Latino Books

My daughter and I discovered Fancy Nancy at the library when we checked out Fancy Nancy & the Posh Puppy. She was enchanted with Fancy Nancy, and we were tickled when she began using some of Nancy's fancy words like "plume". So, I purchased the original Fancy Nancy for her as a gift. It's the cutest story about how Fancy Nancy decided to teach her family about being fancy, and how her family loves her so much that they want to try it out. We absolutely LOVE the illustrations and the story gave us a lot to talk about.

I bought this book for my grand daughter who is five years old and enjoys being read to. She absolutely loves it! Her mother checked out several of the other books in the Fancy Nancy series from our local library, but this is the first one that she actually owns and can keep by her bed for night time reading. Thanks Robin Glasser for all the fun.

This is a cute book. My granddaughters love to put on high heels & dresses & la-de-da around in them & so does Nancy! It's a nice story and the pictures are very colorful. Good buy for all the "Fancy Pants" in your life!

This is a great book and the illustrations are fabulous!! We bought 3 Fancy Nancy books and enjoy all of them.

Fancy Nancy is an adorable book for young children. However, I use it to teach "word choice" in writing to upper grade students. It uses "fancy" words for regular words in a cute, fun way!

Five-year-old Ramona Quimby is tired of being called a pest. It's not her fault she doesn't know as much as her big sister Beezus, or that she's always so eager to get things done, is it?

This year, Ramona is finally starting kindergarten. After what felt like years of waiting, she's excited at the idea of learning to read and write like Beezus.

But kindergarten is full of its own problems. As much as Ramona loves her teacher, she isn't always sure that Miss Binney loves her back -- or what she's done to make her unhappy. Ramona also quibbles with Howie, a neighborhood boy who alternates between being her friend and being so exasperating he makes her furious; longs to pull the curls of her classmate Susan, and to kiss shy little Davy.

As always, Ramona is a believable character, likeable and just like any other child readers might hope to meet. After becoming introduced to Ramona, young readers will clamor for the other books, eager to find out what happens to the irrepressible girl next.

Beverly Clearly is one of those rare children's authors who knows how to see the world through the eyes of her characters. There's a reason for all those rave reviews from readers over the years.

Ramona the Pest provides an opportunity for the child in your life to see how Romana's world is much like his own, and learn from Ramona as she makes mistakes.

Ramona the Pest is certain to be a favorite of yours, as well.

I llike this book called Madison Finn, Boy Oh Boy because Madison gets put in charge of the Far Hills Junior High class election site.Creating is easy until somthing is very very very very wrong. And just when Madison thinks she had all the pollitics.Dad shows up with his new running mate.

Ramona is five and couldn't be more excited about Kindergarten. However, Ramona finds herself in trouble more than once, what with the problems with Susan's curls and the substitute. Nevertheless, Ramona is a spunky little girl who is hard to believe isn't real.

I've been reading Ramona since I was little and I continue to read them now. Ramona and her family are ageless and apply to kids now, no matter how old the books become. The great thing about the Ramona books is that they are very enjoyable for parents as well, so they make good books to read to the kids.

This delightful book helped to inspire a lesson plan I have on my site which uses music to improve vocabulary. I love the way Beverly Cleary has of handling children's mistakes with sensitivity. We laugh at Ramona but we also understand and are "pulling" for her. I admire all of Cleary's books but if I had to pick a favorate, this would be it.

I remembering absolutley loving this book as a kid, even though for the life of me I cannot quite remember why. But as far as pointless folktales go, this one really hits the spot. And how can I ignore those amazing illustrations and those silly monkeys? Not much in the way of plot, but somehow the book manages to be incredibly entertaining for some reason unknownst to me. Oh well. Maybe that is its charm.

Another classic to add to the list of beloved library books we had renewed so often we decided to buy it. It is a timeless classic. My 3 year old son loves it. Also see the sequel- circus caps for sale.

