Category: Miscellaneous

A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy

It’s the day before Christmas, and Jimmy and his best friend—his dog, Blackie—are visiting Nonna, Jimmy’s grandma, in her neighborhood called Little Italy. Jimmy loves to visit with Nonna, especially when he can help her make biscotti. After they finish their baking, Jimmy, Nonna, and Blackie set out together on the wintry day to take packages of the freshly baked biscotti to St. Michael the Archangel Church, where the cookies will be given to poor families on Christmas Eve. But as they leave the church, a bus making a sudden stop startles Blackie, and the little dog runs off through the neighborhood. All too soon, Jimmy realizes that Blackie is lost. Even though Jimmy and Nonna search everywhere, the quickly falling snow covers up Blackie’s paw prints, making it impossible to follow him. Will Jimmy’s Christmas be a sad one without his best friend?

A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy is a heartwarming tale of a boy and his dog, set against the backdrop of a 1950s-era Italian neighborhood. The endearing and evocative images and child-friendly narrator’s voice will enchant young readers (and listeners), transporting them to a time gone by—a time of simple pleasures and special relationships. The inclusion of Nonna’s biscotti recipe at the end of the book—a real taste of Little Italy—is an added treat that children and adults alike will love. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Kathleen Muth Reading Center at Chapman University. For more information, please visit www.chapman.edu.

To buy the book from the author, go to <http://www.achristmasadventure.com/>. The book is also available through amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.

October 6, 2012, the Amici Italiani Youth & Adult Dance Troupes of Rockford, Illinois, had the honor of being inducted into the Greater Rockford Italian American’s Hall Of Fame! Congratulations!!

As the Ambassador of San Juan Capistrano’s Sister City Program, IFAFA Member Vicky Carabini had the idea of creating a festival that celebrates the art and culture of Italy, in the city of San Juan Capistrano, CA. Out of that idea was born Ferragosto in San Juan Capistrano, a non-profit, volunteer-staffed, family-friendly free event. Major event partners are the Boys and Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, J. Serra Catholic High School, and the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce. The event, focusing on Italian culture, crafts, and art, will next be offered in 2013. It will include Italian Street Painting in which the street becomes the canvas and pastels, the paint. One of the accomplishments of the organization was to raise funds to have the award-winning audio tour on the website for the Historic Mission San Juan Capistrano translated into Italian. You can listen to it at:

http://missionsjc.com/tours/audio.php

Continue reading “Italians in San Juan Capistrano, California”

Internet: America’s young people discover Italy through Italy4Kids

Italy told to American children and students to bring them closer to learning Italian language and culture: this is the objective of Italy4Kids, the online interactive portal created by the Embassy of Italy in Washington that makes it possible for young people from 5 to 18 to access all sorts of information about our country through videos, quiz, and games, as well as Twitter and Facebook.

Launched on the eve of the eleventh edition of Italian Language Week in the world, Italy4Kids – available at <www.ambwashingtondc.esteri.it> – is intended as an interactive and easy to use learning tool. Even the youngest internet navigators can play games that will allow them to explore Italy’s regions, design an “Italian itinerary” in Washington DC’s museums and public spaces and discover the bonds between Italy and the United States. In this way, e.g., a 6-7 year old can learn to count to ten in Italian while an older child can get information on the AP in Italian.

“New technologies and social media allow us to open the doors of our Embassy and country to thousands of students who want to know more about Italy and are growing more and more interested in learning Italian,” says Ambassador of Italy to the USA Giulio Terzi, who also notes that the initiative will reach an audience of future tourists and clients of ‘Made in Italy’.

— Press & Public Affairs Office, Embassy of Italy

http://www.ambwashingtondc.esteri.it