Maria Orosa Freedom Fighter: Scientist and Inventor from the Philippines

Maria Orosa was born a scientist — curious about the world and always asking questions.  She moved to the US, earned two degrees in food science and pharmacy, and later a master’s degree in pharmacy.  She also studied canning and preserving food in the US, and later brought new life to mangos, pineapples and jackfruit in the Philippines, turning them into jams and jellies.  Maria found many new, innovative ways to use local food, and also invented the palayok and banana ketchup.  During the Japanese invasion, she was an undercover agent and snuck food hidden in hollow tubes of bamboo into camps to feed starving prisoners.  This new picture book biography tells Maria Orosa’s story about her endless kindness, generosity, ingenuity and her willingness to work hard to better other people’s lives.  Her vast and far-reaching legacy lives on today.

Maria Orosa Freedom Fighter: Scientist and Inventor from the Philippines | Written by Norma Olizon-Chikiamco | Illustrated by Mark Salvatus | Tuttle Publishing

Liwanag Lit Fest 2023

Join us at Liwanag Lit Fest next Saturday, October 21, at the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library in Long Beach as we celebrate Filipino books for all ages!  It’s a free literary festival shining a light on the vibrant diversity of Filipinx storytelling, organized by the Long Beach Public Library, Bel Canto Books, and an amazing volunteer team of book lovers!

The authors of these books Lolo’s Sari-sari Store, Maribel’s Year, Dancing the Tinikling, Damdaman and This Is Not a Personal Statement will all be present to do readings and signings. Click over to Liwanag's Eventbrite site for further details and the day’s schedule.  Last year’s festival was amazing and there are so many exciting things are planned for this year’s event!  Hope to see you there! 🇵🇭📚

Marikit and the Ocean of Stars

Marikit and the Ocean of Stars has been out for almost one year now!  Happy almost first birthday to this magical middle grade book inspired by Filipino folklore! ✨

Author Caris Avendaño Cruz shares her thoughts from a year ago during the book’s release:

✨️ We did it, Marikit! ✨️

I have a book out in the world!! My book!!

Nine-year-old me only dreamed of becoming Jo March and tried to imagine if stories had new endings. Fifteen-year-old me scribbled them in notebooks in the middle of lectures―those weren’t interesting anyway. I was your average girl. Twenty-year-old me sat on the floor and gave up on myself. Reality extinguished my dreams. My heart wouldn’t pick another road. My future has to be with words. I squeezed myself into every small opening and it didn’t matter if I don’t have bylines or good pay as long as I got to create.

And then, came Marikit.

I’d like to thank the people who let me write for them. The kids at church who were my first audience. The choir who sang my songs. The people who patted my shoulder and said, “You have talent!” And there’s me, who only shrugged back. To my family who allowed me a space to thrive in silence, thank you for believing that something good will come out of that quiet. To my friends who’d take me out because I was in desperate need of socializing, taralets. To my cats, who’d knock on my door to ask for some petting, yes, but please stop stepping on my keyboard. To my dogs who’d bark in the middle of an Important call, we’re still cool, my dudes. To the people I met through this journey and made the writing community feel warm and welcoming, I’m glad to be with you. And I’ve said this before, and I’ll never tire of saying it over and over: there will be more Filipino stories, more Filipino writers, so watch out for them, because we ARE going to fill the shelves. 🇵🇭