90 Miles to Havana

90 Miles to Havana

Written by: Enrique Flores-Galbis

Junior High and High School Grades

**2011 Pura Belpre Honor Book**

"Drawing on his own experience as a child refugee from Cuba, Flores-Galbis offers a gripping historical novel about children who were evacuated from Cuba to the U.S. during Operation Pedro Pan in 1961. Julian, a young Cuban boy, experiences the violent revolution and watches mobs throw out his family’s furniture and move into their home. For his safety, his parents send him to a refugee camp in Miami, but life there is no sweet haven. He tries to avoid the powerful camp bullies (“the big eat the small”) while he waits in anguish for his parents, and in a wrenching parting, his two older brothers are sent away to a harsh orphanage in Denver. The messages get heavy at times about the meaning of democracy, at odds with the political and the camp power games. But this is a seldom-told refugee story that will move readers with the first-person, present-tense rescue narrative, filled with betrayal, kindness, and waiting for what may never come."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://www.efgportraits.com/pages/bio.htm

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba

Written by: Margarita Engle

Junior High and High School Grades

**2011 Pura Belpre Honor Books**

"The freedom to roam is something that women and girls in Cuba do not have. Yet when Fredrika Bremer visits from Sweden in 1851 to learn about the people of this magical island, she is accompanied by Cecilia, a young slave who longs for her lost home in Africa. Soon Elena, the wealthy daughter of the house, sneaks out to join them. As the three women explore the lush countryside, they form a bond that breaks the barriers of language and culture.

In this quietly powerful new book, award-winning poet Margarita Engle paints a portrait of early women’s rights pioneer Fredrika Bremer and the journey to Cuba that transformed her life."

Product Description

Online Resources:
http://us.macmillan.com/thefireflyletters

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/

Me, Frida

Me, Frida

Written by: Amy Novesky
Illustrated by: David Diaz

Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades

**2011 Pura Belpre Honor Book**

"This picture book focuses on the year that Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera, spent in San Francisco while he worked on murals for the Pacific Stock Exchange. It was 1930 and Frida was young, newly married, and just beginning her own career as a painter. She had never been out of Mexico and everything about this trip was new and overwhelming. Novesky adeptly tells how Kahlo began to gain her confidence and find her place in the world, using the city and its surroundings as inspiration for her own work. The writing is succinct and careful, and a portrait of Frida as a strong, feisty woman comes through clearly. Diaz's acrylic and charcoal paintings echo Kahlo's own folkloric style, brimming with color and detail, but are unique as well, providing a rich complement to the text."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.pbs.org/weta/fridakahlo/life/index.html

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

The Dreamer

The Dreamer

Written by: Pam Munoz Ryan
Illustrated by: Peter Sis

**2011 Pura Belpre Award Winner**

Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades

"Ryan’s fictional evocation of the boy who would become Pablo Neruda is rich, resonant and enchanting. Simple adventures reveal young Neftalí’s painful shyness and spirited determination, his stepmother’s love and his siblings’ affection and his longing for connection with his formidable, disapproving father. The narrative captures as well rain falling in Temuco, the Chilean town where he was raised, and his first encounters with the forest and the ocean. Childhood moments, gracefully re-created, offer a glimpse of a poet-to-be who treasures stories hidden in objects and who recognizes the delicate mutability of the visible world, while the roots of Neruda’s political beliefs are implied in the boy’s encounters with struggles for social justice around him.

Lines from a poem by Ryan along with Sís’s art emphasize scenes and introduce chapters, perfectly conveying the young hero’s dreamy questioning. The illustrator’s trademark drawings deliver a feeling of boundless thought and imagination, suggesting, with whimsy and warmth, Neftalí’s continual transformation of the everyday world into something transcendent. A brief selection of Neruda’s poems (in translation), a bibliography and an author’s note enrich an inviting and already splendid, beautifully presented work."

