BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mora, Pat. 1997. Tomás and the Library Lady. Ill. by Raul Colón. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-679-80401-3
PLOT SUMMARY
Tomás and his family are traveling from Texas to Iowa. His parents are migrant farm workers who work on Texas farms in the winter and Iowa farms in the summer. Tomás and his family do not have much, but they all share a love of stories. After realizing that Tomás has heard all of his stories, Papa Grande encourages him to visit the library.
Tomás had never been to a library before, and he is amazed by the sheer volume of books. It was at this library in Iowa that he developed a passion for reading and a joy in sharing books with others. When it was time to return to Texas at the end of the summer, Tomás was sad to leave his beloved library and his new librarian friend behind. However, that love of reading stayed with him for the rest of his life.
Tomás and the Library Lady tells the true story of Dr. Tomás Rivera, the son of migrant farm workers who grew up to become the chancellor of the University of California at Riverside.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Pat Mora has written an inspiring story about the power of reading. Using Dr. Tomás Rivera's real life experiences, she depicts an accurate portrayal of what life was like for migrant workers from Mexico in the 1940s. Tomás and his brother did not have many toys to play with, so storytelling was a cherished form of entertainment. The brothers and their family worked all day and had little opportunity to visit places such as libraries. The kindness showed to him by the librarian and the fact that she made him feel so welcome in that library was something he hadn't experienced before. Spanish words are woven into the text seamlessly.
Young readers will relate to the joy Tomás feels when entering the library because it is a feeling that they all share. Reading and being read to is a common experience among all cultures. They will also enjoy Raul Colón's beautiful, warm paintings. They give the portrayal of Tomás's life an almost dreamlike quality.
My children and I enjoyed sharing this book together. When I was done reading, my five year old son said, "Tomás is just like me because we both like to go to the library." While there are vast differences between Tomás's life in the 1940s and my son's life today, I was pleased he made that connection and that is what stayed with him upon completing the book.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
1997 Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Commended Title
1997 Notable Books for Children, Smithsonian
1998 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award
1998 Teachers' Choices Award from the International Reading Association
From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - "While young readers and future librarians will find this an inspiring tale, the endnote gives it a real kick; the story is based on an actual migrant worker who became chancellor of a university—where the library now bears his name."
From KIRKUS REVIEWS - "A charming, true story about the encounter between the boy who would become chancellor at the University of California at Riverside and a librarian in Iowa."
From AMAZON.COM - "This tribute to Tomás and his mentor reminds us of the power of stories and those dedicated librarians who have changed the lives of so many people."
CONNECTIONS
Share this video with your students where Pat Mora discusses the real life Tomás.
Have a discussion with your students about migrant workers. Explain to them what life is really like for these people.
Share this poem about Tomás that Mora wrote in 2005.
Library Magic
"¡Vamos! Let's go to the library!"
Tomás said to his family.
He showed them his favorite books
and his cozy reading nooks.
"¡Vamos! Let's go to the library!"
Tomás said to his friends. "Hurry!"
They saw libros in stacks and rows.
They laughed at funny puppet shows.
"¡Vamos! Let's all go to the library!"
Join the fun, a treasure house that's free.
Bring your friends and family.
Stories, computers, maps and more,
facts, fun. Enter the magic door.
Like Tomás, open books and soar.
Be a reader. Explore galore.
In memory of the leader, educator and author, Tomás Rivera
© 2005 by Pat Mora
If your students enjoyed this story, read more books to them written by Pat Mora. Here are a few of her many titles.
- Mora, Pat. The Rainbow Tulip. ISBN 978-0142500095
- Mora, Pat. Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros. ISBN 978-0061288777
- Mora, Pat. Confetti: Poems for Children. ISBN 978-1880000854
If your students enjoyed Raul Colón's paintings, share more books with them that he illustrated.
- Colón, Raul. Draw! ISBN 978-1442494923
- Weatherford, Carole Boston. Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century. ISBN 978-0375856068
- Brown, Monica. My Name is Gabito / Me llamo Gabito: The Life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. ISBN 978-0873589086
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