Latino Books

When i bought this book i wasn't too sure about it, but when i started to read it, i was very entertained and impressed. This reminded me a lot of my middle school years, which i thought was very uplifting. Keep up the good work.

C&B Reviewer - 4 Star review


Well done!
This book is age appropriate for those 13 and older. The author encourages parents and teachers to read this book along with the child. There are thought provoking discussion questions included
We are introduced to Martin Little who at the age of eleven is very enterprising and already quite the businessman. Martin is blessed to have parents who also in sales, so they encourage him and his friends to sell to their friends at school. The business takes off right away which garners the attention of both the gang set.
In this coming of age story, Martin and his friends must deal with the brewing undercurrent of a racial war as well as deal with 2 rival gangs that insist that Martin and his friends are at a point where they must make a decision where their loyalties lie.
Jaeyel Imes does a masterful job of weaving a believable tale of the daily struggles of young Black men, as well as, gives the reader a glimpse of the struggles of young men from other races. The end result is finding out that the two struggles are not that different.
Rating: 4 Stars

:Worth Fighting 4

Martin Little, in WORTH FIGHTING 4 by Jaeyel Imes, is a sixth grader at East Middle School in Aurora, Colorado who wants to be a businessperson just like both his parents. His school is slowly being taken over by gang bangers and it just isn't safe to be there anymore. Martin has his own ideas about what he is going to do with his life - and it isn't being in gangs. Martin starts a business selling candy at lower prices than the school does. While he doesn't become rich, he does have plenty of cash to save for college. Unfortunately, the gangs want to run the school and they bully Martin and his friends. Finally, Martin and his crew have had enough. They don't form a gang, but they manage to get the entire sixth grade to rebel against the influx of gang members and they work to push them off campus. There is plenty of violence involved, as the gangs are not going to give up easily.

This is a coming of age story of a brave young man with a strong desire to be a businessman in his own right. It is a smooth, quick read however, a little editing would have helped quite a bit. I would recommend this story for young, black men growing up in today's rough and tumble world of gangs and guns. It tells what's really important in this world. It shows both the good and the bad and what effects both have on the youngsters.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

5 friends, led by Martin Little, start a profitable candy selling buisiness. As buisiness prospers racial tension starts between the blacks and hispanics at the school. Malcolm later finds about his hispanic heratige and now he must look at things in a new light. There is a much bigger problem at hand. Gang violence! Can 5 friends along with the help of some seventh graders and their once enemies join together and fight against one of the most infamous gangs in Denver? Will it prove to be worth fighting for?

This was definitaly worth reading and it showed how young people can stand up to a much bigger force. Anything is possible if stand together and believe what you are doing is right. This book is great. Dont think the book is boring and just all about morals. There is some suprising and mishevious parts that you can relate to. This book is capable of making you both laugh and cry. It is a great read and it is worth reading.

"Worth Fighting 4" by Jayel Imes is told through the eyes of Martin Little, a pubescent yet enterprising sixth grade student in Aurora, Colorado. Martin seems to idolize his father, a walking salesman and wishes, himself to become a self-employed businessman. With careful thought, Martin makes a decision to operate a candy distribution racket amongst his circle of friends at school, thereby opening the door to a world of trouble from local gang members. The gang members watch how profitable and popular Martin and his friends become and make it their business to try to violently bully their way into the action.


This story is filled with numerous incidents involving gang violence, racial infractions, peer pressure and intimidation. There are times when the reader is left to wonder when the parental involvement of Martin and his friends, as well as the administrators at his school will intervene as the warfare intensifies. Finally, after a tragic encounter with the gang, Martin and his friends join together to show a sign of force. The results are varied, as jail and death become closely entrenched in the lives of these teens.


Although it is clear that the author, through his creation of such a story is attempting to curtail some of the tragic mistakes our youth make in this day and age, much of the message is lost in the poor editing. There are times when the grammatical and typographical errors cause the reader to lose track in the initial premise of a passage.


This book is best suited for children leaving the elementary school setting, as well as their parents. The parents of those children might benefit from developing conversations with their child that focus on many of the issues raised in the book.
APOOO rating: 3

Reviewed by Detrel
APOOO BookClub
www.apooo.org

Graciela Kenig has set the bar for providing critical and user friendly career information to Latino job seekers, career coaches and employers. Kenig shows readers how to leverage their culture and language in the job market, workplace and in hot careers for Latinos. This book is not only well-written and researched, but its insights and recommendations stand the test of time. Best Careers for Bilingual Latinos is an essential addition to your career management library.

I thouught this presented a thorough coverage of careers that was culturally targeted in its advice. It is extremely relevant given the growth of the Latino community in this country.