I remember a teacher reading this book to the class (a long time ago!) and now I read it to my 27 month old granddaughter. She loves the story and likes to immitate the monkeys. It's one of her favorite books. Our book is a soft cover, which I didn't realize at the time of purchase. With all its use, I wish I would have purchased a hard cover or even as a board book if it's offered that way.

Caps for Sale is a wonderful classic that young readers love to hear. There is enough repetition to encourage children to "read" along. This can also be "acted out" to engage different learning modalities.

Captain Kangaroo read me this book some 40 years back. I remember laughing then. My kids, all teens now, liked the book which is not meant to be read so much as performed. Reading becomes action as one verbally plays the parts of the pedlar and the monkeys. My theory, at least, is that children will enjoy reading when it has more vitality than a pre-bedtime drone and learn that books are not dead repositories of information, but interact with our imaginations and become alive. Little books like this, a few moments of funny story, make a good impression on young minds------and are fun to read in their own right. This is cute and clever.

We LOVE this book, we play out the little roles of each animal and along with it learn the parts of the body and the movements. We have a lot of fun with this and laugh every time we read it together.

I used this previously to teach body part recognition to a student with severe autism. He loved it! Now I use it with one and two year olds and it is there favorite, plus doing the actions with the book helps them work out the wiggles.

My son is 2 and we love this book. Its great for teaching body parts and involving him with action during reading.

if you want to see your child's real personality come out, buy this book! I bought this book after we purchased "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" by Eric Carle, which our 32 mo. old son loves! Well, "head to toe" is now his favorite book. we call it his exercise book. we all do the movements together & my son cracks us up with the way he moves, especially when he wiggles his hips!!! - way too cute! it's a great book to read during the day or at bedtime, then we read him 2 other "quieter" books before bedtime to settle him down. my son can't read yet, but i find him looking at this book on his own & imitating the movements!! that is really cute. our son has become so animated when we read this book to him - it is really hilarious. our 20 mo. old twin girls also enjoy it, too! i'm thinking of buying a 2nd copy for grandma's house. i can't say enough good things about this book, except that it will be as entertaining for you as it is for your child!

The From Head to Toe Big Book by Eric Carle I ordered through Amazon.com arrived in record time. The Large colorful hard back book is beautiful and I am sure it will be enjoyed for years to come. We are replacing some very favorite books distroyed in Hurricane Katrina for a pre-school in Long Beach, Ms. I was so excited to send this on. We will be ordering many more books.
Francy Bull
Rotary Club of Inyokern Ca.From Head to Toe Board Book

The story of a Latina finding her way and success in a non-diverse society coupled with insights into the "soul" of Latino, Black, and American Indian leaders. A must read for the leaders of tomorrow trying to bridge the gap between saying we are diverse and successfully reaching that goal.

Salsa, Spirit, and Soul is one of the most accomplished books to come out in the past 5 years. It is full of just what the title says, Salsa, Spirit, and Soul. And afterall those are the three strongest things about the latino population of this country. Bordas does her people, and I'm sure her family, very proud with this publication. I only hope to see this text book in our education system so that her message can reach the minds that are the future of this country.

"Salsa, Soul, and Spirit" describes eight aspects of leadership that are sorely lacking in too many business and government leaders today. This has a lot to do with the mess this country is in economically and in the court of world opinion. Drawing on interviews with Hispanic, Black and American Indian leaders eight guiding principles were identified that made those leaders worthy of their community's trust.
Additionally, many ideas are presented that operate from the heart to influence decisions. For example, leaders should think of the consequences of their actions and how they affect seven generations into the future. Keeping this seventh generation rule in mind influences a leader's choices over parks, paving over wetlands, huge salaries for executives as corporations fail, and selling our children into national debt.
As a Caucasian Executive Director of a non-profit in the Hispanic community I read this book to discover how to spend less time in the school of hard knocks. It fulfilled that quest, and more. It gave me a better sense of moral leadership that was not hinted of in the other highly recommended leadership books I had read. In fact, it made the amoral nature of the hot leadership book I was just reading painfully obvious. I didn't finish the other book.
While I did have to study several passages to discern differences between some points, the differences were there and worth differentiating. I have come away with a view of leadership that is more positive for those affected by my leadership and more satisfying at day's end. I recommend this book for anyone who wished to improve the lives of those they lead.

