Latino Books

My daughter loves this book! She is English/Spanish bilingual and laughs everytime we have read it together. Isabel Gortazar did a great job with the translation.

It is an outstanding translation to spanish. My children enjoylistening to what Porquete, Iiyoo and Puh have to say.

Many of the easy-to-organize projects in this book are centered around holidays or special events, such as Day of the Child/Day of the Book, Day of the Dead, Cinco de Mayo, and Hispanic Heritage Month, but many of the projects involve "everyday crafts." There are step-by-step instructions for making masks, corn husk dolls, beads, paper flowers, piñatas, etc., and recipes for such delectables as sweet tamales and gorditas. The activities do not require hard-to-find or expensive materials, and they are designed for all ages, from preschoolers, to after-schoolers (over six years old), and families. (summary by South Texas Library System)
This should increase the comfort level of librarians unfamiliar with this special audience. As communities across the country increase their Hispanic populations, the need to be welcoming to this diverse group puzzles some libraries.

Kids with good reading skills and a bilingual background will enjoy Abra Cadabra, Patas de Cabra, a Spanish/English story of a ten-year-old boy's journey to take a message from one community to another. He faces trials and troubles along the way but soon proves his abilities.

We have had this book for a few years now and it is one of our favorites. The writing is simple and full of Spanish words that kids can easily relate to on an everyday level. The illustrations are bright, creative and full of wonder. Rosalba and her Abuela,(grandma), go flying through air over New York City seeing the sights from a birds eye view. As they go along, they speak a little Spanish and describe what they are seeing. It is really a wonderful way to introduce a few Spanish words and see some colorful illustrations too. Enjoy!

This is a very tender cute. It is inspirational since the author is the illustrator, so I can sort of feel what she felt when doing this book. One of my grandmothers lived in the country field, and I remember seeing her cooking, feeding the chickens and the hens, and I remember staying at her house listening to her stories.

I think the quote that stood up the most from this book was: "It is by reaching out to one another that we, too create something beautiful to last throughout the ages. No matter where life leads you". This is so true, because, even though my Abuelita passed away, I remember all her teachings, her beliefs and the way she inspired me.

I give five stars to this book. The book is beautiful illustrated and it is a tribute to all the Abuelitas. The richness of the Latino and Native American culture mix together in this inspirational book.

This book was actually written by Carmen Santiago Nodar, who is a wonderful Hispanic children's author. She tells a beautiful story about the relationship between a child and her grandma (abuelita) who is no longer alive. The little girl remembers some of the stories her grandma used to tell her, one being her life in Puerto Rico as a young girl. The story seems so "real" and there is a nice intertwining of spanish words in the book that can offer a young reader a little taste of Spanish. I have really enjoyed reading this book to my children! This book is also printed in Spanish. I really loved this book because there are not many children books that are "cultural" especially Hispanic. I highly recommend this book if you are wanting someting a little different and also educational!

Ray Villareal packs several important themes into his young adult novel including immigration, bullying, parent/teacher relationships, and bilingualism.

Long serving beloved English and theatre teacher, Miss Mac, dies in the classroom and her colleagues decide to honor her by naming the school auditorium after her. To make the dedication celebration special, the teachers decide to have the seventh graders perform a recently discovered, long-lost play Miss Mac has written, Thirteen Days to Glory: The Battle of the Alamo. The play turns out to be a racist, narrow historical perspective of the Alamo, which, in a Hispanic community (both legal and otherwise), does not go over well.

New bilingual teacher Sandy Martinez; Izzy Pena; his best friend, Golden Gloves boxer Marco Diaz; and Marco's girlfriend, undocumented immigrant Raquel, battle bullies Billy Ray Cansler and his gang while they also battle the ingrained racist attitudes of the community.

Villareal sprinkles Spanglish throughout the novel, giving it a true mixed-heritage feeling. Most short phrases don't need translating, and by the time paragraphs are being written in Spanish, the reader no longer needs a translation. The undocumented worker angle sometimes takes a backseat to bullying and parent pandering for the bulk of the novel, and though the end of the novel is somewhat corny, Villareal does come back to the theme, what is an illegal immigrant?

