Rene Has Two Last Names

With Two Last Names, René Gets Extra Recognition!

  Bilingual book earns more praise as a 
2010 Américas Award Commended Title 

René Has Two Last Names / René tiene dos apellidos (Piñata Books, 2009) by René Colato Laínez has been named a 2010 Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Commended Title.

Sponsored by the national Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP), the Américas Award is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to works for young adults) published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. By combining and linking the Americas, the award reaches beyond geographic borders, as well as multicultural-international boundaries, focusing instead upon cultural heritages within the hemisphere.  The award winners and commended titles are selected for their 1) distinctive literary quality; 2) cultural contextualization; 3) exceptional integration of text, illustration and design; and 4) potential for classroom use.


Read more at Latinoteca.com

René Has Two Last Names New Recognition

Congratulations to all the authors who were recognized by the International Latino Book Awards. My bilingual book René Has Two Last Names/René tiene dos apellidos received Honorable Mention in the Best Children's Picture Book (Bilingual) category. ¡Ajúa!

I received the great news at my Facebook page. My friend Yuyi Morales posted the link of 2010 International Latino Book Awards Winner List. My friend Linda Rodriguez also congratulated me for the honorable mention. This was a great birthday present for me.


René Has Two Last Names/ René tiene dos apellidos has received three recognitions this year. Thanks to all the readers and award committees.

• Honorable Mention: Best Bilingual Children's Book- International Latino Book Awards
• 2010 Skipping Stones Honor Award
• 2010-2011 Tejas Star Book Award List

To learn more about René Has Two Last Names visit the book's website at www.renesbooks.com

Also my new books have their own websites. Take a look at The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez and My Shoes And I websites and learn more fun facts and ideas for the classroom and home.

Interview with Rene Colato Lainez, author of Rene Has Two Names

My guest today, author René Colato Laínez is the award winning author of WAITING FOR PAPA, PLAYING LOTERIA, and I AM RENE, THE BOY.

Colato Laínez is a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. He has been a bilingual elementary teacher at Fernangeles Elementary School, where he is known by the students as "the teacher full of stories." His forthcoming books are RENE HAS TWO LAST NAMES (Piñata Books, Fall 2009) and THE TOOTH FAIRY MEETS EL RATON PEREZ (Tricycle Press, Spring 2010), and MY SHOES AND I (Boyds Mills Press, Spring 2010)


Read the interview at Joylene Nowell Butler. 

René Has Two Last Names/René tiene dos apellidos won a 2010 Skipping Stones Honor Award

Press Release

Each year we recognize outstanding books and teaching resources with our Annual Skipping Stones Honor Awards. The honored books promote an under- standing of cultures, cultivate cooperation and encourage a deeper understanding of the world’s diversity, ecological richness, respect for multiple viewpoints and close relationships within human societies. Bound to provide a great reading adventure, our selection offers a variety of learning experiences for readers of all ages.

The winners are presented in three categories—Nature Books, Multicultural Books and Teaching Resources. Thanks to our many reviewers from diverse backgrounds for helping us select these 25 titles. At Skipping Stones we believe good books offer an affordable and exciting way to explore and understand cultures, places, societies and their histories. Welcome to the wonderful world of words!

COMPLETE LIST

Multicultural & International Awareness Books:

First Come The Zebra by Lynne Barasch, illustr. Lynne Barasch.

A Lion’s Mane by Navjot Kaur, illustr. Jaspreet Sandhu.

Anh’s Anger by Gail Silver, illustr. Christiane Krömer.

Big Bear Hug by Nicholas Oldland, illustr. Nicholas Oldland. 

Rocks Not Happy In Sacks by Gilbert Walking Bull and Sally Moore, illustr. Tom Novak.

Finding Lincoln by Ann Malaspina, illustr. Colin Bootman. 

Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Winter, illustr. Jeanette Winter. 

For a Girl Becoming by Joy Harjo, illustr. Mercedes McDonald.

The Land of Expression by David & Mutiya Vision, illustr. Ignacio Alcantara.

René Has Two Last Names/René tiene dos apellidos by René Colato Lainez, illustr. Fabiola Graullera Ramírez. 

Muchacho by Louanne Johnson. 

Libertad by Alma Fullerton.

Half Spoon of Rice by Icy Smith, illustr. Sopaul Nhem. 

Mao and Me:The Little Red Guard by Chen Jiang Hong. 

My Name Is Henry Bibb:A Story of Slavery and Freedom by Afua Cooper. 

Children of War:Voices of Iraqi Refugees by Deborah Ellis. 

Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan. 

Simeon’s Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till by Simeon Wright and Herb Boyd.

Nature and Ecology Books:

In the Trees, Honey Bees by Lori Mortensen, illustr. Cris Arbo.

Where else in the Wild? More Camouflaged Creatures Concealed...and Revealed by David M. Schwartz and Yael Schy, photos by Dwight Kuhn.

Waste: Science Q&A Series by Melanie Ostopowich.

Discover the Desert: The Driest Place on Earth by Kathy Ceceri, illustr. Samuel Carbaugh.

The Man who Flies with Birds by Carole GarbunyVogel andYossi Leshem.