Kenig's book is filled with solid tips for an important and growing population in our diversity-rich society. Once you zero-in on a career, the next step is to market yourself! If we want people to value the skills we offer - step ONE is to show that we value ourselves - by making sure our skills and accomplishments are visible to targeted audiences. If we want people to hire us, promote us, buy from us or invest in our companies, they have to know who we are, what we have accomplished and why they should do business with us! Self-promotion isn't bragging. It is a valuable business tool that men and women must add to their strategies for success. Following a careful step-by-step process will help even the most timid become comfortable with the concept of self-promotion. (from Marion E. Gold, award-winning author of "The Personal Publicity Planner: A Guide to Marketing YOU")

Finally there is a useful book written for bilinguals. The author helps to better understand the different issues that we encounter in the job market. It begins with the current trends in the Hispanic labor market, cultural strengths, and the basics for a successful career. What I like most is the way that she structured the book: by separating the top 7 industries for bilinguals, you don't have to read the entire book to find out how things are in your field. It does a good job describing specific requirements for each job and it gives average earning information. It will not give you specific names of companies. Instead, it gives you organizations through you can network. I recommend this book for anyone who would like to achieve more by taking advantage of their bilingual skills.

Although I enjoyed reading Ms. Kenig's book, I didn't find much value in the information presented for two reasons: 1) the bulk of the book is a compilation of data that can be easily obtained for free from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and 2)most of the inferences about the Latino labor market are made based on anecdotal information; there was no research done by the author to substantiate her points.
I commend the author for writing a book on the subject, but the content needs much substance and depth.

I had no idea that such a simple book could be so precious! Four generations of women pass down traditions in their own individual ways that adapt to changing times and culture. Still, the love and sisterhood is still there. The illustrations are the best feature, as they practically do most of the storytelling themselves (so, yes, be sure to study the pictures carefully for full appreciation).

I was disappointed in this book after hearing friends rave about it. The illustrations are beautiful and the theme is endearing-- but, oh, how boring it is! In our family, we make up our own words to go along with the great pictures.

I just loved this book. It conveys the sense of tradition that we grew up with and long for in todays fast paced world. Thank you to Lynn Resier for giving us a means to demonstrate to our children how things used to be.

This story is part of our first grade reading series. The illustrations are beautiful and give good clues as to what the story is about. The text offers appropriate and varied vocabulary as well as a predictable pattern that helps children read it more fluently. Though the theme of the story is challenging (concerning tradition: some things stay the same, some things are a bit different) it gives children an opportunity to think about the meaning of the story, instead of just reading a story with a bunch of meaningless rhymes.

A little girl describes how cherry pies, flower garlands, quilts and lullabies have been passed down through her family from great-grandmother to grandmother to mother to her and then to her teddy bear. Each picture's details shows how different each generation is or, as the text explains, Every time it was the same, but different. The bold outlined drawings have an appealing, colorful, cartoon-like quality which is charming and homey. The outlined frames for each picture add to the quilt-like mood and give the book an inviting feel. Included is the author's lullaby lyrics (to the tune of Brahms' "Lullaby".)

My son absolutely loves this Dora book, along with the Dora Halloween book. He knows all of his colors in Spanish now and he wants to read it all the time. My husband despises this book now though because he has read it so much. I highly recommend this book and my 2 yr old son would as well.

This book is great. On each page Dora is looking for a different color easter egg and you have to help her find it. Lots of flaps.

My 20-month-old son loves Dora, and this book is great. It goes through all the colors of the rainbow and has tons of flaps for him to open. We're still working on the colors in English, so we haven't really read the Spanish words yet, but we will.

It is true that this book doesn't mention Easter, but I think it makes it a book you can read year-round, not a reason not to buy it. If you talk to your children about the true meaning of Easter, then why is it necessary to put it in a Dora book?

I bought this book on a whim since my 2.5 year old recently discovered Dora. Anyway, she LOVES this book like no other she's ever read. I sometimes have to read it to her 3 to 6 times a day. Sometimes twice before bedtime (my daughter has never been the type to ask me to read the same book twice in a row). She's even caught me in the middle of the night, if she wakes up, she actually asks me to read it to her again, even though it may be 3am. Frtunately, by this point, I've memorized it and all the flaps.

The best thing about it is it really helps a child to learn their colors in English if they don't already know them, and definately in Spanish. We aren't a bilingual household, but my daughter has started picking up counting in Spanish from Dora. With this book, she's now easily learning her colors. The pictures are bright and colorful and the story is cute and typical Dora. Even Swiper makes an appearance. The story itself seems a little shorter then the typical Dora books, so it's easier for younger kids to sit through. I highly recomend this book and I know my daughter does to.

