Hispanic Heritage month started September 15th and ended October 15th. The Eaglecrest library celebrated the occasion on November 2nd, the second day of el Dia de los Muertos, by uniting staff and students in discussions about books they’ve read by Hispanic authors.

   The mariachi band was present during the celebration, as well as  food, drinks and  prizes. Staff and students got together and shared books they have read by Hispanic authors.

   Librarian Kristin McKeown said these events celebrate the diversity within Eaglecrest.

   “[These] call to everyone’s attention and kind of put on their radar the value of reading books by and about everybody.” said McKeown.

   One of the books McKeown read was More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera. She explained the main ideas of the book as having a main character who’s struggling to find who he is as a person in a world that allows people to have painful memories deleted from their minds.

   Librarian Hollie Hawkins also noted how these events bring Eaglecrest’s diverse community together.

   “No matter [students’] backgrounds they can all come together and find a common ground in books, and we want to really highlight the diversity of books that we have in our library.” Hawkins commented.

   Another book that many attendees liked was Gabi, A Girl in Pieces, by Isabel Quintero. Hawkins commented that the book is her favorite by a Hispanic author. “I honestly loved it. I think it’s a really good book for girls growing up figuring out who you are, what you want, and dealing with all the stuff you have to deal with.”

   This was sophomore Mary Merid’s first time attending this event.

   “The music is my favorite thing because I like Mariachi.” she said about the Mariachi band who donated their time to the event.

   Sophomore Hanna Alemu noted that “I think these events really help bring the community together celebrating the diversity we have here at school.”

   The library plans to host similar in the near future.