Teaching and Parenting Resources:

Rethinking Multicultural Education: Teaching for Racial and Cultural Justice, ed.Wayne Au.

What’s on Your Plate? A DVD by Catherine Gund, Sadie Hope-Gund and Safiyah Riddle.

Welcome to René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour

 

René Has Two Last Names / René tiene dos apellidos (Hardcover)

Rene Colato Lainez (Author)
Fabiola Graullera Ramirez (Illustrator)

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Arte Publico Pr; Bilingual edition 2009
• Language: English/ Spanish
• ISBN-10: 1558855300
• ISBN-13: 978-1558855304 

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 1

When you think of the holiday season, the first thing that comes to mind is children. This is their season, although you could argue, as I used to with my daughter, that every day is kid's day.

The "Things I Like" for children this holiday season is an old-fashioned picture book for children ages 4 to 8. Not just any book, but a book that embraces our heritage as Latinos. That book is "Rene Has Two Last Names" or "René Tiene Dos Appellidos" by René Colato Laínez (Piñata Books, Arte Público Press, $10.85 on Amazon.com).

No matter what Hispanic ethnic group you belong to, all Latinos have many things in common, and one of these is the use of our two last names. In this bilingual picture book, Colato Laínez has captured the dilemma of using only one last name in the United States through the eyes of an immigrant child.


Read more at http://orlandolatino.blogspot.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 2

René Colato Laínez is the Salvadoran award winning author of:
I Am Rene, the Boy/ Soy Rene, El Nino
Waiting for Papá / Esperando a Papá
Playing Loteria / El juego de la loteria
Rene Has Two Last Names / Rene Tiene Dos Apellidos
The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez

Colato Lainez’s picture books have been honored by the Latino Book Award, the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, the California Collection for Elementary Readers, the Texas Star Book Award Selection and the New Mexico Book Award. He was also named “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch (and Read)” by latinostories.com. Colato Lainez is a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults.

I have the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the Rene Has Two Last Names virtual book tour and had the opportunity to ask René Colato Laínez about everything from his roots to his inspiration…

Read more at http://loricalabrese.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 3

Interview: Rene Colato Lainez, author of Rene Has Two Last Names

I am delighted to share this wonderful interview that author Rene Colato Lainez so graciously took the time to do with me. If you haven't had a chance to check out his children's book Rene Has Two Last Names, please be sure to do so - it is wonderful!!

Tell us a bit about Rene has Two Last. What is the story about, who are the characters, etc

René Has Two Last Names is the story of René, an immigrant boy from El Salvador. The first day of school, he discovers that his mother’s last name is missing in his nametag. He decides to add it himself. In El Salvador, like in most Latin American Countries, people use both the mother and father’s last names as a legal name. My latest book is autobiographical just like my book I Am René, the Boy. In this new adventure, René works to keep his two last names. Because both last names represent his heritage. I have the privilege to use all my grandparents’ names and my two last names in the story.

Read more at http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 4

It's time for the Latino Virtual Book Tour. Today I'm very happy to introduce you to René Colato Laínez, a Salvadorean award winning author, graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults and a bilingual teacher at Fernangeles Elementary School in California. After you get to know a little bit more about René through this post, please feel free to leave a comment or question for him. He will be visiting my blog today, December 3rd, to answer your questions. Also, René has offered a copy of his bilingual book "René Has Two Last Names" to a randomly chosen winner from those who leave a comment or question at the end of this post today or tomorrow (December 3rd and 4th).

Read more at http://www.mamalatinatips.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 5

My guest today is children's author Rene Colato Lainez, who's touring the blogosphere with Latino Book Tours this week. In this interview, Colato talks about his books, his writing habits, and his road to becoming a published author. I hope you'll enjoy the interview!
About the author

René Colato Laínez is the award-winning author of I Am René, the Boy, Waiting for Papá, Playing Lotería, René Has Two Last Names and The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez. His picture books have been honored by the Latino Book Award, the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, the California Collection for Elementary Readers, the Tejas Star Book Award Selection and the New Mexico Book Award. He was named “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch (and Read)” by latinostories.com. He is a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults.

Read more at http://www.examiner.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 6

I have a slightly different fare for you today, here at Regular Rumination.  As avid readers and promoters of books here on our blogs, we have the opportunity to bring to the forefront books that can make a difference, especially books that can inform readers about different cultures and different types of people.

I was recently given the opportunity to sign up to be a host for the Bronze World Latino Book Tours.  I have never participated in book tours before and I’m really excited for this opportunity to bring to the spotlight Latino authors.  One of the first books I received was René has two last names/René tiene dos appellidos by René Colato Laínez, a bilingual children’s books explaining the importance of having two last names in Hispanic and Latino culture.

Read more at http://regularrumination.wordpress.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 7

Estoy muy alegre de lo que espero sea el primero de muchos tour virtuales reconociendo y exaltando las obras literarias de nuestros autores latinos! Hoy les quiero hablar sobre el premiado autor salvadoreño René Colato Laínez.  René ha escrito Soy René, el niño, Esperando a Papá, El juego de la lotería, René tiene dos apellidos, The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez y My Shoes and I. Sus libros infantiles han sido honrado con el premio del Libro Latino Internacional, el  Premio Paterson para libros para niños, la Colección de California para Lectores de Escuelas Primarias, el Premio Estrella de Tejas y el Premio del Libro de Nuevo México.