Our 20 month old daughter loves this book! We have had it for several months and she still picks it first over all her other Dora books. True it does not educate the child on the meaning of Easter, but that can be done by us at an appropriate time. The book is very well designed and has multiple flaps to open. It has held up very nicely through every day use. She is learning her colors with this book. It is also a wonderful tool for her memory as she goes for the flaps with eggs. We love this book!

Whether they take place in a Georgia town or in Texas on the Mexican border, the short stories in FINDING OUR WAY will introduce readers to some very interesting people. Among them are Chuy, who is determined to get kicked out of school; Melly, who is determined to be the first girl to take the Dive; and Andy and Ruthie, who find that being a couple takes on different meaning on the night of their school prom. The last story involves a shocking and unfortunate tragedy that will bring everyone in the community closer together.

These educational and bold stories take twisting turns, and they always seem to have a lesson. You should read this book because some of the lessons you will learn could be very useful later in your life.

--- Reviewed by Ashley Hartlaub

Saldana's Finding Our Way is a collection of short stories that relate to young adults having to mature quickly and live life as it comes. Each character develops in their own unique way when dealing with daily dramas regarding love, death, pride and ethics. Through these short stories the reader can appreciate the importance of parents and family figures. In "Chuy's Beginnins" Chuy is a young boy who constantly gets in trouble at school to draw the attention he does not get at home. Being so used to always getting his way;he is strongly disturbed and becomes a different person when he creates a confrontation he cannot solve between his principal and teacher. Having to prove something to oneself by doing something dangerous is most common when young. The tricky part is how you manage the situation. "The Dive" is a great example of what many young adults go through in life. In this story Melly is a young girl who speaks her mind out loud and feels like she must prove her self to be a grown woman by jumping off a bridge. With the help of Mama Tochi and her cuentos, "stories that somehow served as life lessons", Melly finds her way through her troubles. most characters in the collection have positive outcomes; Saldana adds a twist to the collection in the story "Manny Calls". Manny is ayoung adult who is portrayed as a mysterious, isolated person who is away from home and loses his one and only confidant. The dath of his grandfather and the lack of attention and moral support from others keep him from wanting to face reality. After two years of calling his grandfather's old phone number it finally gets reassigned and Manny finds himself trying to figure out a new way to communicate with his dead grandfather. Saldana's collecion of short stories obtain a significant message within that allow young and mature readers to discover, reminisce and appreciate the imprtance of role models and moral support.

"Finding Our Way" exemplifies the true meaning of living as true Latino/Hispanics in America. The author, Rene Saldana sets the stage by talking about true stories that actually makes the reader feel at home especially in Chapter 4, "Los Twelve Days of Christmas." The true minority groups still remains with these "Latino students" who find themselves surrounded by the upper scale of minority teachers, who themselves segregate themselves from teaching these teenagers about "chances" in life. Instead, these two teachers decide that it is best "not to give these teenagers a chance" at the end.
"Inspiring" and "Worth Reading"....

Finding Our Way, a collection of short stories, written by Rene Saldana, Jr., presents a variety of themes and life lessons for adolescents who face many obstacles while growing up. For some teens the problems may entail misbehavior, low self esteem or lack of courage. For others it may be losing a loved one or a peer. Some may even have to confront fighting and gangs. All of these scenarios are addressed in Finding Our Way.
The book begins with "The Good Samaritan," where Rey is forced to decide between what is the right thing to do, and what is the just thing to do. He is constantly doing favors for Mr. Sanchez and has yet to receive any compensation. Rey swears he will never do any more favors for the local politico because he never comes through with his promises of payback. However, when Rey discovers Mr. Sanchez in yet another predicament he finds himself in a mental dilemma. In the end he has to decide between being a good samaritan by helping Mr. Sanchez despite his harsh feelings toward him, or leaving him stranded.
"Alternative" and "Un Faite" are impressive stories that set a worthy example for young readers. In "Alternative" Arturo is a student that was sent to an alternative school for repeated misbehavior. He blames Mr. Sifuentes for sending him to the alternative program, even though he was the one who overreacted and caused the scene in class. Even though Arturo seems to have unpleasant feelings for Mr. Sifuentes, towards the end it becomes clear that he actually likes and respects him. Arturo is obviously not an ideal student and even after the big scene he causes in class, Mr. Sifuentes still sent him the stories to finish, proving that he has not given up and is dedicated to being a good teacher. In "Un Faite" Kiko is a teenager who wants very badly to start over and reinvent himself at a new school. He has faced numerous problems and had been involved with his cousin in a gang. This is an excellent story of a teen deciding to change his life around before it is too late.
The stories "Manny Calls" and "Finding Our Way" deal with the reality of losing people in our lives. Manny has lost his grandfather whom he loved and respected greatly. Throughout "Finding Our Way" several friends have to deal with losing their classmate Danny. Death can be a very harsh reality for young adults to accept.
Those are several of the eleven short stories in Saldana's Finding Our Way, all of which teach valuable life lessons and serve as encouragement to the young readers. The book contains a wide variety of situations that young adults face on a daily basis. Finding Our Way serves a meaning full purpose that can set a great example for a young audience.

