Hispanic Heritage Month!

     Today kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month - September 15 to October 15. It's a great time to get to know Paco and the Giant Chile Plant ~ Paco y la planta de chile gigante, read Hispanic books, and generally learn more about your (or Hispanic) culture!
     Why September 15th as a kick-off date? Because, according to Fact Monster (lots of good links there), September 15th is the anniversary of independence for 5 Latin American countries - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Also, Mexico declared its independence on September 16 (not on Cinco de Mayo), and Chile on September 18.
     So celebrate!!
     Find fun activities, information and resources at ¡Colorín colorado!. And find some great Latino and Spanish-language books at Readingrockets. (Where's Paco guys??)
     Download free Paco coloring pages, a bilingual Sopa des palabras (Word Find puzzle), and activities at my Paco Activity Page.
     Most of all, celebrate your culture this month. I've said it before, but I'll say it again. My maiden name was Oberholtzer, an incredibly ethnic name of Bavarian descent, and yet I had no ties to it whatsoever - no music, no food, no traditions - how sad. Realize the treasure you have in your own cultural background and celebrate it. I'll help celebrate with you - it makes life much more interesting and a whole lot more fun!

     Learn about my bilingual picture book Paco and the Giant Chile Plant ~ Paco y la planta de chile gigante.
Note to teachers:
Paco is now available in all-English and all-Spanish hardcover and paperback editions to give you the best tools to help you teach your students - click the cover.