Latino Books

Latino Wisdom offers more than wisdom from high profile celebrities and newsmakers. It celebrates the human spirit through stories about resilience and reflection, passion and conviction, purpose and creativity. As a writer & journalist, I appreciate Cathy Areu's journalistic style in capturing the essence of successful and driven Latinos. Latino Wisdom is a treasury of inspirational stories that I'll be able to read over and over again.

You do not have to be Latino to be inspired by Latino Wisdom. In her introduction, Cathy Areu states the most important, fundamental theme of her book--Believe In Yourself. It's a theme that can apply to anyone, whether you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth or not. This theme crops up time and again in Areu's interviews with a variety of self-made successful people, everyone from actresses and singers to politicians, football players, and business men and women. Areu, herself, is a shining example of this principle. Her story, told in her inimitable, breezy style, is every bit as inspirational as those of the people she highlights. As she says, she wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but, applying the believe-in-yourself principles that are the theme of her book, today she's a successful author, magazine publisher--and much more.
Areu's writing is warm and conversational. In her interviews she conveys a sense of ease with her subjects so that their personalities-and hers-come across the page very naturally. Latino Wisdom isn't only inspirational; it's interesting and fun to read!

In a thoughtful series of interviews with famous Latinos and her own views on their varied accomplishments, Ms. Areu does a wonderful job of showing how true it is that success is in large part due to hard work and believing in yourself. From well-known celebrities to politicians to Ms. Areu herself, you are inspired by stories of how all of these people pursued their dreams and found success. A worthwhile read that will challenge you to reach for your own dreams!

I love books that make me want to be a better person -- books that offer inspiration by giving examples of what success looks like. LATINO WISDOM is one of those books. Ms. Areu has interviewed people that most of us think of as special, and showed that they are really like us. Successful people aren't that different, though the author identifies specific qualities that the interviewees share. These are qualities that most of us possess to some degree. So, by reading the tips and wisdom of others, those of us who are still seeking success now have many voices telling us that we can do it. This is a book I know I will read again and again any time I want to be inspired, or on days when I think I want to give up.

Latino Wisdom gave me great info and insight into the lives of successful people and how they became successful. Each chapter has inspirational nuggets, in the successful people's words, that I can use. And Cathy Areu's chapter introductions perfectly set the tone. I think this book is a great read for everyone looking to feel recharged.

I purchased this book for my 6 year old grandson. He is in kindergarten and his teacher uses a lot of Lois Elhert's books. We have purchased a lot of her books and I think his favorite is "Nuts to You". We had a lot of fun reading this book. He is just learning to read and we look forward to reading books when he visits, which is quite often. If you ask him who his favorite author is, he always says "Lois Elhert". He loves books and I know that I can always order them reasonably on Amazon.com.

Janie Conrad

The pictures flow, As do the words. It's full of fish, And frogs, and birds. A trip to market, From a farm. And all and all There's lots of charm.

My four-year-old daughter is fasinated by the simple rhyming text and bright folk art pictures of this book. I think younger children would likewise enjoy it. We also like to read all the countries of origin for the various folk art pieces at the back of the book.

MARKET DAY is a fun and unique picture book. The author collects folk art from around the world and folk art objects are what is used to make the book visually interesting. This picture book would be a nice read-a-loud for children under five.
A. D. Tarbox, author of ALREADY ASLEEP (fall 2006)

Ms. Ehlert collects different types of handmade folk art from all over the world. In this collection, she has arranged items as varied as ice fishing decoys from the United States and beaded dolls from Africa to create a collage to illustrate this fun, colorful story.

It's market day, so let's feed the animals, pack up the veggies and the things to sell, and head on out to the market!! Along the way, we'll pass colorful birds and even snakes sunning themselves in the grass. We'll stay all day until the sun goes down and then head back home with all the wonderful things we've bought. Told in rhyme, "Market Day" is a colorful story with a lot of energy to it. A blue bull doll from Africa carries a giant carrot to market alongside a row of papier-mache turnips from the United States. A hand-carved cart with people from Mexico joins the procession, along with other art from Central America.

While she is perhaps best known for her illustration of the famous children's book, "Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom", Ms. Ehlert has written and illustrated many other books as well. All have her distinctive cut-paper or photograph style to them, but I would rank "Market Day" as one of my favorites by her. In a world where very FEW things are made by hand, "Market Day" is a welcome reminder of the fine art of everyday. Highly recommended!