I was surprised with the level of pessimism in René Saldana's collection of stories, Finding Our Way. After all, the title of this book is optimistic: characters are finding their ways, not just looking. Yet the stories themselves reek of the melodrama we so often see in teenagers. Saldana may have intended to teach young adults to look into themselves and find their inner strengths, but instead he makes readers feel as if any emotional connection to peers and family members would only be a hindrance in this path to self-discovery.
Parents, filtered through the narrators' points of view, are portrayed as only a teenager could view them. Parents are mean, unfair, and incapable of serving their children's needs. In "Alternative," Arturo writes bitterly, "...he ain't my mother/But neither is my mother/Who turned me over to the cops" (p. 58) He never mentioned the anguish she must have gone through each time he got in trouble, or how huge the decision to send him to Alternative must have been. We only see his side of the story, so we want to side with him and believe his mother was a traitor.
This refusal to connect and empathize with others does not only apply with parents, but with their peers. Many of Saldana's characters are antisocial; others become so focused on themselves they forget their friends and significant others. In "Un Faite," only the thought of moving to Mission keeps Kiko's behavior in check. His friends not coming to his aid does not bother him, because soon he will be gone and they will not have him around to mistreat. Also to be disposed of is Kiko's girlfriend, Janie. She already thinks she is in love, but he is counting down the days until he can say goodbye. After all, "...if things went the way he wanted, she'd soon be part of his past..." (p. 72) He does not give a second thought to whether she will hurt, only about what his new life will be like.
As I read Finding Our Way, I was reminded of my difficult teenage years-a time when I felt nobody understood me. The bigger problem was, upon finishing the book, I still felt the same. At the end of each story, each character may no longer have been lost, but they were still alone. For this pessimism, I cannot recommend Finding Our Way. Parents looking for literature for their own teenager should beware that this book may very well fuel their rebellion. Perhaps in a classroom setting, where each individual story can be discussed at length, may its optimistic messages be uncovered.

If you like music you will love this biography about Gloria Estefan. This is an amazing story about a girl who moves from Cuba to Miami, Florida. She grows up to be a singer in Emilio Estefan's band. Then a little while later she graduates college and as you may have guessed, gets married to Emilio. They had two kids. There is a huge tragedy. She helped people who lost their homes in Hurricane Andrew. She also helped prevent kids from doing drugs.
This is a great story for kids, especially if they want to be singers. I liked when the author talked to you directly and made you feel happy about her recovering from the tragedy.



Fay Marshal the rapper

This book is very exciting. It tells everything about Gloria, from when she was a baby, all the way to when she had a baby.

When Gloria was a baby, she had to move from Cuba, to Miami, Florida. When she was growing up, her dad got very ill. She had to go to school, learn English, and take on extra chores at home because her had to take care of her dad. During her life, she joined two bands. One was temporary and one was a career.

While she was doing that, she got married to Emilio Estefan. She had two kids. Before the 2nd one there were 2 tragedies, but they got through them, and fixed them. Before the tragedies she got many singles out with her band, she had a good interesting life before the tragedies, but she had a good life after it too.

In my opinion the author did an extraordinary job on this book. I also like that her word choice is awesome, because it is not boring.

By Alabama

This biography is great for kids, especially who want to be famous some day. It's also an awesome book for anyone who likes to read exciting books about the lives of other people.
It's about a Cuban girl named Gloria Estafan and her family at first. They are forced to leave Cuba. When she gets to Florida, she likes it better than Cuba.
While in Florida her father gets a horrible disease. When she is in High school she gets great grades. At home she gets away from it all by playing music. She joins a band and the band manager is Emilio.
Later she falls in love with Emilio, they get married, and have a child. Her band becomes famous after a while. Then a tragedy happens that keeps her of her feet for a while. But she still has her family.
I think this book is fantastic because of the amazing pictures and fabulas word choice.
By:Bob

This story is great, and exciting the first time I read it. The story is worth reading. This story tells about Gloria's life. In the middle of the story Gloria's life turns in to a tragedy. This story is good. I think you should read it because it tells what Gloria's life is like.

