A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Ines - Hardcover

Mora, Pat

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375806431 ISBN 13: 9780375806438

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2002

Synopsis

I am quiet like a turtle."

So promised Juana Inés, a little girl who loved words, on her first day of school. When she was three years old, Juana Inés followed her sister to school and peeked in the window, then begged the teacher to be allowed to stay so she could learn how to read. Soon she was making up stories, songs, and poems--she loved learning and she loved reading. And she couldn't wait to have her own collection of books! Eventually, Juana went on to become Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a nun, and she devoted her life to writing and learning and words. Though she died in 1695, Sor Juana Inés is still considered one of the most brilliant writers in Mexico's history: her poetry is recited by schoolchildren throughout Mexico and is studied at schools and universities around the world. Here is the story of her life, an incredible one full of knowledge, achievement, and inspiration, lovingly told by the renowned children's book author Pat Mora and gorgeously illustrated by Beatriz Vidal.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

From the author of Tomás and the Library Lady, an amazing, true story about the quest for knowledge that inspired one of Mexico?s most famous and beloved poets, Sor Juana Inés.
Juana Inés was just a little girl in a village in Mexico when she decided that the thing she wanted most in the world was her very own collection of books, just like in her grandfather?s library. When she found out that she could learn to read in school, she begged to go. And when she later discovered that only boys could attend university, she dressed like a boy to show her determination to attend. Word of her great intelligence soon spread, and eventually, Juana Inés was considered one of the best scholars in the Americas?something unheard of for a woman in the 17th century.
Today, this important poet is revered throughout the world and her verse is memorized by schoolchildren all over Mexico.

About the Author

Pat Mora, a popular presenter across the country at conferences, campuses, libraries, and schools, speaks and offers workshops on literacy, creativity, leadership, the writing process, and serving diverse populations. "Sharing Bookjoy: Creative Literacy Leaders" and "ZING! Seven Creativity Practices for Educators and Students" are among her more popular themes.

The author of award-winning books of nonfiction and poetry for adults and of many children's books, Pat received honorary doctorates in letters from North Carolina State University and SUNY Buffalo and is an honorary member of the American Library Association. Among her other awards are the 2006 National Hispanic Cultural Center Literary Award, a Civitella Ranieri Fellowship, a Visiting Carruthers Chair at the University of New Mexico, a Poetry Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Kellogg National Leadership Fellowship.

A former teacher, university administrator, and consultant, Pat is the founder of the family literacy initiative El día de los niños/El día de los libros, Children's Day/Book Day (Día), now housed at the American Library Association. The yearlong commitment to linking all children to books, languages, and cultures and of sharing what Pat calls "bookjoy," culminates in national celebrations in April.

Pat was named one of the "Fifty Most Inspiring Authors in the World" by Poets & Writers magazine in February 2010.

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0375806431
• ISBN 13: 9780375806438
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Vidal Beatriz