All his stories are written from his soul. They always have been. I wish that I could have taken the pain away from his childhood. I'm glad that I have known him. I wish him much success in all he does. I knew he was a great writer. I'm glad others are seeing how good he is now!

Nobody's Son: Notes From An American Life by Luis Alberto Urrea (who teaches creative writing at the University of Illinois, Chicago) is the deeply personal memoir of an American born to a Mexican father and an Anglo mother. Recounting a childhood thrust in the middle of different cultures and languages, Nobody's Son is about the search for balance, about coping with division and borders, and about the pain as well as the joy of being multicultural. Nobody's Son is a candid, engaging, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and very highly recommended autobiography.

From multinational beginnings impossibly diverse, Urrea leads us on a journey that explores how he became what he is, an American writer of the first order. Sometimes poignant, sometimes hilarious, always heartfelt, it is a wonderful journey for the reader. Before he can write from the heart, an author must first know his heart. Luis Urrea knows his, and shares it with us beautifully.

Luis Urrea is the John Steinbeck of the border, offering a nostelgic, heartfelt, first-person experience of what it is like to grow up in two cultures, two cities (Tijuana and San Diego) and two worlds. He writes with passion, heart, and a gift for words in two languages.

Luis Alberto Urrea is among the finest living writers. He has written about the border in three books. Nobody's Son is the latest. But he is not regional, not limited to a single geographic area. In Nobody's Son he moves from Tijuana and San Diego, to the Southwest, and further north to the high plains, in what amounts to a continuing journey. A journey across the land, through memory, in exploration of spirit. Urrea's story is uniquely American--the child of a Waspy, Wonder Bread white mother and a muy macho! Mexicano father, his is the story of those differences that divide us and yet hold us inevitably together. He is America's best kept secret, its soul.

My 3 y/o loves this book! It made me happy when she told me one day, "Mom I have to go to the bagno!" The rhyming story is great with a spanish word at the end of the line!

When we got this book, I thought that it was a cute book and nice the way they had both Spanish and English in the story, but when we brought it home our children just loved it!!! I would recommend this story to anyone it was fun to read to the kids and they enjoyed it as well.

I'm a elementary school librarian and happened to pick this book up in the bargain bin at a discount bookstore. What a great find! I read it to my 1-3 grade classes and they LOVED it. English learners love that there is some spanish and English speakers liked learning a little spanish. That the spanish rhymes is a big plus. Of course, most kids can completely relate to being on a car trip and suddenly having to go to "el bano".

A humorous story about a young girl who has to go to the bathroom "rapido". They are riding in the car and the daughter announces that she needs a bathroom. The story brings the car and the parents through town, in search of "un bano". One of the huge attractions of this story is the fact that it is a K-3 book with stores, buildings, colors, and common greetings which are all written in Spanish. Because it rhymes we are able to determine the pronunciation of most of the words: because of the paintings and context clues, we are able to determine the meanings of the Spanish words. The glossary and pronunciation guide contains spelling and translations of fifty-two words and phrases.

This picture book will be a marvelous addition to the bi-lingual classroom. Children who speak or read Spanish will be able to explain greetings, colors and familiar buildings to their English speaking classmates. English speaking children will learn some Spanish and empathy for their ESL friends. The watercolor pictures in the book feature the parents in the front seat and the small girl in the back seat. There are single and double-page spreads, pictures of the girl bordered in flowers and colors. The street scene with buildings labeled in Spanish paints their red car angularly, in the middle of the street, to indicate it does not know which way to go. The double paged line at the bathroom appears interminable with strollers, grandmothers, infants, teens and women of color and diversity. Cut ending!

This is a cute book that my six year old son and I got a good laugh from and had to reread immediately. It introduces some basic Spanish words and phrases in rhyme. The pictures are bright and colorful. An easy, fun read.

Orange Candy Slices and Other Secret Tales is a collection of short vinettes gathered from the innocent and selective viewpoint of a child. It is an exploration of events, folklore and idiosyncracies of the border town hispanic culture. One of the tales, for example, reveals the belief in a curandera with an egg who takes an "evil eye curse" away from a girl. Another explores the miraculous healings and miricles of the Vigin. Each story is interesting in its own right. Together, they make up a patchwork quilt of the culture. Viola Canales is an inspiration for others to keep their heritage by writing. I highly recommend this book for teenagers to adults.