The author of Gloria Estefan did an awesome job explaining the life of Gloria. She started the book at Gloria being born then she had to move to Miami Florida. There she met Emilio and joined his popular band.
Emilio and Gloria got married after they made some records and then made a lot more records together. Gloria her son and Emilio got to meet the president. On the way to one of Gloria's concerts a tragedy struck. Gloria still song after the tragedy and had another child. Emilio and Gloria had one big perfect happy family.
I thought this book was very help full because before I read this book I didn't know anything about Gloria and now I know a lot. If you want to be a star or even just want a good book to read I would suggests this book.

Ruth Glasser illustrates how the political circumstances, the particular situations of some of the social sectors, and the geographical settings of the Puerto Rican population produced the musicians that created a musical corpus which in turn identified Puerto Ricans as a people in the first half of the 20th century. The text gives an account of how those musicians forged the template of popular Puerto Rican music for the century, while contributing to the popular music of other Latin American cultures. It helps us comprehend, from a music perspective, how the interaction of innumerable conditions and situations and their consequences sculptured the elements of a national culture.

"My Music Is My Flag" is a rare and genuine contribution, as well as a very provocative and insightful analysis, of the history of Puerto Ricans and their music in New York City during the period of 1917 through 1940.

However, this book "failed" to mention the enormous contributions and the importance of "Pregones"(Musical cries of street vendors used to attract customers...in many cases they were bawdy, double entendre compositions. Lyrics patterned after the "pregon" also appeared in many compositions by Puerto Ricans). Many of these "pregones" were recorded in New York. A perfect example was "El Botanico", done on a 78, inspired by Manuel Jimenez "Canario". He recorded it with his band on June 8, 1929. Pedro Flores, Rafael Hernandez, Mirta Silva, Johnny Rodriguez and many others also recorded "pregones". Johnny Rodriguez did them all from New York. These "pregones" were very important, as they reflected much about the economic and social conditions of the Puerto Ricans.

Nevertheless, Ruth Glasser has made an important contribution to our understanding of the role Puerto Rican musicians have played in the development, growth and evolution of Latin music today.

Highly recommended!

I wrote a paper in Graduate School on "The Impact of American Colonialism on Puerto Rican Music." Ms. Glasser's book served as a principal resource. I was totally unaware of the existance of such notables as Rafael Hernandez and Pedro Flores. The story behind the orgins of the song, Preciosa, was fascinating. It has become my personal anthem. Today, there is a new version of the song being played on the radio by Marc Anthony. It always brings a tear to my eye. In Ms. Glasser's book I have found a part of my heritage that I didn't know existed. I was born and raised in New york City. My parents came to this country from Puerto Rico in 1948. They, like many of the self exiled musicians in the book, came to New York from Puerto Rico seeking a better life and economic prosperity. This is a wonderful book, with plenty of anecdotes and heart warming narratives. I intend to buy a copy for my parents and my brother. It is a part of our history that must be told. Bravo, Ms. Glasser.

As both a musician and anthropologist, I find this book helps fill a tremendous gap in the musical history of US Latinos, and Nuyoricans in particular. It is also an excellent example of how to conduct ethnomusicological research with concienza. I'm using it as a required in my MUSIC FOLKLORE course.

This book is everything other reviewers have said, and more. For it doesn't cover some encapsulated mono-ethnic phenomenon. Long before Diz, Puerto Ricans were a permanent part of mainstream jazz. They made up almost half JR Europe's WWI Hellfighters band, and were present in some of the most famous black swing bands (and you thought it was just Juan Tizol!) Moreover it was largely PR music and musicians who added to Cuban roots what turned them into US salsa. As anybody who has read my LATIN JAZZ knows, I couldn't have written parts of it without Glasser and I'm glad to acknowledge the fact publicly. JOHN STORM ROBERTS

Michelle Serro's has Evie in another fix, only this time she can't pick between the sexy ranch hand or her own man! When she is caught in a compromising position in the horse's stall all hell breaks loose. Can her boozy friend save her, does her heartbroken sister care, will her parents let her have the giant party she wants? Michelle holds no punches and delivers another delicious tale.
Pam Ward, author
WANT SOME GET SOME
BAD GIRLS BURN SLOW
www.pamwardwriter.com

Evie is living the high school dream: she's got a great family, super friends like Dee Dee and Raquel, and she's finally Alex's girl. It can only get better when her parents promise her a sixteenth birthday that will rock the school. However, there's a catch: if Evie's grades fall, the party is off!

