What can educators learn about Latino families and their involvement in education from Tomás and the Library Lady?
A basic lesson is that all families tell stories, and everyone in a family has stories to tell. This is an especially strong value in Latino culture. At first, the grandfather tells his stories, and then later, Tomás goes on to tell his own stories. The book also shows how a child’s enthusiasm for learning can be a catalyst within the family. In the story Tomás goes to the library during the summer months. What can you tell us about community-based learning experiences for Latino families? One of my own special passions is museums. Museums, historically, have welcomed certain people and not others. But now, museums offer days with free admission and all kinds of activities. The democratization of museums has been happening for a while now, but it will take time to get families used to going. The child is an important link. When I was a museum director, we had the schools bring the children in. I would tell the children: “This is your space, and I want you to come back with your parents
