‘Juana and Lucas: Big Problemas’

Fun, engaging story about a young girl, which was based upon author Juana Medina’s childhood in Bogotá, Colombia.

In this series installment, Juana is coping with changes that are brought by her mother's new relationship.

I see this book helping young readers who might face similar circumstances: Juana’s Mami becoming engaged, getting married, and moving the family to a new home.

Some especially nice touches: Juana’s preference for wearing pants instead of dresses is presented as valid.

(“Girls who want to climb trees without scraping their knees and girls who want their legs to be warm would much rather wear pants.”)

Juana’s relationship with her loyal dog, Lucas, is a stable constant in her life, and the book reassures that Mami will never stop being Juana’s mami, even if she does remarry.

I received an ARC of this book through LibraryThing “Early Reviewers”

STEAM books in SRCSA library

One of this month’s highlights was a STEAM fair at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. Here’s a display I put out in the library at SRCSA ... a variety of books on the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.

SRCSA library, graphic novel collection grows

One of the books I’m reading, The Creativity Project (edited by Colby Sharp), features a fantastic argument for the validity of reading comic books and graphic novels.

FOSS hands-on science kits, prepped for delivery

The latest delivery of fresh curriculum from Santa Rosa City Schools brought Full Option Science System (FOSS) Kits to Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts.

Successful end to Scholastic Book Fair

Another successful conclusion to Scholastic Book Fairs in the library! The books and merchandise are back in their boxes and cabinets at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. Here’s a book-cart holding new books for the library, purchased with Book Fair dollars.

Of $4965.18 earned this past week in Scholastic Book Fair dollars, $3596.92 has been invested back into our school. (Figures supplied by Lissa Provost.) The money has gone to student Raffle prizes and books for teachers’ classrooms, as well as books for the library.

Thank you to everyone who made Literacy Week possible; you are greatly appreciated.

And what an experience for SRCSA students in fourth- through eighth-grades: an author visit and book-signing by Armand Baltazar (Timeless Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic). You’ll find copies of his book in all of the fourth- through eighth-grade classrooms, as well as in our library, thanks to the School for the Arts Community Organization.