These stories crackle with wit. Written cleanly, with no excess verbiage, this book grabbed me and led me to a place I'd like to know. The skill of the author impresses me, suggesting as it does an intelligent perspective on spirituality, America, individuality, and social alienation. The flavor of a Texas I have not seen stirred my curiosity, while references to the Virgin Mary resonated with my own sense of wonder. As a worthwhile distraction from life's little blisters, I have already recommended these stories to friends.

I really enjoyed Orange Candy Slices. The stories all take place in what was an exotic location to me -- the Rio Grande Valley of Texas -- but they have that rare blend of acute detail that makes you feel you know a faraway place and universal appeal. For example, "The Tiny Bubble," about a girl finding out about puberty, combines the mysticism of a very different culture with details from the movies our elementary school showed us in fifth grade. Perhaps my favorite stories are "The Flamingoes," "The Magi," and "The Cafe" because of the way they show the relationship between the narrators and their grandparents. They remind us of how magical the everyday relationship between grandparents and grandchildren can be. If you've had that sort of bond, these stories will make you remember episodes of your own; if you haven't, they'll teach you something wonderful and new.

A superb collection of short stories that capture the essence of the Hispanic culture. The author does an exceptional job in bringing these traditions to all your senses. One can taste the bread in The Panaderia, feel the prickly thorns in Nopalitos, see the vibrant colored houses in The Bubble Gum Pink House, smell the aroma of cafe de olla in The Carousel and hear the girl's dancing feet in The Polka Dot Dress. I can't wait for her next book!

What a great book! It paints Hispanic life in the Rio Grande Valley from the viewpoint of a child. What would ordinarily appear strange to an outsider becomes natural and mystical through the narrator's eyes. This doubleness of vision makes the stories remarkable indeed. They led me into a culture very different from my own--one where everyday life is governed by different rhythms and different values. Family and community anchor all. And in the simple rituals of food and of death, joy and reaffirmation of life is found.

This book is great. It is a nice story that also teaches children about migrant farm workers. I love reading it.

I really enjoyed this well-written story about migrant workers going from place to place to pick crops. Instead of being isolated, the young man in the story listens to the Spanish-speaking stations wherever he goes and the radio gives him a sense of connection to his friends. It reminds me of the power of the radio stations across Mexico, especially San Miguel de Allende, where a tourist lost all his money by dropping his wallet and within minutes someone found it and took it to the radio station. He cried when he got his money back--all of it.

Radio Man is a book that as a teacher, I can't wait to use in my classroom. So often, students do not understand what it is like to live the life of a migrant worker. Using Artur Dorros' story as a road map, one can bring to light and discuss with children many issues that afect the migrant workers. Why do they always move? Where do they live? What happens to their friends? Why do kids have to work? Questions such as this might arise as you read the book with your child. I feel it is a great book because it allows you to expose your children to a part of life that is not discussed very often but definitely afects the Latino population.

A touching story. Everytime I tell this story (I am a storyteller) when I visit schools, I get comments from the teachers and the students. A little fourth grader came up to me her eyes shinning with pride and a big smile and said: "I am one of them, I pick cucumbers and tomatoes in Ohio." Teachers, and even a principal, have come to me with tears in their eyes and said: "That was me, thank you for the story." It is a great book to share with students, to give a voice to the migrants who do so much for us, who pick the crops all over the United States so we can then enjoy them!

In a family of migrant farm workers, Diego's life is different than that of other children, as his parents, brothers and sisters travel all over the southwestern states picking crops. Known by his friends as "Radio Man", Diego is never without the radio, the voice of the announcer trumpeting the states they pass through, the weather and the news. Diego's radio his constant companion, it is a reminder of where they have been and where they are going, repeating the familiar names of towns along the way, from Texas to Arizona to California, even to Washington, where the apple season is ripe for the picking.

In Texas, Diego becomes friends with David, but the boys know they may not meet again for a long time. While he sees cousins in other worker camps, Diego is disappointed when he fails to find David among the familiar faces. One day, when the radio announcer urges listeners to call in with messages, Diego has a brilliant idea: he calls the station and sends a message to David, "Are you there?" Happily, David is listening to the radio that day and answers his friend's call.

