Ryan (for the younger set) and
“Gonzalez & Daughter Trucking Co.,” by Maria Amparo Escandon, for more
advanced readers, courtesy of The Friends of the Hood River County
Library.
The idea is to get the whole county reading and discussing these books
this year with two stories about the Mexican culture and experience:
“Esperanza” is a story of immigration and assimilation, not only to a
new country but also to a different social class. Set against the
multi-ethnic labor organizing era of the Depression, the story
portrays class issues honestly and with great interest.
“Gonzalez” is the story of Libertad and her life with her father, a
fugitive from the Mexican revolution, as told to a group of women in a
Mexican prison during weekly book club sessions.
The books will be distributed at the March 3 kickoff in the library
park (details on page A3). If you don’t make it to Saturday’s event,
you can still get involved; books are available at the library. Watch
Hood River News for further updates.
The kickoff comes one day after the unofficial national holiday of
literacy, the March 2 birthday of Dr. Seuss. Students throughout the
Hood River County School District celebrated the birth and works of
the beloved author of “Cat in the Hat,” “The Lorax” and other
classics.
Hood River County is a place full of people who love to read. The
start of “Hood River County Reads” is a time to reconsider favorite
books or ones you’ve been meaning to get around to reading. If it has
been a long time since you’ve made a practice of reading for pleasure
(and with the pleasure comes learning), start small: Dust off beloved
children’s books, or pick up books of short stories or essays, things
you can enjoy and complete in short stints.
Ideas are inherent in books, and even a Dr. Seuss tale or an O. Henry
short story can remind one of stories read or waiting to be read.
An appreciation of what the printed page has to offer can also be
found in the act of reading to others. Every school in our county is
in need of adults who can spend a half hour to an hour once a week, or
as schedules allow.
Specific needs include:
* Hood River Valley High School: adults to read once a week for
about an hour. (Please call Career Advisor Carolyn Bondurant at
387-5034 to sign up.)
* SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) of Hood River County
needs volunteer readers to give one hour of time each week to read
with children. Call any elementary school in the Hood River County
School District and ask to speak with the SMART coordinator. |