Edward C. Krug, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Northwest Coalition for Better Schools
Denver, Colorado

This book is an indispensable tool for anyone who wishes to deepen their
understanding of some of the roots of the persistent Racial gap in our society. It is also an indispensable tool for one who wishes to take leadership to bridge that gap. By tapping into the wisdom and knowledge base of the Latino, Black and American Indian communities Bordas provides a springboard which enables the reader to contemplate the qualities that all good leadership models have in common, regardless of the cultural origins. Such an approach helps us think beyond the differences that separate us. The historical context in which each leadership principle is set provides critical background for understanding. Some of the history, as in the section on Principle I, Sankofa (Learn from the Past) will likely make some White readers defensive and uncomfortable. Information about the conflicted role of White culture in our history, surprisingly, is still shocking news to those who have not understood it. However, the very discomfort in contemplating the different histories, world views, and values which brought us to our current need for new models of multicultural leadership sets the foundation for effective dialogue and learning for those willing to sign on to such a transforming conversation. In order to forge A New Covenant as Juana Bordas urges, we must reconcile the conflicted nature of our history. The book should be read and used by everyone interested in leading the building of a united human community in these times.

Juana utilizes her decades of experience and insights to present a useful book that is applicable to everyone acting in a leadership capacity, or seeking to do so.

Una novela que marca a todo el que la lee... el lenguaje en su máxima y más hermosa expresión.

La historia con Bèrthe Trépat, la carta de La Maga a Rocamadour, Talita pasando por el tablón y, claro, el capítulo 7 (toco tu boca...). Este libro me deja sin aliento. Nunca, pero NUNCA he leído nada de semejante belleza.

I really enjoyed this original book.

It has taken me years to sit down and finally make a serious commitment to read Julio Cortazar's "Hopscotch/La Rayuela." I cannot think of a better companion to devote a few weeks to, maybe even longer - hey, whatever it takes! It depends on your reading speed and the time you take to truly savor the poetry of the author's language. So, be willing to make a small personal investment in this very special novel, and the reward you reap will be a worthy one. Julio Cortazar will take you to places you have never been before in literature, and may never experience again. I read "Hopscotch" over this past summer, after a thirty year delay. I can be very stubborn about putting off what is good for me!! The author's imagination is boundless, his prose rich and luminous, his wit and sophistication rare, the dialogue brilliant, the plot...I won't attempt to describe that with a few adjectives. Wander through the extraordinary labyrinthine plot on you own - the way is yours to discover. I promise, you won't get lost!

I was introduced to "La Rayuela" about thirty years ago, when a close friend, with similar reading tastes, gave me the book. Enthused after just reading the novel, he told me that I reminded him of one of the characters, La Maga. (What a compliment...I think!). I was living in Latin America at the time. With personal interests at stake and much curiosity, I bought a copy in Spanish, which I read with some fluency back then. After experimenting with which way to approach the novel, and trying both ways, I gave up...and just read the parts about La Maga. I had little patience at that point in my life, and needed to acquire some, and to read slower, with more of a sense of play and participation. Cortazar wants his readers to participate - to make reading his book an interactive experience, not a passive one. I was and still feel touched when I remember my friend's comments regarding La Maga. She is a magnificent character and Cortazer's prose, his language, (Spanish), is exquisite. So, about a year later, I thought I'd give it another try, in English, perhaps with better results. None! I just wasn't ready, I guess. That happens to me with fiction occasionally. I have to be open to the experience. Yet, after all these years, I still thought of Horacio Oliveira and La Maga from time to time. And why not? They are truly unforgettable. As I wrote above, I did make time, at last. For an adventure of a lifetime, I recommend you do the same.