Sabrina, Evie's seemingly perfect older sister, arrives home from college suddenly and won't leave her room. Raquel is out with boys every night and drinks booze like it's water. Dee Dee is longing for her boyfriend back in Mexico City and wants to move back there.

Evie tries her best to stay out of the drama in everyone's lives. It's not as easy it should be. Volunteering at a horse stable seems to be a great way to earn extra credit. It's hard for her to keep her mind on the horses instead of Arturo, the cute know-it-all who works his way into Evie's heart. Alex is preoccupied with catching the perfect wave, so what harm can a little flirting do?

Evie's got to figure it all out and come out without a scratch. Is it even possible? Why can't a girl just have fun?

SCANDALOSA is an enjoyable book set in the heart of California. Evie seemed like a spoiled little rich girl at first but she's got a caring heart. I liked the mix of Spanish and Mexican influence that was found throughout the book, too.

Reviewed by: hoopsielv

Get your boots on and prepare for the next adventura for Evie Gomez. The party of the year, Evie's sixteenera, is coming up but due to Evie's falling grades the fiesta is in jeopardy. To improve her grades Evie signs up for extra credit working with horses at a local horse farm. No flojos or cellphones allowed! Evie becomes confused between her new interest in Arturo, the ranchero, and her current amour, Alex.

Michele Serros has a fresh voice for all youth! Great read! Highly recommended! Great job Michele! What's next for Evie?

A very realistic portrayal of today's youth in anywhere U.S.A.,however,Evie Gomez and her pals (the Flojos) just happen to be of Mexican descent and live in California. Some parents might cringe with the coarse language and some of the subjects (alcoholism) dealt with,but if you want to know what the young person in your family has to deal with in the hallways of high (literally) school, pick up this book!

Scandalosa is a great follow up to Honey Blonde Chica! Evie, still very clever and adventorous. This time she gets to experience different emotions and situations. She finally is dating Alex but at the same time she likes someone else. Michele Serros keeps the readers enterntained with Evie's adventures and her relationships with her boyfriend and her best friends, Dee Dee and Raquel. This is a great book because it truly shows what a Latina growing up in the US goes through. I love knowing more about Evie Gomez, hopefully Ms. Serros would write a whole series on Evie... I would just keep on reading all the "escandalos" and "chismes". :)

My 2 year-old loves this book. She is able to turn the wheel and pick the correct animal. It's a fun book to learn with also. She is also able to say what each animal is. These are not your typical animals, so it's a good learning opportunity to introduce your child to different types of animals.

This sturdy board book has lots of colorful pages with Dora and her friends trying to find the matching baby for each animal. There is a little wheel on the right side of the book which your child turns to find the matching baby animal.

My two and a half year old has no problem at all finding each match, turning the wheel and then clapping happily at her discoveries!

It's fun to watch how easily she learns with DORA, not just with this book but all the Dora Board Books usually offer a fun way to educate your child in letters, counting, colors and shapes.

This one is a keeper in our child's library!

Anything to do with Dora is great. All her books are fun and educational in some aspect.

This brightly colored board book is larger than average and quite sturdy. In easy-to-read font, each page contains one or two sentences in English with the Spanish translation below it or on the opposite page. I took two years of Spanish in high school. So although I am not a native speaker, I attempted to read (and mispronounce!) the Spanish to my daughters. Only 12 pages in length, it serves as an introduction to the primary characters (Dora, Mami, Papi, Backpack, Map, Boots the Monkey, Tico the Squirrel, Benny the Bull, Isa the Iguana, and the ever-so-sneaky Swiper the Fox). Dora and Boots do not go on an actual quest. Thus this book may be too basic for the avid Dora explorer. Try one of the more adventurous books, such as Dora's Rainbow Surprise.

This is one of my daughter's favorite books. She's 15 months old and she has just started saying "Dota" every time she sees the book. She really enjoys the large pictures. She doesn't care for the TV show, but she's probably too little for cartoons now. I read this book to her every night before she goes to sleep and she just loves it. Oh, I only read this book to her in Spanish. She has plenty of English books, it's nice to have one that I can read to her in Spanish.

BTW, other Spanish books that I recommend are Boots and Clifford y la hora de dormir

Growing up in a violence-ridden housing project, sixteen-year-old Hector Robles kept his head to the ground. A studious boy, he was the last person anyone would expect to end up on the wrong side of a feud with the local gang. However, when his impulsive older bother sets his sights on Gloria, the neighborhood knockout and on-again, off-again girlfriend of Chava, leader of the Discípulos, that's exactly what happens.

