Dear Primo, A Letter to My Cousin

Dear Primo, A Letter to My Cousin

Written and Illustrated by: Duncan Tonatiuh

Elementary Grades

**2011 Pura Belpre Honor Book**

"From first-time Mexican author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh comes the story of two cousins, one in America and one in Mexico, and how their daily lives are different yet similar. Charlie takes the subway to school; Carlitos rides his bike. Charlie plays in fallen leaves; Carlitos plays among the local cacti. Dear Primo covers the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of two very different childhoods, while also emphasizing how alike Charlie and Carlitos are at heart. Spanish words are scattered among the English text, providing a wonderful way to introduce the language and culture of Mexico to young children. Inspired by the ancient art of the Mixtecs and other cultures of Mexico, Tonatiuh incorporates their stylized forms into his own artwork."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://duncantonatiuh.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/dear-primo/

Fiesta Babies

Fiesta Babies

Written by: Carmen Taffola
Illustrated by: Amy Cordova

Early Elementary Grades

**2011 Pura Belpre Honor Book**

This is a fun book for young elementary students who learn all about celebrations and holidays celebrated in Hispanic culture. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout the book giving teachers an opportunity to use this as a language building and vocabulary exercise as well as a great cultural read.

Jennie's Review

Online Resources:
http://www.carmentafolla.com/

Ole! Flamenco

Ole! Flamenco

Written and Illustrated by: George Ancona

**2011 Pura Belpre Honor Book**

Elementary Grades

"FLAMENCO-it's dancing, it's singing, it's guitar playing! It's a way of expressing oneself that has evolved from many influences over hundreds of years. Today flamenco is practiced throughout the world and all across the United States. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, we meet Janira Cordova, the youngest member of a company studying to perform flamenco. Here the students learn the tools of their art-how to move their hands, arms, bodies, and feet to the traditional rhythms of the music and songs. Each aspect of flamenco is explored in detail. The origins of the art form are also explained, which draw upon the musical traditions of Indian, Arab, and North African cultures, among others. Janira's flamenco has progressed well, and at Santa Fe's annual Spanish Market in July, she finally has a chance to join the older dancers and perform in the town plaza. With colorful, action-packed photographs and accessible text, readers are sure to feel Janira's excitement and catch flamenco fever. ¡Olé!"

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.leeandlow.com/books/388/hc/ole_flamenco

Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino in the United States

Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino in the United States

Written by: Lori Carlson

Junior High and High School Grades

"Carlson follows up Cool Salsa (1994) with another bilingual collection of poems that appear in both Spanish and English. Included are many well-known writers, such as Gary Soto and Luis J. Rodriguez, who appeared in the first volume, as well as emerging poets. Divided into loose categories--language, identity, neighborhoods, amor, family moments, "victory"--the poems often speak about the complex challenges of being bicultural."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2005/09/author-interview-lori-m-carlson-on-red.html

Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States

Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States

Written by: Lori Carlson

Junior High and High School Grades

"As hot as jalapenos and as cool as jazz, this collection serves up "ingles con chile" and Spanish that "you feel in the blood of your soul." Lyrical, traditional poems share space with street-smart free verse, and works by the likes of Sandra Cisneros and Gary Soto are juxtaposed with entries from lesser-knowns. Illustrating the "beat and pulse" of generations of U.S. writers of Latin American heritage, the poems are presented both in the original and in translation; poems making use of both languages are easily accessible to English-only readers by virtue of an appended glossary of Spanish terms."