When Julio Cortazar published "La Rayuela" in 1966, he turned the conventional novel upside-down and the literary world on its ear with this experiment in writing fiction. He soon became an important influence on writers everywhere. "Hopscotch" is considered to be one of the best novels written in Spanish. The work is interactive, where readers are invited to rearrange its text and read sections in different sequences. Read in a linear fashion, "Hopscotch" contains 700 pages, 155 chapters in three sections: "From the Other Side," and "From This Side" - the first two sections are sustained by relatively chronological narratives and so contrast greatly with the third section, "From Diverse Sides," (subtitled "Expendable Chapters"), which includes philosophical extrapolation, character study, allusions and quotations, and an entirely different version of the "ending."

The book has no table of contents, but rather a "Table of Instructions." There, we learn that two approved readings are possible: from Chapter 1 through 56 "in a normal fashion", or from Chapter 73 to Chapter 1 to... well, wherever the chapters lead you. The instructions are all in your book and are extremely clear. At the end of each chapter there is a numeric indicator to lead the reader to the next chapter. One never knows where one will be lead. Due to its meandering nature, "Hopscotch" has been called a "Proto-hypertext" novel. Cortázar probably had this work in mind when he stated, "If I had the technical means to print my own books, I think I would keep on producing collage-books."

Horacio Oliveira, our protagonist and sometimes narrator, is an Argentinean expatriate, an intellectual and professed writer in 1950's bohemian Paris. He and his close friends, members of "the Club," do lots of partying, drinking, and intellectualizing, discussing art, literature, music and solving the world's problems. Oliveira lives with and loves La Maga, an exotic young woman, somewhat whimsical, at times almost ephemeral, who leaves behind her, like the scent of a light perfume, a feeling of poignancy and inevitable loss. La Maga refuses to plan her encounters with Oliveira in advance, preferring instead to run into each other by chance. Then she and Oliveira celebrate the series of circumstances that reunite them. Eventually, he loses La Maga, who loses her child. With her absence, Oliveira realizes how empty and meaningless his life is and he returns to his native Buenos Aires. There he finds work first as a salesman, then a keeper of a circus cat, and an attendant in an insane asylum.

As Oliveira wends his way through France, Uruguay and Argentina looking for his lost love, "Hopscotch's" narrative takes on an emotionally intense stream of consciousness style, rich in metaphor. Back In Argentina, Oliveira shares his life with his bizarre double, Traveler, and Traveler's wife, Talita, whom Oliveira attempts to remake into a facsimile of La Maga.

The game of hopscotch is only developed as a conceit late in the narrative. It is first used to describe Oliveira's confused love for La Maga as "that crazy hopscotch." The theme develops as a metaphor for reaching Heaven from Earth. "When practically no one has learned how to make the pebble climb into Heaven, childhood is over all of a sudden and you're into novels, into the anguish of the senseless divine trajectory, into the speculation about another Heaven that you have to learn to reach too." The variations on the children's game are described as "spiral hopscotch, rectangular hopscotch, fantasy hopscotch, not played very often." The allusions continue and include some beautiful passages.

"Hopscotch" is much more than a novel. Ultimately, it is best left for each reader to define what it is for himself/herself. Pablo Neruda in a famous quote said, "People who do not read Cortazar are doomed. Not to read him is a serious invisible disease." I don't know whether I would go so far. Remember, I put off the experience for many years. But this is one novel that should be read during one's lifetime. It is brilliant and it is fun!
JANA

Rayuela es, junto a otras obras como "El Túnel" de Sábato, una de las pocas muestras de literatura Existencialista latinoamericana. Y el resultado difícilmente pudo ser mejor, este libro de Cortázar fue aclamado por la crítica internacional y actualmente está junto con "Cien años de Soledad" ,y algunos otros pocos, dentro de las novelas latinoamericanas más renombradas.

