I’m Lauren, the Bilingual Book Mom.
My goal is to help families, educators, and anyone with an interest in children’s literature keep joy at the heart of reading and language learning.
Bilingual because that’s me and my family, although nowadays it might be more accurate to say “multilingual.” At home, we speak Spanish and English. Out and about in the small Spanish town where we live, we are surrounded by basque, and that’s what my son will grow up around at daycare and extracurricular activities.
Book because children’s books our at the heart of my mission. Children’s books can bring families together, be the spark of a lifelong passion for a child, support language learning and child development, reflect our own experiences and identities in the pages, and let us step into worlds we would never know in our real lives.
Mom because being a parent is the most important job I’ve ever had, not to mention amazing and exhausting and challenging and full of joy. I’m sure other parents can relate! We’ve all heard that “it takes a village” to raise a child. Think of me as your neighborly book lady, here to offer you insights and advice to help you and your child love reading and learning languages together, with some general parenting thoughts thrown in every and now then, too.
Reading as a family has extraordinary benefits on children’s self esteem, sense of identity, language and literacy skills, and more. And on top of that, it’s a whole lot of fun to see your child get excited by the experience of reading.
Whether you are a monolingual or multilingual parent, you will find resources here on my blog and social media that will help you feel more confident in choosing books in English and Spanish for your child, engaging in storytime with your child, and using books as a tool for language learning and development.
5 Things to know about me
- I have a Master’s in Children’s Literature.
While undertaking my master’s studies, I presented at conferences in Canada, the U.S., and Scotland; served on the jury and as a chair for a Canadian nonfiction children’s book prize, wrote book reviews for School Library Journal and Young Adulting, and developed a summer creative writing class for middle school students. - I’m bilingual in English and Spanish.
I’ve also dabbled in Galician, Portuguese, Irish, and now Basque.
Fun fact: while in university, I was awarded a scholarship to study Irish in a small town in Connemara, the second largest Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region) in Ireland. - I’ve lived in three countries and six different cities and towns.
And in those six cities and towns, there were a total of five official languages spoken (plus lots of other unofficial languages). That may be where my interest in language learning was first sparked. - I am an aspiring children’s book author.
I mostly write lyrical and humorous picture book manuscripts, always with lots of heart. I love the challenge of using little text to make a big impact. - In another life, I would have been a ballerina.
I grew up Irish dancing, and after years away from that world I jumped into adult dance classes and fell in love with contemporary, jazz, and especially ballet. I think it’s so important as adults to tap into the sense of exploration and the growth mindset we develop as children and try things that challenge us.
Other things that challenge me and also bring me joy? Hiking, camping, traveling, and (more than anything) being a mom.