Publishers Weekly Review

Online Resources:
http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2005/09/author-interview-lori-m-carlson-on-red.html

Return to Sender

Return to Sender

Written by: Julia Alvarez

Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades

"Sixth-grader Tyler Paquette lives in a dairy-farming community in Vermont. His father was injured in a tractor accident and must now turn to undocumented Mexican laborers to run the farm. Thus, a trailer on the property soon becomes home to the Cruz family sixth-grader Mari, her two younger sisters, father, and two uncles, all needing work to survive and living with fear of la migra. They have had no word on Mari's mother, missing now for several months. Tyler and Mari share an interest in stargazing, and their extended families grow close over the course of one year with holiday celebrations and shared gatherings. Third-person chapters about Tyler alternate with Mari's lengthy, unmailed letters to her mother and diary entries. Touches of folksy humor surface in the mismatched romance of Tyler's widowed Grandma and cranky Mr. Rossetti.

When "coyotes" contact Mr. Cruz and set terms for his wife's freedom, Tyler secretly loans the man his savings, then renegotiates a promised birthday trip in order to accompany Mari to North Carolina to help rescue her abused mother. When immigration agents finally raid the farm and imprison both Cruz parents, it signals an end to the "el norte" partnership, but not the human connections. This timely novel, torn right from the newspaper headlines, conveys a positive message of cooperation and understanding."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://return-to-sender.juliaalvarez.com/

My Land Sings: Stories from the Rio Grande

My Land Sings: Stories from the Rio Grande

Written by: Rudolfo Anaya
Illustrated by: Amy Cordova

Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades

"This collection of stories has elements of both Mexican and Native American folklore. Anaya has included five of his own stories and retold and enhanced five traditional tales. Filled with ghosts, devils, and tricksters, these cuentos are suffused with the beliefs of the peoples in the Rio Grande region. Because of the predominating Roman Catholicism of those who settled the area, the pieces have strong elements of that religion in them as well. The tales are divided into categories such as rogues and rascals, enchantment, animals, and riddles; some are humorous, while others teach a lesson. The latter is represented by the author's story "Sipa's Choice," in which a young leader and his people are metamorphosed into golden carp because the young man failed to respect the traditional ways of his father. Anaya champions the reading of a good book or listening to a folktale as an opportunity to insert one's own experiences into the story and, hence, to nurture the imagination. This appealing volume will add diversity to folklore collections."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/chh/bio/anaya_r.htm

Downtown Boy

Downtown Boy

Written by: Juan Felipe Herrera

Junior High and High School Grades

"Juanito Paloma, his mother Lucha, and his elderly father Felipe, are a tiny family who, after years of working in the fields of California's Central Valley, move to San Francisco's Latin Mission District to live with relatives. Juanito longs to be in one place, rather than "going, going, going," and pines for the love of his often-absent father. This family story of growing up Latino will resonate with readers of all backgrounds."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3035
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/books/review/Burt2-t.html?_r=2&oref=slogin

My Very Own Room/Mi propio cuartito

My Very Own Room/Mi propio cuartito

Written by: Amada Irma Perez
Illustrated by:

Elementary Grades

"I woke up one morning in a crowded bed in a crowded room," begins this warm bilingual story of a young Mexican American girl's search for her own space in an overflowing house. Because the eight-year-old narrator shares a room with five brothers, she climbs trees to find quiet and longs for a room of her own. Behind a flour-sack curtain, she finds a storage closet with possibilities: "I imagined it with my own bed, table, and lamp--a place where I could read the books I loved, write in my diary, and dream." Working together "like a mighty team of powerful ants," the family moves the closet's contents to the back porch and helps the girl create her own room. The naive-style, tropical-colored paintings, reminiscent in places of mural art, illustrate the frustrations of too-little space, the tenderness between the girl and her mother, and the family's loving resourcefulness within the cheerful chaos. An excellent choice for libraries in Hispanic and migrant communities, this book will resonate with all young ones growing up with limited space and resources."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://www.amadairmaperez.com/

Jose! Born to Dance: The Story of Jose Limon

Jose! Born to Dance: The Story of Jose Limon

Written by: Susanna Reich
Illustrated by: Raul Colon

Elementary Grades

"This picture-book biography tells the story of Jose Limon, who became a legendary figure in the history of American dance. Reich punctuates the scenes of Limon's childhood in Mexico with sensory details, especially sounds: the "TRILLIA-WEET! TRILLIA-WEET!" of his grandmother's canary singing; the clicking heels of flamenco dancers; the cries of "Ole! Ole! Ole!" at the bullfight; and his mama's bedtime lullaby: "SORA-SORA-SO, SORA-SO." Later, Reich shows how the rhythmic sounds from Limon's childhood became inspirations for movements expressed in his dance.