Victim of his own impulsiveness, Hector gets caught in what seems to be a never ending cycle of violence. When he realizes that leaving El Paso is the only thing he can do to protect himself and his family, Hector agrees to go to Furman, a reform school one step away from a juvenile detention facility. The influence of the Discípulos is far-reaching and, even with the protections that Furman offers, Hector knows that he is not completely safe.

A coming of age story centered around finding inspiration in unexpected places, building internal discipline, and the importance of overcoming fear, Behind the Eyes charts Hector's rocky journey to manhood and self-knowledge. Throughout the novel, Stork juxtaposes the present with the recent past, allowing the reader to gain insight into Hector and the reason he is at Furman while Hector is struggling to understand his own part in what happened in El Paso.

Peopled with a vast array of fairly realistic characters, the novel explores the all-too-real struggles of children growing up in the inner city. However, while the story is interesting and compulsively readable, it lacks a sense of urgency. Despite being set both in the projects of El Paso and within a military-style reform school, Behind the Eyes fails to be as gritty as expected. Though this may be because the book is targeted to a young adult audience, one can't help feeling that the book has been somewhat sanitized. That being said, an unexpected ending does give the novel - and Hector's character - substance.

Reviewed by Preston Ward (age 14) for Reader Views (6/07)

This story takes place in the projects of El Paso, Texas, which is where our main character Hector had lived his 16-years of life. Hector was from a broken home; his father, who had died a few years earlier, was an alcoholic and was never happy with his life, and his brother Filiberto was headed down the same path. Troubles started up for Hector when his brother started to get mixed up in a gang, and he started to have a liking for the gang leaders' girl. When Hector himself became mixed up with this gang, The Discípulos, he is sent to Furman which is a school for students with a troubled past. He keeps to himself there, not trying to stir up trouble, getting through classes, just wanting to get out, and then El Topo arrives. Hector is almost sure he is a hit man sent by The Discípulos. The story starts here and Hector begins to realize what it takes to survive in this world.

The author, Francisco X. Stork, put together the story in what seemed a confusing way at first, not always giving you the details, and sometimes he would tell you everything that happened, before he told you what caused it. But in the end everything wrapped itself up very nicely and turned out to be great.

The story in "Behind the Eyes" is written for an older audience, due to very harsh language, and some of the things that the characters talk about, or do.

Behind the Eyes by Francisco X. Stork is a quick but thoughtful read, and a window into the difficulties that face adolescents, especially those living in housing projects. Behind the Eyes tells the story, in an flashback-filled fashion that builds suspense, of sixteen-year-old Hector Robles. Hector grew up in a housing project in El Paso, TX. He lives with his mother, older brother, and younger sister, his father having died a year earlier. Hector is a good student and even an altar boy, who has spent his years trying to stay out from under the radar of the local gang, the Discipulos. His older brother, Filiberto, is not so careful, however, and drags the family into trouble. The book begins in compelling fashion:

"Hector missed his brother's wake. He missed the funeral. Dr. Hernandez, the intern who treated him in the emergency room, had told him it would be at least a week before he could leave. The ear, the ribs, the spleen, all had to be evaluated. All needed stillness in order to begin to heal."

Though we don't know the details at first, it becomes clear that Hector has gotten himself into trouble over the matter of his brother's death. Both legal trouble and trouble with the Discipulos. A social worker offers him an out, one which he has little choice but to accept: admission/sentencing to Furman, a San Antonio school for troubled youths who are believed to have some chance of redemption.

Furman is a military school, one with locks and wire fences, filled with an array of juvenile delinquents. Hector has a rough start, but eventually finds himself learning from the teachers and the other students. He also encounters an unexpected enemy, and must use his new skills and friendships to save himself from disaster.

I liked Hector a lot. His reaction to his own intelligence is in some ways matter-of-fact - he just does better in school than other people. His family set him aside from an early age as the smart one, his parents learning English so that they could make sure he spoke English well, his father saving for him to go to college, working in a job that he didn't like to protect his younger son's future. And yet he has some ambivalence about the whole thing, too, about how differently things turned out for his brother, and about his responsibilities towards his mother and sister. And about fear and anger and courage.

Hector ends up learning his biggest lessons from a convicted murderer named Diaz, from whom he takes "Dumbells for the Mind" (an exercise and mediation class). Here is an excerpt, in which Diaz talks to Hector:

""For me, the way toward fearlessness was to go back over my life and look at the things I was afraid of. Not with blame or anger, but with the strength and calm concentration that the weight lifting had given me. The toughest part was facing the different ways I had been, was, and would always be a coward in one form or another."

