Hola Texas and LULAC Council 4568 joined Fort Worth’s Cinco in the District event, which included a fantastic low-rider show, music, delicious food vendors, and free access to the Fort Worth Museum and Cowgirl Museum. The event highlighted our Latino culture best, with a little bit of everything Raza. But we were there for a slightly different celebration- Fiesta de Libros! This year we gave away more books than ever before, and the selection was very popular with our young readers. One child was absolutely thrilled to find the entire “Indian in the Cupboard” book series, another young reader couldn’t wait to show his dad the books he found and he continued to come back for more! Parents and adults alike also were excited to find a huge selection of books for them as well.
Fiesta de Libros, a program that has been making a difference since its inception in 2008 by LULAC Council 4568, is a testament to the power of community. It was born out of the memory of Toni Rocha, a man whose love for children sparked the idea of distributing books to the young ones in our Fort Worth community. Over the years, the program has evolved, but its core mission remains unchanged-to ignite a love for reading in our children. Today, as we face new challenges, Fiesta de Libros has become more vital than ever.
Right now, Fort Worth students need help to reach the reading level. According to the Texas Education Agency, only 44% of students are at reading level. Notably, only 32% of third graders met required reading levels across the district. However, it is the firm belief of Hola Texas and LULAC Council 4568 that this urgent problem can be fixed. Part of the solution is our new “Little Readers Club,” where we send free books by mail to children who may not have immediate access to books due to lack of transportation or kids who love reading but don’t have a community of their own that shares the same interest. This is in addition to our pop-up Fiesta de Libros interactive booth that provides a wide selection of English and Spanish books for children and adults.
We plan to grow Fiesta de Libros each year to get more kids excited about reading and their parents too! If you want to sign up for the Little Readers Club, comment with your name and email below! And if you would like to help get Fort Worth kids reading, comment below with your name and email to learn how!