When civil war in Mexico leads to fighting in the streets of their town, Linon's family flees to the U.S. In elementary school, laughter at his poor English fires his determination to succeed. As an adult, he moves to New York City, discovers his passion for dance, and works hard to become a dancer and choreographer. Sensitively written and beautifully illustrated, this picture book offers a soaring portrayal of achievement."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://www.susannareich.com/

That's Not Fair! / No Es Justo!: Emma Tenayuca's Struggle for Justice/La lucha de Emma Tenayuca por la justicia

That's Not Fair! / No Es Justo!: Emma Tenayuca's Struggle for Justice/La lucha de Emma Tenayuca por la justicia

Written by: Carmen Tafolla and Sharyll Teneyuca
Illustrated by: Terry Ybanez

Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades

"This handsome picture-book biography in English and Spanish relates the struggle of Mexican American farmworkers in the early twentieth century through the perspectiive of Emma Tenayuca, who became a labor activist. Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, in the early twentieth century, Tenayuca was shocked by the gross inequality around her, comparing her comfortable home to the extreme poverty of the many families of factory and farmworkers. As a smart, kind teenager, she spoke in public about the plight of the pecan shellers in the factories, and at 21, in 1938, she led 12,000 workers in a strike that forced factory owners to raise wages. Co-authored by the late Tenayuca’s niece and one of the activist’s friends, the story is heavy on exclamatory messages. Yet the stirring, unfamiliar chapter in labor history and the humanitarian efforts of Tenayuca herself will intrigue children, who will also like the bold, mural-like illustrations, which show a child confronting suffering and growing up to make a difference."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://www.houstonculture.org/hispanic/tenayuca.html

The Holy Tortilla and a Pot of Beans

The Holy Tortilla and a Pot of Beans

High School Grades

Written by: Carmen Tafolla

"Readers will be rewarded by the wisdom, wit, and hope in these 16 short stories. The selections range from the mystical appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe in "The Holy Tortilla" to the haunting yet empowering story of a victim in "The Stuff to Scream With." Other stories include the importance and power of cultural heritage in "Inheritance"; a frisky housewife and doubting husband in "Federico and Elfiria"; and the strong sense of community in "Black Leather Lu." What all of these stories have in common is the optimism that comes from taking emotional risks and forming relationships with family, friends, and community. Most of them take place in San Antonio and are peppered with Spanish words and phrases, giving the stories an authentic feeling of place. A well-organized glossary is provided. This collection will be sought after by both teens and teachers looking for strong characters and an eloquent voice in Chicana literature."

School Library Journal Review

Online resources:
http://www.wingspress.com/book.cfm/91/The-Holy-Tortilla-and-a-Pot-of-Beans/Carmen-Tafolla/

The Days of the Dead (Los Dias de Muertos): Mexico's Festival of Communion with the Departed (un Festival de Comunion con los Muertos en Mexico)

The Days of the Dead (Los Dias de Muertos): Mexico's Festival of Communion with the Departed (un Festival de Comunion con los Muertos en Mexico)

Written by: John Greenleigh

Junior High and High School Grades

"This book offers a remarkable look at Mexico's traditional holiday honoring departed ancestors, friends, and family. Each aspect of the multiday festival is carefully explored: the journey to the cemeteries to spruce up neglected gravesites, the lively marketplace selling breads and candies in the shapes of skulls and skeletons, the peaceful vigil as friends and families crowd the cemeteries to await the arrival of their loved ones through the long night.