The attitude veteran teacher Mrs. Frymire spouts "There are times when we have to do things we don't necessarily agree with. Things that might not seem right or just. But we do them for the greater good . . . . You have to understand how things work around here. Leave it alone. Don't say anything. Just go along with it, okay?" (76-77) is echoed throughout the novel in relation to teachers pandering to parents who are important to their program as well as the argument for English-only education. Villareal also does a good job showing how sometimes children parrot their parents' ideas and bad habits without really considering all sides of the situation.

By the end of the novel, students, parents, and teachers learn that there can be more than one truth, more than one point of view. It is a good lesson for the reader to learn as well.

In Philadelphia an argument occurs between forty-five years old Lorenzo Ruiz and his eighteen years old son Vincent over what is family and their heritage. Lorenzo having arrived in Camden as a ten year old accomapnying his older brothers and their parents never looked back. However the fight shames Lorenzo who ignored his roots and Americanized his offspring. To atone for his slap at his DNA pool, he decides to send Vince and his other child fifteen-year old Mariana to spend time learning their heritage. Instead of hanging out with her friends and attending sweet sixteens, an unhappy Mariana and a euphoric Vince are shipped to some distant relatives she never met in Puerto Rico for the summer.

Mariana feels punished for her father's sins and in the remote mountain home of her great aunt and uncle finds herself bored and lonely. There is no air except the occasional breeze that blows hot; no fast food only ultra spiced meals she cannot pronounce; no English except for cousin Lilly; no privacy or even posters on walls. So why she wonders is she having the greatest summer of her life.

The characters especially Mariana make for a strong entertaining contemporary tale. Vince sets the tone with his bet on the flight down that his sulking sister will cry on the way home because she will be sad that the most wonderful summer of her life is over. The story line contains a strong cast that provides deep insight into Puerto Rican extended families with a divide between those living on the island and those residing in the States. Diana Rodriguez Wallach provides a superb intelligent tale about how friendships make a place feel like home even when you first believe the Doors are right that "People are strange when you're a stranger".

Harriet Klausner

Mariana Ruiz doesn't know why she's being exiled to Puerto Rico for the summer. She should be at home, helping her best friend, Madison, celebrate her Sweet Sixteen. Instead she's sent to visit relatives she's never met before, most of whom don't even speak English.

Mariana is part Puerto Rican and part Polish, but the only Spanish she's ever picked up has been from her classes at school. Her cousin, Lilly, speaks English, but Mariana doesn't trust her motives, and keeps her distance, despite Lilly's attempts to be friends. Instead she helps her aunt plan Lilly's Quinceanera.

An unexpected romantic surprise awaits Mariana at Lilly's party, and soon she finds she's enjoying the summer she never wanted to happen. But along with amor, she also finds out about a family secret that shocks her.

This fast-paced and tension-filled story pulls the reader into Mariana's world, as she experiences her first adventure off her own turf and finds love. Amor and Summer Secrets is an enjoyable read, and once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down. The first of three books, it will leave you wanting to read more from this talented new author.

Reviewer: Alice Berger, Bergers Book Reviews

Once you start reading Amor Eterno you may be tempted to devour it all at once. My advice is take your time, savor each and every word. Patricia Preciado Martin's eleven short stories read like poetry and conjure up vivid and touching images of loves lost, forgotten, unrequited, and eternal. She has an insider's sensitivity to Mexican culture and an expert command of English that allows her to turn her "cuentos" into universal experiences. Now I want to read all of her books.

I had this book back then, and i must say that the stories are very interesting. There is one in particular that stands out from the rest and that is "children of the desert." Once you read Children of the desert-you will think that that story alone can be made into a movie. It has alot of potential. It is a love story that takes place in the southwest and part of Mexico that deals with finding love, and throwing it away because of carelessness. But if you are a traveler on ships, planes or busses then get this in order to entertain yourself you won't be wasting your time. I am so surprised that there wasn't any reviews on this book...this book is a collection of stories, i believe of his best work.

Hypothetical: Scarlett Johansson would be perfectly casted if this was made into a movie "Children of the Desert".