My rating: 
out of 5 stars 
Bumasa at Lumaya 2 is a resource and reference book on children’s literature put together by the the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY). The first one was published in 1994 and it wasn’t until this year, twenty-one years later, that the second book in the series came out.
Bumasa at Lumaya 2 indeed is a reference book on children’s literature. It discusses the status and history of children’s literature in the country from 2000 to 2013 and how far it had come since especially in the advent of picture book apps and ebooks.
It also contains a chapter titled The Writer’s Heart which basically discusses the things a writer must keep in mind when writing a children’s book, who the children are, and how they think. It also enumerated the challenges we face in retelling stories from days of old like the Filipino folk tales, myths, fairy tales, and Filipino legends.
Another chapter was dedicated for the various writer fora titled Writer’s Speak which mainly discusses how one became a writer, when, where, and how one writes; their influences and the publishing process; and most importantly the state of the publishing industry today. A section discussed how to write nonfiction books for the children.
A chapter on The Bookmaker’s Art makes the readers appreciate the growth of the children’s books in terms of illustration and design, the milestones in children’s book illustrations, the recognition that the talent and skill of Filipino illustrators has been getting, the support gained for illustrators throughout the years, and how – with the advancement of technology – everything had become a lot easier. A section on comic appreciation was also included and it discusses the Philippine Comics Industry, the Digital Revolution, recommended titles on comics for children among others.
Being a reader, my most favorite part of the book is The Reader’s Part. It has two sections: For Love of Reading – which discusses how we can encourage and nurture the love and habit of reading. It also discussed the challenge of getting children to love reading and the staggering realization that how will they love reading if we don’t have books to learn to read with in the first place? To make these books available, Library Hubs was born in 2006 as did various other programs that encourages love of reading such as Sa Aklat Sisikat and Inquirer’s Read-Along Sessions with celebrity readers.
The next section for this chapter discusses the ways in which a librarian and other interested parties can organize a school and home library. This part I also loved because as a high school student, I dreamed of having my own library someday that I can share with the public.
The last chapter titled Book Reading and Learning shows a conversation with reading education advocates where they discussed the gaps in children’s literature, the lack of nonfiction books, the importance of using children’s books in the classroom among others.
I love this book because it delivered everything it promised. It is for the readers, the publishers, artists and illustrators, educators, librarians, authors.
Bumasa at Lumaya 2 shows us that we’ve come a long way but at the same time it also shows us how far we still have to go.
Five stars for Bumasa at Lumaya 2. Here’s to hoping that years from now, when the third book comes out, it will show how closer we’ve come to reaching our goals but for now, let’s celebrate the birth of this book – the one that will serve as everyone’s guide in getting us closer to that elusive goal.
About Bumasa at Lumaya 2 
“Twenty-one years after its first ever resource and reference book on children’s literature in the Philippines, the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) again offers readers a second look at where Philippine children’s literature is today: the huge strides it has taken and the many more fascinating destinations it has set its sights on.”
Contributors: Eugene Y. Evasco, Rene O. Villanueva (+), Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, Lara Saguisag, Christine S. Bellen, Ramon C. Sunico, Luis P. Gatmaitan, Mailin Paterno Locsin, Russell Molina, Carla Pacis, Augie Rivera, Zarah C. Gagatiga, Jomike Tejido, Beth Parrocha, Perpilili Vivienne Tiongson, Lin Acacio Flores, Ruben de Jesus, Liza Flores, Paolo Chikiamco, Ani Rosa Almario, Leonor Diaz, Dina Ocampo, & Felicitas Pado.
Cinderella Stories 