Janet Balletta, AWA

There are multiple reasons to celebrate Hispanic Heritage with children. In school, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage to keep kids connected to their cultural traditions while learning new traditions. Teaching young children about different cultures and traditions is a great way to show kids how people from different parts of the world are the same and different. It also helps young children build respect and tolerance for living in a diverse world. Over the years, we have celebrated Hispanic Heritage in a variety of ways in the classroom. You can have children select a Spanish speaking country and bring in artifacts from the country such as art, books, clothing, music, food, etc. In K-2 children love making dioramas, singing Spanish songs, writing simple Spanish poems. Let the kids decorate the classroom with maps, flags, and animals. Invite the families into the classroom to see the children make mini presentations and have cookies and juice. Celebrating Hispanic Heritage at the begin...

  Janet Balletta, AWA Introduction  I am a mother, retired bilingual teacher, and author of three  children’s books with good values.   My goal is to inspire children to develop a passion for reading  books to preserve Hispanic cultural traditions  and to become responsible citizens of our  beautiful blue planet.  In November 2013, I published my first children’s book,  The Legend of the Colombian Mermaid . It was my favorite bedtime story as a  child, and I cherished hearing my mother tell the story. It teaches a strong message of obedience, family values, and cultural traditions.  In June 2015,  T he Legend of the Colombian Mermaid  won the Mariposa Award from the International Latino Book Awards for Best First Book. The book was translated into Spanish as  La Leyenda de la Sirena   Colombiana  by Maritza M. Mejia.  It was also a finalist in the 2015 Christian Literary Awards. In June 2016, ...

Join us for a Hispanic Heritage Month Read Aloud on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at Jen’s Gift Shop, 1224 SW Gatlin Blvd, Suite 105, Port St. Lucie, Fl, at 11 am. Come enjoy children’s bilingual legends, environment, and animal tales by local authors Camelia Kuhn, Janet Balletta, and Maritza M. Mejia. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage and support local business in the Port St. Lucie area.