Merced County Library to Welcome Juan Felipe Herrera

The Merced County Library will welcome California Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera on November 10th in the county library's Little Theatre, 2100 O St. in Merced. The first thirty-five families to register for the event will also receive a copy of Herrera's children's book, Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes, which tells the stories of twenty heroic Hispanic and Latino American men and women. Herrera is the son of migrant farmworkers: he grew up in Fowler, California and after attending UCLA and the Iowa Writer's Workshop, teaches at UC Riverside. More from the Fresno Bee:

A California poet laureate plans a visit to the Merced County Library, where he will share his book “Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes” with children, as well as give 35 copies away.

California Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera’s visit is sponsored by the UC Merced Center for the Humanities and Merced County Library. The same event will feature local artist Edelweiss Pfister at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 10 in the county library’s Little Theatre, 2100 O St. in Merced.

A copy of “Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes” will also be given to the first 35 families who register for the event at http://bit.ly/MercedCountyHeroes, or register in person at the O Street location in Merced, according to a news release.

The children’s book showcases 20 Hispanic and Latino American men and women who made outstanding contributions to the arts, politics, science, humanitarianism and athletics.

Christina Lux, assistant director for the UC Merced center, said the program is designed to help children recognize the everyday acts of heroism done among their friends, in their family and in their community. “We often think of heroism as being exceptional or extraordinary, requiring special powers,” Lux said, in a press release. “But kids in our community make heroic choices every day.”

Read more at Fresno Bee.