San Francisco-based photographer John Greenleigh traveled to small towns in Mexico in four different years to document this extraordinary festival. Accompanied by evocative text by cultural scholar Rosalind Rosoff Beimler, the pictures speak eloquently to a ritual that is at once mocking and respectful of death---and ultimately affirming of human life."

Publishers Synopsis

Web Resources:
http://latino.si.edu/DayoftheDead/

Skulls to the Living, Bread to the Dead: The Day of the Dead in Mexico and Beyond

Skulls to the Living, Bread to the Dead: The Day of the Dead in Mexico and Beyond

Written by: Stanley Brandes

Junior High and High School Grades

"Each October, as the Day of the Dead draws near, Mexican markets overflow with decorated breads, fanciful paper cutouts, and whimsical toy skulls and skeletons. To honor deceased relatives, Mexicans decorate graves and erect home altars. Drawing on a rich array of historical and ethnographic evidence, this volume reveals the origin and changing character of this celebrated holiday. It explores the emergence of the Day of the Dead as a symbol of Mexican and Mexican-American national identity.

Skulls to the Living, Bread to the Dead poses a serious challenge to the widespread stereotype of the morbid Mexican, unafraid of death, and obsessed with dying. In fact, the Day of the Dead, as shown here, is a powerful affirmation of life and creativity. Beautifully illustrated, this book is essential for anyone interested in Mexican culture, art, and folklore, as well as contemporary globalization and identity formation."

Publishers Synopsis

Web Resources:
http://latino.si.edu/DayoftheDead/

The Skeleton at the Feast: The Day of the Dead in Mexico

The Skeleton at the Feast: The Day of the Dead in Mexico

Written by: Elizabeth Carmichael and Chloe Sayer

Junior High and High School Grades

"All over Mexico, early in November, families gather to welcome the souls of the dead on their annual visit home. The smells of burning copal incense and pungent cempasúchil (marigolds) mingle with the aromas of fresh bread, new clothing, sweets, and candles. One of Mexico's most important festivals since prehispanic times, the Day of the Dead is an occasion for celebrating and feasting, cleaning and decorating graves, dancing and making music. In this unique work, the authors explore both the historic origins of this holiday and its colorful present-day celebrations in Mexico and the United States. Interviews with Mexican artists and crafters who provide goods for the festival--from personalized sugar skulls to gigantic papier-mâché skeletons--offer a fascinating glimpse into traditional and contemporary attitudes toward death and the dead. Lavishly illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs, The Skeleton at the Feast will be required reading for all who are interested in Mexican culture, art, and folklore."

Publishers Synopsis

Web Resources:
http://latino.si.edu/DayoftheDead/

Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book

Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book

Written and Illustrated by: Jeanette Winter

Elementary Grades

"Every year Don Pedro and his family make papier-mache skeletons, or calaveras, for Mexico's Day of the Dead fiesta. From Angel and Doctor to Mariachi and Unicornio, each letter of the alphabet has its own special calavera.

Come dance with them in this unusual ABC book inspired by a real Mexican family of artists and the many colorful folk-art traditions surrounding the celebration of the Day of the Dead.

Includes a glossary of Spanish words and an author's note."

Publishers Synopsis

Web Resources:
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/articles/dead-education.html

Clatter Bash! A Day of the Dead Celebration

Clatter Bash! A Day of the Dead Celebration

Written and Illustrated by: Richard Keep

Elementary Grades

"A Day of the Dead Celebration by Richard Keep honors both the memorial and festive aspects of this Mexican holiday. Cut-paper collages, accented with paints and markers show impeccably dressed skeletons feasting and chasing butterflies as night falls. "Swirl-twirl/ Cha-cha-cha/ Boom!/ Clatter Bash!" appears beneath a spread of fireworks exploding over bony dancers and sombrero-clad skeletons playing music. A more formal explanation of the holiday's traditions concludes the fiesta-bright volume."