Written in English and Spanish, the story accentuates the very different world of migrant farm workers, where friendships are often difficult to maintain as families move from place to place earning a living. But thanks to his radio, Diego is able to locate David again, thrilled that his message is heard by the very person for which it was intended. Although the bilingual format isn't as user-friendly in the English as the Spanish, the story is poignant and instructive, a rare peek behind the many faces of our society, revealing the everyday concerns of a young boy searching for his friend. Luan Gaines/2006.

The so-called El Paso Salt War is one of those important events seemingly forgotten in the swirls of history. Yet it is a tale that ripples through Anglo and Mexican relations to this day.

Undoubtedly, one of the reasons this chapter has gone relatively lost is the complexity of the story. It involves hundreds of people, many with backstories vital to understanding what happened and why. There are numerous shades of grey and nuances that demand a subtlety beyond the scope of most researchers and writers.

But not Paul Cool.

Years of intense study and investigation provided him insights previously undiscovered. Moreover, Paul has been able to take this huge amount of information and present it in an easy to understand, intelligent yet compelling book. His talent is a gift to the reader.

And make no mistake--Salt Warriors is a grand tale of greed, ego, ethnic and cultural hatred, duplicitous behavior and violence that no novelist could have come up with. If this were fiction, readers would dismiss it as a flight of fancy. But it's dead-on history. It really happened. And it impacts current border relations.

Paul Cool has done an incredible job of revealing the people and events of the Salt War, and of bringing them to life for the modern audience. This is a must for the library of any Old West history fan.

Salt Warriors is both a work of scholarship and a terrific read, one of those rare history books that is willing to consider the past on its own terms while reevaluating it in the light of the present. The best book on Old West history published so far this year.

The Salt War is one of those subjects that we have often heard without understanding its significance. Cool gives us an opportunity to catch up in a hurry. This book should appeal not merely to lovers of Old West history but to those who want to understand how it connects to the politics of our own time.

I have just finished reading Paul Cool's first book, Salt Warriors. The story of the Salt War in El Paso in 1877 is a complex saga of politics, greed and personal conflicts and Cool has done a wonderful job detailing the events and the combatants. He has exhausted every possible source in the search for new and expanded details on the conflict. In doing so, he has managed to deliver a very balanced account of the trouble. In particular, the author has used his outlaw/lawman research experience to help provide greater detail on all the participants. The result is a triumph of research and writing, that stands above previous works on the subject. Cool's ability to unlock background details of the key players allows for a greater appreciation of the motives of both sides and thereby engages the reader in the events. Salt Warriors is a great read and a truly important historical work, written by a gifted author and indefatigable researcher. Congratulations Paul Cool. The book was long overdue but worth the wait.

Although not as resonant in American borderland history as the Alamo or San Jacinto, the El Paso Salt War left a lasting imprint in Anglo-Hispanic relations, especially in western Texas and New Mexico. With this first full-length study of the Paseño insurrection in El Paso and environs, borderlands historian Paul Cool has advanced both our knowledge of history and our understanding of the roots of present-day borderland issues. Cool, with prodigious research and use of a myriad of untapped primary source material, has shed new light on this 1877 insurgency that saw murderous clashes between Mexican-Americans, known as Paseños, and newly arrived Anglo-Americans.

Hispanic settlers had apparently been communally utilizing and selling nearby salt deposits as a cash crop for generations. With the coming of Anglos and a differing concept of resource ownership, a culture clash and an ensuing clash of arms was inevitable. Paseños thought the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo guaranteed their unfettered access to the salt even as the region was ceded by Mexico to the U.S., but the Anglo-dominated Texas legislature had other notions. Mix in the personal tragedy of putative manager of the salt lakes and provocateur of Paseños, Charles H. Howard, his angst explained by Cool's insightful analysis of his humiliation and his southern notions of honor and gratitude, and the triumph of violence over diplomacy was unavoidable. And triumph it did, for three deadly months.

Neither institutions nor individuals come off particularly well- the Texas Rangers, the U. S. Army, local law officers, the main protagonists or antagonists- although the author probes the motives and depths of each and makes it all compelling. Most on the Anglo side are incompetent or craven to one degree or another, several are plain cowardly. Others, notably a Silver City contingent of hardcases masquerading as a peace force, led by Dan Tucker and John Kinney and including killer Jim McDaniels, are worse, functioning as little more than a gang of robbers, rapists and murderers. An especially valuable section for the reader's closure is a follow-up on the key participants in the Salt War drama, tracing their later, post-insurrection, years, often with poignancy.

This overdue study is beautifully written, and is a significant achievement in the scholarship of southwestern history.