Honrando el muticulturismo continuemos este dialogo en Ingles. In  René Tiene Dos Apellidos / René Has Two Last Names young René is from El Salvador, and he doesn’t understand why his name has to be different in the United States. When he writes Colato, he sees his paternal grandparents, René and Amelia. When he writes Laínez, he sees his maternal grandparents, Angela and Julio. Without his second last name, René feels incomplete, “like a hamburger without the meat or a pizza without cheese or a hot dog without a wiener.”

Read more at http://www.cuponeando.net

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 8

Hi All!

A special treat today...The fabulous Jo Ann Hernandez of BronzeWord has invited me to participate in a Blog Tour for the incredible children's book author, Rene Colato Lainez. He wrote a clever book about hyphenated last names and how our family and history are tied to our names. It was a pleasure interviewing him and I agree that our names can reveal much about us. Just like shoes.

In the comments, tell me what your name means and if you think it suits you. Most honest/interesting answer gets an author autographed book! This is a wonderful gift for the kiddies.

Read more at http://tartamudada.blogspot.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 9

A Latina of Puerto Rican descent, I follow the tradition of using two surnames (my fathers last name, then my mothers last name). I feel both surnames are important because they are a part of who I am, my culture and My Story. With that said, I think it was serendipitous that I was asked to be a part of the René Has Two Last Names virtual book tour, hosted by BronzeWord.

René –cha- Colato –cha- Laínez –cha has written an endearing children's book that I had the pleasure to read over the Holidays. I must confess, I am in love with this story.


Read more at http://www.herdeepthoughts.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 10

One thing I’ve known for a long time about being a mom is that I wanted my child to be exposed to multicultural picture books while growing up.  If I was going to raise my child in a predominantly majority culture area, I wanted her or him (turns out he’s a him!) to be exposed to minority cultures.  If we were living in a more culturally diverse area, I would want his books to reflect that.  Now, I’ve made some progress in this area, but Daniel’s library is not nearly where I want it to be. It was partly in this spirit of diversification that I agreed to review “Rene Has Two Last Names.”

I really enjoyed this picture book.  The pictures are cute, visually interesting.  I love that the class is made up of children of various ethnicities.  I also enjoyed the story.  The thing I liked the most was the story’s simplicity.  This wasn’t some over the top story trying to teach white children about Latino children, it was simply the story of a little boy and his family, the little boy just happened to be from El Salvador.

Read more at http://www.devourerofbooks.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 11

Today I am pleased to be part of a BronzeWord Latino Virtual Book Tour for the book René Has Two Last Names.  I am posting my review of the book below, as well as some companion activity ideas.  I have been told that author René Colato Laínez will be reading the comments and answering any questions on this post today!  So please let him feel welcome and ask a question or two.  To get you over any shyness, we have some additional motivation.  One random commenter will be chosen to receive an autographed copy of René Has Two Last Names!  See bottom of post for rules and other stops on the tour.

Read more at http://infantbibliophile.blogspot.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 12

To promote the release of his latest children's picture book, Rene Has Two Last Names/Rene tiene does apellidos, author Rene Colato Lainez  has been touring the blogosphere with Latino Book Tours this past week.

This charming bilingual picture book for children ages 4 - 8 combines the winning team of author René Colato Laínez and illustrator Fabiola Graullera Ramírez, and follows their award-winning collaboration, I Am René, the Boy / Soy René, el Niño. With whimsical illustrations and entertaining text, this sequel is sure to please fans and gain many new ones while explaining an important Hispanic cultural tradition.

Read more at http://www.examiner.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 13

This is a delightful book about family.  When the book opens up Rene’s teacher gives him a name tag that leaves off part of his last name.  Rene thinks that maybe her pen ran out of ink and adds the rest of his last name to the tag .  As the kids in the classroom laugh at his long last name, the book opens into a whole discussion on why Rene’s name is important.

The book is told in alternating paragraphs of first in English, then again in Spanish.  What a great book to share with kids about the importance of names, history, and of family!  I think this book would open wonderful discussions with the children in your life.  Beautifully illustrated with rich colorful pages , I read this three times through in one sitting…practicing the little Spanish I know as well!

Read more at http://bookjourney.wordpress.com

René Has Two Last Names Virtual Book Tour- Day 14

The Sol Within Welcomes author Rene Colato Lainez

About René Colato Laínez...
I am René Colato Laínez, the Salvadoran award winning author of I Am René, the Boy, Waiting for Papá, Playing Lotería, René Has Two Last Names and The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez.

My goal as a writer is to produce good multicultural children's literature; stories where minority children are portrayed in a positive way, where they can see themselves as heroes, and where they can dream and have hopes for the future. I want to write authentic stories of Latin American children living in the United States.


Read more at http://thesolwithinanna.blogspot.com