This is one of the most inspirational stories I have ever heard, so I'll try my best to tell it! Someone with amazing creativity and desire to help saw a problem, that many children in the remote parts of Colombia had no access to books. Of course this not only happens in Colombia, it happens in different corners of the world, but I am sure that if Luis Soriano had the power to get to every single part of the world where a book was needed, he would be there putting a book in the hands of many children.
This dedicated librarian was a third grade teacher when he started to use his two "burros" (donkeys) Alfa and Beto to bring his mobile library to the children of La Gloria, Magdalena. This region of Colombia has been forgotten and neglected for years, and it has a high rate of poverty and minimal access to education for young people. Many of the children here travel long miles to reach their schools. Luis and his two burros (donkeys) "Alfa" and "Beto" ("alphabet") travel to see them every week, fording rivers, and walking for miles along unpaved and dusty roads, carrying books for the children.
His work has been widely covered by the media, including a documentary made by PBS. Luis has gained significant fame around the word due to his creativity and desire to make change, but unfortunately his organization still needs money to survive and to continue giving access to books where children need them.
Bring the love of "El Biblioburro" to your classes! I created a set of free resources for you to use with your students. These resources are for anybody to use in their classrooms, but if you are familiar with TPRS, you will love this story!
Just click on the picture to download the story, teaching tips, worksheets and more!
Have fun sharing about Luis, Alfa and Beto!
Labels: Biblioburro, Library donkey, Luis Soriano, TPRS