En la primera página de "Rayuela", el autor indica que la obra es en realidad muchos libros y no sólo uno, pero que principalmente son dos libros (dos formas de leerlo). El primero se lee en forma continua, desde el capítulo 1 hasta el 56. El segundo se lee de acuerdo a un orden específico que da Cortázar, y abarca muchos otros capítulos, la totalidad de la obra. La palabra Rayuela se refiere a un juego, y algunos críticos consideran que esta 2da opción es también un juego, una broma del autor. Incluso al llegar a cierto capitulo (leyendo de la 2da forma), te ves dirigido luego al capítulo que leíste antes, formándose así un circulo de tal manera que la obra no tiene fin. ¿Cómo leer Rayuela? En lo personal la leí en forma continua, y no me arrepiento, aunque confieso haberle dado una hojeada a los capítulos no leídos.

No quiero contarles la trama de la novela, que si bien es muy valiosa, no es lo principal y no vale la pena conocerla antes de la lectura (como en casi todos los libros, en mi opinión). Basta con decir que narra la historia de Horacio Oliveira, un argentino de espíritu libre, sus años en París y en Argentina, y sus problemas existenciales. Como en toda novela existencialista, el principal atractivo es la profundidad de los personajes y la habilidad narrativa del escritor para envolvernos en la personalidad y mente de estos; en todo esto triunfa Julio Cortázar. En Rayuela, además de Oliveira, hay otros caracteres interesantisimos, como la famosa "Maga". La construcción de este personaje es una genialidad del autor, "La Maga" termina siendo una suerte de "Madame Bovary", una mujer a la cual ni Oliveira ni el lector podrán nunca olvidar.

Que más decir, "Rayuela" es un libro infalible, genial, de lectura imprescindible para cualquiera que disfrute leyendo a Sábato, Camus, Hesse, Sartre o Dostoievski. Pero es para cualquiera en realidad, pues es un libro verdaderamente extraordinario.

My son likes Dora. He loves this book. I read it to him every night. Some stories are too short though.

I ordered this for my Granddaughter that is 2 yrs old. She never puts the book down.Mommy has read it to her several times and she just can't get enough of it. Of course she is a die hard Dora fan. Great book!

excellent book, my daughter loves it. i didnt read the item properly an thort it was a dvd, but it turned out to be a book which was even better. very hard to find decent Dora books here. it was speedy delivery to australia an in perfect condition. gorgeously illustrated an big, bold easy to read wording. makes bedtime a fun an interactive time. my daughter can read along with me an learn spanish at the same time. extremely happy.

Both my 2 and 4yr olds enjoy this collection of Dora stories. I like the abridged story lengths.

Fast shipping! Great book, clean..makes a great Christmas gift for a Dora fan! Will definitely order from seller again! thanks!

A wildly creative/artistic romp through Cuban Miami's Calle Ocho festival in Little Havana. Feisty, strong Cubanita tumbadora player's drum sounds leap off the pages. Your children (and you)will fall in love with Chavi and want to start speaking Spanish, drumming, and dancing merengue! Tender, heart-felt bilingual story (written in Spanish and English) about a drummer girl who shows the world that unlike what her teacher, family and barrio friends think, Cuban girls CAN and SHOULD be able to play tumbadoras!

A must buy for kids who love fun stories that inspires them to think critically, create, and perform. For Latino/Cuban book collectors, parents who want to teach their children Spanish or English, libraries, teachers of ESL, music teachers, performance art teachers, and for anyone interested in Latino cultures, particularly the Miami Cuban working-class culture.

FUNTASTIC!

Finally, a book about two dynamic Latino girl characters. The determination of Chavi, against all odds, to play the congas in the Little Havana Calle Ocho Festival will have you rooting for her. You can practically feel, smell and touch everything in her barrio; this is due to the vibrant, lively writing and the wild colorful artwork. Your kids will love Chavi and view her as a little barrio heroine.

