Local Author Publishes Two Books

Library to host book-signing event

La Feria’s Bailey H. Dunlap Memorial Library will host a book-signing event this week for one of La Feria’s own writers, Daisy Garza. The occasion is the dual publication of two books she has written especially for elementary level, young students and their parents. Garza will be on hand to greet friends and colleagues. Visitors will be among the first to possess signed copies of her just published works.

In order to learn more about this multi-faceted teacher in our midst, LA FERIA NEWS met with her between classes at David G. Sanchez Elementary School. This is her second year teaching first grade students at this model school.

This young lady loves to write. Her just published works feature charming stories about educating youngsters in elementary schools. The reader will find themes about people, animals and places tailored to the interests and needs of elementary students and their families.

Daisy Garza knows her people: “Both books are bilingual and cater to early literacy and our special populations, including English Language Learners (E.L.L.), she said. “I tried to capture the minds of the children by these dual math, science and language books. I wanted to make it fun to learn difficult subjects.”

Her first book is titled, Nutrition Counts/ Nutricion cuenta. “The student learns to count numbers and know how important our choice of foods is to our health and wellbeing throughout our life.,“ he said. “And, they learn all this in English and Spanish.

The companion, educational book is titled, Country Toad and City Frog/Sapo Campesino y Rana de la Ciudad. This book follows the adventures of two charming creatures as they learn about the eight phases of the moon from the waxing crescent moon that reaches the full moon stage, and then begins its waning stages until it reaches another new moon. Then, to start over again as another month begins. These two books were written and illustrated by Daisy “DJ” herself.

One will soon learn that, at heart, “DJ”, as she likes to be called, is a science and math teacher–her writing reflects this dedication to education. That is why she plays a double role as a teacher at Sanchez Elementary and a student at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU), where she is working on her Doctorate in Deadership studies.

Author Garza has great praise for her professors at OLLU: Dr. Jared Montoya, Dr. Barbara Hinojosa, and Phylis Duncan for their guidance and encouragement to complete “this dream of mine to be a published author.” She, by the way, dedicated the books to her granddaughter, Eliana Lauren Rodriguez and to her late big sister, Alvina Garza.

The author wanted to share with our readers a bit about her background: Daisy “DJ” Garza was born in Harlingen as the seventh out of eight children in her family. DJ and her family had a difficult upbringing as migrant farm workers, and as a daughter of a single parent, her mom. (DJ’s father passed away when she was only nine years old). With those challenges at such an early age, DJ was determined to make something “great” out of her life. Quitting wasn’t an option for this tenacious young lady.

This determination and perseverance to do something “great” with her life, contributed to her being an Elementary Education educator for 31 years. She has earned her Master’s degree, and now has her sights on the completion of her Doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in three years at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic University. After that, “the sky’s the limit.”

Garza welcomes her friends and colleagues to the book signing event at the Bailey H. Dunlap Memorial Library October 18th from 10:00 a.m. till 12:00 p.m. Another important event to the writer is the OLLU Convocation November 8th at 2:00 p.m. at St Francis Xavier Catholic Church. She invites her friends to join her and La Feria Mayor Victor Gonzalez Jr. to attend her first book-signing event as a published author.