La biblioteca

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Originally uploaded by Cameron/Duff.

Week three, and things are hopping. Every day more kids come, and sometimes my heart gets all gooey watching them read on the floor or play on the computer we resurrected for the kids room. My name seems to have officially shifted to señorita, and this cry is heard over and over again as a kid finishes a book and asks for a little picture of a book to put next to his or her photo- marking the accomplishment. Already I have seen specific children arrive at important steps in literacy, and I am so thankful for my training that allows me to celebrate small successes such as the three year old boy who in the past two weeks has learned how to hold a book right side up and read from left to right. He has his favorite book that he quietly reads through, conversing softly with the pictures of baby animals. Then there is my firey buddy Diana, probably ten years old, who doesn't like to listen to me, but emerges and reemerges sticky fingered and tattered many times throughout the days and weeks. She has memorized her favorite book, and can proudly recite the lines when her friends show her the pictures. Cameron says she and I are very much alike, and that is why she is so ornery with me- I am still trying to figure that one out. I found a book of Mexican nursery rhymes yesterday, and between the two of us, we knew the tune to about three of them. We sang them over and over, and eventually the king of the wild boys caught on to the tune of "Chocolate" and created a little dance routine for us complete with vogueing and reggaton style hip gyrating. It was too much. Then I taught them "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, and it was all over- they were so hyper that most of then had to go run around outside- which was OK! Unlike being in a classroom- they can leave when they get squirelly, and for me this element of choice makes all the difference. My boss Fernando arrived the other day as we were having our end of the day game of futbol, looked at all the kids, and said "Wow, the library is really a success." I hadn't realized until that moment that yes, it really is.