Publishers Weekly Review

Online Resources:
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/articles/dead-education.html

Sammy and Juliana Go to Hollywood

Sammy and Juliana Go to Hollywood

Written by: Benjamin Alire Saenz

High School Grades

**this book contains strong language**

"Sammy Santos–responsible, bright, and self-contained–grows up in the Hollywood barrio of Las Cruces, NM, during the last half of the 1960s. Sáenz provides the Mexican-American teen with a voice that is genuine and compelling, realistic in its limitations and nuances as he comes to grips with the death of Juliana, his first love, and the increasingly complex demands and needs of his remaining friends, as well as of his family and neighbors. Subplots involve the role of the Church in the barrio, the movement from authoritarian school administrations to the loosening of rules during the Vietnam War period, the realistic portrayal of what happened to too many gay teens during this period (and continues to happen today), the effects of the draft on poor young men of color, the roles adopted by individual teens as they mature within a community's social order, and family ties that require people to choose sometimes for themselves and sometimes for others in the family.

Sáenz works through all this material neatly and so effectively that Sammy deserves to become a character of lasting interest to both casual readers and literature classes. Expletives appear throughout as do large helpings of Spanish, without italics and not always with English echoed afterward, in perfect keeping both with Sammy's world and his self-perception. His hopes and plans for a better life, beyond the hold of Hollywood are poignant and palpable. This is a powerful and authentic look at a community's aspirations and the tragic losses that result from shattered dreams."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:
http://www.cincopuntos.com/teacher_resources.sstg
**Scroll down this page until you see the title Sammy and Juliana Go to Hollywood and then click on "this guide" for a great pdf guide you can use for this book.

The Day It Snowed Tortillas / El Dia Que Nevaron Tortillas, Folktales told in Spanish and English

The Day It Snowed Tortillas / El Dia Que Nevaron Tortillas, Folktales told in Spanish and English

Written by: Joe Hayes
Illustrated by: Antonio Castro Lopez

Elementary Grades

"Storytellers have been telling these stories in the villages of New Mexico since the Spanish first came to the New World over four hundred years ago, but Joe always adds his own nuances for modern audiences. The tales are full of magic and fun. In the title story, for instance, a very clever woman saves her silly husband from a band of robbers. She makes the old man believe it snowed tortillas during the night! In another story, a young boy gladly gives up all of his wages for good advice. His parents think he is a fool, but the good advice leads to wealth and a royal marriage. The enchantment continues in story after story—a clever thief tricks a king for his kingdom and a prince finds his beloved in a house full of wicked step-sisters. And of course, we listen again to the ancient tale of the weeping woman, La Llorona, who still searches for her drowned children along the riverbanks.

Joe Hayes is one of America’s premier storytellers. He is especially recognized for his bilingual telling of stories from the Hispanic culture of northern New Mexico. Joe lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and travels extensively throughout the United States, visiting schools and storytelling festivals."

Publishers Synopsis

Web Resources:
http://www.crabgrasspuppet.com/tortillas.html
www.rif.org/assets/Documents/.../DayItSnowedTortillasguide.pdf

A Gift from Papa Diego/Un regalo de Papa Diego

A Gift from Papa Diego/Un regalo de Papa Diego

Written by: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Illustrated by: Geronimo Garcia

Elementary Grades

"The tender story in A Gift From Papá Diego / Un regalo de Papá Diego by Benjamin Alire Saenz is sprinkled with Spanish expressions throughout the English version, adding to the flavor of this bilingual tale. A glossary of the terms used is provided at the end of the book. In addition, a complete Spanish text is printed on each half page. Illustrations of wonderful clay figures painted with bright colors highlight the narrative and provide an attractive graphic border. This paperback original is a debut into the world of children's books for Mr. Saenz, and he has succeeded in writing a poignant read-aloud book for young children - at once entertaining and comforting."—Barbara Bonds Thomas

Web Resources:
http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/A_Gift_from_Papa_Diego