Diaz's words shocked Hector at first. Then, after a moment, he felt the block of ice in his chest begin to melt."

Despite my different background from Hector's, Diaz's words gripped me, too. Struggling to figure out who you are and how best to use the resources that you are given are universal issues that face most adolescents (and adults, for that matter).

Francisco Stork was a Mexican immigrant who lived with his mother in a housing project in El Paso during his teen years. He was awarded a scholarship to a local Jesuit High School, and eventually received a full scholarship to a college in Alabama. I think that what makes this book work is the authenticity of Hector's interactions with his family, his peers, and his enemies. This book could have come across as preachy. There is, for example, a scene where the Furman kids go to visit a local prison, to see what things will be like for them if they don't straighten themselves out. This scene could have been moralistic, but wasn't. While I was reading it, I was mostly just thinking about the characters, and how they were reacting to the situation, not at all about the situation being lesson-based. Hector's two friends, the loquacious X-Lax and the stalwart but academically struggling Sanson, both feel completely real, and like people that I would like to meet.

I think that Behind the Eyes will appeal to kids looking for edgier stories, and will especially appeal to kids from Chicano and other immigrant families. There are many Spanish phrases sprinkled throughout the book, with no translation, but they are mostly clear from content, and are essential to the realism of the dialogue. If I was a librarian working with kids at risk from gangs, I would definitely hand them this title. And if I was working with any set of kids who could benefit from seeing a different perspective, I'd hand them this title, too.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on November 26, 2006.

A lovely book which is the perfect marriage of style with story. It is a young adult's book, yes, but that's to say Huck Finn is a young adult's book. It is, but there's something there for those of us who find young adulthood a fond memory. Hector, the main character comes of age in that he has aged quickly when his brother is killed and takes a sort of revenge that lands him in what used to be known as a reform school. But Hector is an individual, with brains, feelings, insights, and enormous powers of observation and that is the charm of this. To take someone that many of us would overlook on the streets or on the subways and show us that he can be complex, suffer pain, have decisions put upon him that are difficult to make and make them and make them in the right way is what makes this as much of an adult book as a young adult's book. Don't be fooled by the simple language, there was simple language in the Old Man and the Sea, wasn't there? So buy this and enjoy and appreciate Hectors everywhere struggling not to come of age, but to come out of themselves into a world that will age them too quickly.

Sixteen-year-old Hector Robles's life will never be the same again. Living his entire life in the projects of El Paso, Texas, he's always stayed away from the gangs--but his brother Filiberto brought an end to that. A little more than a year after the death of their father, Hector, Fili and their younger sister Aurora have a run-in with some members of the Discipulos. Hector would like to keep out of their way after that, as would Aurora, but Fili sets his sights on Gloria...Who just happens to be dating Chava, leader of the Discipulos.

Fili just can't let it go. His conflict with Chava escalates until one night, he ends up dead. In less than a year and a half, Hector has lost his older brother and his father. Even though it's not something he could have imagined himself doing, Hector goes after Chava.

Chava does more damage to Hector than Hector does to him, leaving Hector with various rather serious injuries, including the loss of his hearing in one ear. When he recovers, a social worker has some rather grave news for him: Chava wants him dead. The only way he can keep safe, as well as protect his mother and sister, is to leave town.

Mrs. Garzo, the social worker, tells him there's one good place for him to go now. He's charged with the aggravated assault of Chava, and there's a school in another city that accepts kids who have been in trouble with the law. There, he'll be safe from the Discipulos, he'll get a good education, and his mother and sister won't be involved with the gangs anymore. Hector makes a decision: he'll go to Furman.

There, he makes friends with a colorful cast of characters, and could maybe have a fresh start and a new life...If his past can ever stop following him.

BEHIND THE EYES is divided up into three parts. The first and last part deal with Hector's time after his brother's death, and the second part takes place before Fili's "accident." Francisco X. Stork tells the story of whatever is going on in each section of the book in the past tense, and flashbacks are in the present tense, which threw me a little at first, but I quickly got used to it. The non-chronological division of the book was also a little odd, but I did like the way it was divided, and, in the end, it made sense.

Stork is a brilliant writer, and BEHIND THE EYES is a page-turner. It's told in a fresh, captivating voice, and the story itself is a fascinating one. It was inspired by Stork's own time living in the projects of El Paso, and some of the Chicano teenagers he knew there. That Stork knows what he's writing really shows, and it adds an extra dimension to an already wonderful book. The characters are diverse, fascinating and believable, each one well-thought out and three-dimensional. It's a character-driven story, and a fantastic one. This is definitely one of my favorites of 2006.

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce