"Reading Latina Voices" Book Group Helping Teachers Navigate COVID-Era Education

During the Spring of 2021, The Stone Center has partnered with AfterCLASS and the New Orleans Public Library to put together a monthly book group, “Reading Latina Voices.”

Throughout the spring semester, K-12 educators from around the country have met monthly to discuss various stories of women who confront their own Latina identity in the United States. So far, they have discussed two books by award-winning author, Elizabeth Acevedo (Clap When You Land and The Poet X), and one book by Ibi Zoboi (American Street). These books have all been recognized by the Américas Award, an award granted by the Stone Center which recognizes outstanding literary projects about Latinx identity in children’s, young adult, and adult literature.

The group consists of a uniquely diverse combination of teachers and librarians from around the United States. While the main focus of the “Reading Latina Voices” book group is to discuss the featured stories, the group also serves as a safe space for checking in about COVID-era teaching woes and navigating the new problems that arose for teachers in this difficult year. Additionally, a list of resources is compiled every month order to help implement the book into everyone’s teaching.

The final installment of the Spring 2021 “Reading Latina Voices” will take place on May 13, where the group will be discussing The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano. Registration for the last discussion is available here.