Mayra Dole's character, Chavi, is a touching, vibrant, young female character you will want to introduce to your children. In fact, Chavi is so "touching" that she can't keep her hands from tap-tap-tapping everything that she comes in contact with. Chavi is a drummer in a culture where girls are not supposed to drum. Despite the strong forces trying to stop her, Chavi perseveres and lives out her dream. This book will give you a taste of Miami and its unique blends of cultures. Beautifully illustrated and written in both Spanish and English, this is a story that will most certainly...touch you.

Rhythmic as a conga beat. Highly entertaining, motivates critical thinking, strong/fun girl characters, jam-packed with Cuban culture, and my 2nd grade class loves it! 10 stars! A++

Cuban-American Chavi has such character and spunk. Your children will fall in love with her conga sounds/passion for perseverance/spunky attitude/and the cartoon-like, wild illustrations. A must buy for anyone interested in exposing children to ethnic cultures set in US communities/barrios and Spanish & English language.

This book and CD are very well done; obviously the author had a real vision for its need and put a lot of love into its creation. As someone who has witnessed the "drift" and "disconnect" that many Latino kids feel when they are in white America, I am excited about this positive cultural connection with their countries of origin. I actually spoke with the author by phone and she is very much involved in educating schoolchildren (of any culture) about Latinamerican Christmas Traditions.

A word about the CD: it actually plays every song TWICE; the second time through, each song is sung in a certain "style", assigned to a country. For example: Marimba style, Guatemala. The result is a richly varigated CD with many different musical instruments used and different moods touched-- you don't start to think "all these songs sound alike because the same people are performing them!"-- not at all.

I hope to see more books/ projects by Charito Calvachi Wakefield in the future!

My mom and I enjoyed reading this book together because the presentation and cover are wonderful and reading about the culture reminded my mom of home. This book captured the real spirit of Christmas.

Es un libro excelente que revive toda la mística navideña de revaloración del espiritu religioso, del amor familiar y de los valores humanistas que todavía de valoran como esenciales en la gente latinoamericana. Muy buena presentación.

Charito Calvacci Wakefield's "Navidad Latino Americana" is a lush compendium of celebration and community. The descriptive thread of food, fellowship and tradition that binds young and old, rich and poor on this most revered of all holidays is accompanied by a CD of Christmas songs. This is the kind of book that becomes part of a family's library, to be taken down each year, appreciated and cherished.

Pasa el tiempo, de generación en generación, vamos cambiando, adoptando nuevas costumbres, olvidamos algunas. En Navidad Latinoamericana encontramos aquellas 'joyas' que relacionamos muchas veces con nuestro pasado, un pasado feliz, inocente, en familia, con la calidez de aquella época navideña, tan llena de misterio, de espectativa y de amor. Un hermoso regalo para aquellos a quienes apreciamos....una ilusión, una fantasía y alegría hechas imagen y sonido.

My 3 yr old was already comfortable going to the dentist but this helps just before an appointment to let her know what will happen and to talk about any worries she has. Great bedtime reading.

I'm a school nurse always looking for entertaining ways to teach my elementary school children how to take good care of their teeth. Dora was a huge hit with the Pre-school children. They followed the book along eagerly page by page as I read it to the class and their excitement brought out my enthusiasm for teaching! Way to go Dora!

I bought this after taking my daughter to the dentist for the 1st time when she turned 2. She refused to open her mouth even to talk. She would only shake her head. After reading this weekly for 6 months, she couldn't wait to go to the dentist. She happily let the dental hygenist and the dentist look inside her mouth! Now if I could just get her potty trained!!

I purchased this book for my 4 year old granddaughter who was fixing to go to her first dentist appointment. She loves Dora and of course this was a good choice. This book has just enough detail to make that first visit comfortable. She was not afraid of the office or the dentist after reading this book.

My 2 1/2 year old hates to brush her teeth. So much so that I worry that I am not getting them clean enough. So she came for a "field trip" with me for my dentist visit. The dentist's office was set up just as in the book. My daughter wanted a turn and was able to pick out a purple toothbrush and sticker just like Dora. She knew exactly what to expect in the visit from reading this book.