The best book about the war over the salt flats just west of the Guadalupe Mountains in West Texas.

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". :)

Evie Gomez is older and wiser, and so is the writing in Michele Serros's second entry into the young adult fiction genre. That being said, the writing is as fresh as ever in category often plagued with one dimensional stereotypes that insult the intelligence of an increasingly sophisticated young audience. This time around characters deal with topics such as drug addition, love, loss, and oddly enough, horse rearing. The topics and themes are mainstream enough to be accessible to most readers, while giving Mexican and Mexican American audiences a fresh prospective on what it really means to be American, as one character struggles with her decision to return to Mexico. These more dramatic moments are balanced by the whit and humor of Serros, who shows once again that she cares not only for her characters, but her audience by creating realistic characters that reflect their lives. The writing remains entertaining as always, but also insightful, and by the end of the story the reader will feel like a member of the "Flojos crew."
An excellent read and follow up to "Honey Blond Chica"! Be sure to check it out!

It is a shame that Amazon.com has to put on-line the review by Kirkus. I don't know who wrote it--he didn't sign his name--but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a jealous, inferior writer lashing out with his tiny pen.

The shame is this: Wandering Time is a fine book. A great book. One of the best books I have read. Urrea's language has a music all its own. That's as clear as I can say it. He knows the word-music, the secret combination that strings the right sounds together in the right order--turns the language into something better, something sweeter than it is for the rets of us, something delicious.

The Kirkus review sounds an awful lot like what they said about Mozart. In that regard it is appropriate. But in no other way.

Luis writes from his soul; he is a wonderful person and it shows in his work. Kirkus doesn't know what he/she's talking about...Luis is one of the world's greatest writers, and one of my favorite people. I hope he's happy and well. I am, Nicolina

This little book fell off the bookstore shelf in front of me while I was browsing so I knew it was meant for me to buy and read. It was also the first time I felt so inspired to write to the author to say how much his writing moved me. The book tells of his travels around the Western US while trying to find direction in his life but it is really a heart to heart talk with the reader. You will feel like you have an author for a best friend and you will never forget the beauty of how he puts his words together.

This American poet writer delivers songs in sentences and has a singular voice that calls out to you long after the book is lost on the shelf. His words don't just stay with you, but the spirit of a decent man does too. An engaging, funny, reflective, lyrical read.

I knew Luis and the other half of this "troubled marriage" (Kirkus Review) that ended. She left, he fell apart, she fell apart. But that was seven years ago! He's remarried and she has a two year-old by someone else! This is one of the great writers of our time; surely he can find something more interesting to think and write about. P.S. where do you want me to send your dad's records???

janice levy's words made me laugh and cry as I thought of my own relationship with my grandfather when I was a child. She perfectly captures the ambivalant feelings of not knowing your grandfather, of being uneasy and anxious, yet still being curious - just who is this guy who "cuts himself shaving and sticks little pieces of tissue all over his face" and "smells like green library soap or sometimes like fried bananas?" Read this book to your children and to your grandchildren. Expect to receive a hug and kiss when you've finished. Sit back and enjoy!

This charming picture book is about a young girl who hates to visit her grandpa. But one day, when her mother leaves her with him, the girl learns that her grandpa can make delicious tortillas and is quite an artist. This sweet book, filled with vibrant illustration would make a good read-aloud for any child.

Everyone can relate to the little girl who doesn't like to visit her grandfather. "My grandfather ruins my day! I don't like to look at him. Water leaks out of his eyes." I followed with interest as the girl's curiosity leads her to get to know the real Abuelito. "Abuelito gave me a necklace and the santos switched places and I can count in Spanish and guess what? Abuelito eats with his fingers and so do I." The story is warm and caring; the pictures are lovely and realistically portray the range of emotions the girl and her grandfather go through. A good book for teachers to keep in their classroom libraries. I plan on giving it as a gift.

According to Tina, her grandfather is different. Abuelito doesn't speak English, his hands are rough and gnarled from cutting sugar cane, and he doesn't drive. And horrors, he eats with his fingers. Later, Tina's attitude changes as she looks at old photographs of her dead grandmother. She finds that she and her grandfather share a talent for art. They make tortillas- from scratch- and eat them with their fingers. By day's end, they have started on a journey of friendship. Words and pictures are framed in a lovely design of seemingly old photograph-album pages with deckle edges. An interesting addition to intergenerational collections.