2009 Summer Reading List!

All About Mexico

Recommended Stories

When choosing books to add to student summer reading lists consider these three children's books about Mexico.

The Tree is Older Than You Are: A Bilingual Gathering of Poems & Stories from Mex

by Naomi Shihab Nye

English translations appear alongside the Spanish poems and tales that explore everything from a table set for supper to a peach tree to a legend of rabbit's long ears. The selections include writings by Rosario Castellanos, Jose Juan Tablada, Octavio Paz and many others.

Ages 8-up.

My Mexico / México mío

by Tony Johnston

Sway to the sounds, reach for the colors, dance to the rhythms, and you will find your own Mexico in these poems in both English and Spanish. Ages 4-8.

Salsa Stories

by Lulu Delacre

It is New Year's Day, and friends and family from all over Latin America arrive at Carmen Teresa's house for the festivities. When a neighbor gives her a gift of a blank notebook, everyone has an idea of how she should fill it. The discussion leads to an outpouring of stories by Carmen Teresa's loved ones. The collection of seven tales featuring Latin American foods with recipes for the dishes mentioned.

Ages 9-12.

Palo Solo Montessori School in Mexico City

The Growing Connection and Cisco Networking are partnering to fight malnutrition in Mexico.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This month of May, we are focusing on TGC’s activities in Mexico – a country that has been key in the progress of our project. It is ironic that this year, May 2009, Mexico is experiencing a high level of concern for public health, due to the H1N1 outbreak.

We are very happy that most of our Mexico sites are far from the outbreak areas. Nonetheless, our hearts go out to all our TGC friends and colleagues in Mexico at this difficult time. We hope the fresh vegetables and herbs that you are growing will help you through.

How will you celebrate this day in Mexican history, Cinco de Mayo? Enjoy a Fiesta of Flavors with healthier versions of traditional Hispanic recipes. Salud!

More Earth Day

Pictures from Earth Day

Robert Patterson, Senior Liaison Officer, FAO of the UN shares information about TGC

and the EarthBox with Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, USDA

TGC Youth talk with the public about The Growing Connection.

TGC on Earth Day

The Growing Connection participated in the USDA's first Farm to Fork Festival on Earth Day! The festival unveiled the new People's Garden on the grounds of the Whitten Building, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in Washington, DC.

The sky was rainy, the grass was wet and the air was chilly, but nothing dampered the curiosity of the hundreds that joined us or the will of USDA employees and volunteers to get this garden growing. Phase 1 is the Organic Vegetable Demonstration Garden that will demonstrate what individuals can do to embrace organic practices and healthy eating regardless of where they live or work. This new edible landscape brings life to the Whitten Building and is a welcomed addition to The National Mall. Visitors can now walk along Jefferson Drive from the United States Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial and find gardens every step of the way. Now that's exciting!

TGC participated in the Farm to Fork Festival because we support the "Growing Healthy Food, People and Communities" mission of the People's Garden . The USDA and The Growing Connection are committed to bringing fresh and healthy food within reach of children and families.

The hope is that the concepts demonstrated in the People's Garden will be practiced by the public, and if that happens, each of us will be making a contribution to providing healthy food for people and communities.

TGC has successfully engaged people and communities in solutions to overcome malnutrition since 2003 so now it's time to share what we do, what we've learned and how it's done!

Visit the People's Garden to learn more about this exciting USDA initiative.

TGC Growing in India

You can help support and learn more about the TGC India Project HERE