Kirkus Reviews

Online Resources:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=42676

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1971/neruda-bio.html

Grandma's Gift

Grandma's Gift

Written and Illustrated by: Eric Velasquez

Elementary Grades

**2011 Pura Belpre Award Winner**

"This companion to Grandma's Records (Walker, 2001) is another memoir of Velasquez's boyhood visits with his grandmother in Spanish Harlem. This time it is Christmas. After helping to shop for ingredients and make her famous pasteles, Eric and his grandmother venture from El Barrio to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The boy has a school assignment to complete and together they discover the work of Diego Velázquez, including the famous portrait of Juan de Pareja. The woman nurtures the boy's fascination with painting by giving him art supplies for Christmas. This beautifully illustrated slice-of-life is sprinkled with Spanish phrases (all translated into English) and rich details about Puerto Rican traditions and culture. Velasquez's full-bleed paintings transport readers to another time and place and expertly capture the characters' personalities and emotions."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.bloomsburykids.com/books/catalog/grandmas_gift_hc_825

Gracias/Thanks

Gracias/Thanks

Written by: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: John Parra

Elementary Grades

"A boy recounts the many things he is thankful for, like his time at the beach and the bees that don’t sting him when he is outside playing. The poetic writing flows in both Spanish and English and carries a sense of happiness brought by the simple things in life. The cheery and brightly colored acrylic illustrations are full of fun details and add depth to the text. Multicultural characters are revealed page by page, but unless readers are paying close attention, they might not pick up on the boy’s Mexican-American heritage. This delightful bilingual book has universal appeal and would be a wonderful choice for library storytimes or classroom read-alouds as the “giving thanks” theme lends itself to holidays and social topics. The author’s endnote challenges readers to list the things for which they are thankful. A must buy for all libraries looking to add to their children’s Spanish collections."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.examiner.com/x-13215-Austin-Latino-Neighborhood-Examiner~y2010m1d22-Discover-Languages-with-Pat-Moras-Gracias--Thanks

My Abuelita

My Abuelita

Written by: Tony Johnston
Illustrated by: Yuyi Morales

Elementary Grades

"Abuelita's hair is the color of salt. Her face is as crinkled as a dried chile. She booms out words as wild as blossoms blooming. She stuffs her carcacha--her jalopy--with all the things she needs: a plumed snake, a castle, a skeleton, and more. Her grandson knows he has the most amazing grandmother ever--with a very important job. What does Abuelita do? With her booming voice and wonderful props, Abuelita is a storyteller. Next to being a grandmother, that may be the most important job of all. Sprinkled with Spanish and infused with love, My Abuelita is a glorious celebration of family, imagination, and the power of story."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.youtube.com
http://imaginenselibros.blogspot.com/2009/09/yuyi-morales.html/watch?v=Y_G8YNRwrE4

Federico Garcia Lorca

Federico García Lorca

Written by: Georgina Lázaro,
Illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro

Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades

"Written in Spanish, Georgina Lázaro’s lyrical poetry evokes the spirit and style of the beloved 20th century poet and playwright, Federico García Lorca. Lázaro gives children a close personal experience with classic Spanish literature in a picture book biography. She uses the cadence and style of Lorca to paint a picture of the artist as a fragile, sensitive young boy who finds his strength in stories, songs, plays and books. “Federico García Lorca” celebrates the beauty of the Spanish language and the healing power of words."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/163

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/

Diego: Bigger Than Life

Diego: Bigger Than Life

Written by: Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
Illustrated by: David Diaz

Junior High and High School Grades

"In this well-written and beautifully illustrated volume, the life of Mexican artist Diego Rivera, best known for murals depicting working people, is introduced in free verse. Similar in format to Bernier-Grand’s César: Sí, se puede! = Yes, We Can! (2004) and Frida: Viva la vida! Long Live Life! (2007), the book offers a chronological sequence of poems, each appearing either on a single page accompanied by a small illustration or on a left-hand page with a full-page picture on the right. Almost all written in first person from the artist’s point of view, the poems convey information succinctly within a context of colorful narrative and clearly expressed emotion. Each poem stands alone, yet some words, ideas, and images recur, creating an interconnected sequence. A three-page appended biography clarifies and amplifies the information in the verse. Also appended are a glossary, a chronology, a source bibliography, notes, and quotes from the artist."

Booklist Review

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

Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children's Day/ Book Day Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros

Book Fiesta!
Celebrate Children's Day Book Day/Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros

Written by: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: Rafael Lopez

Elementary Grades

"Mora encourages teachers, parents, and librarians to celebrate Children's Day/Book Day (April 30th) and includes ideas for observing the festivities. Written in English and Spanish, the text shows children reading in a variety of places, going to the library, listening to stories, and enjoying books. López's acrylic illustrations fill the pages with color. His upbeat iconic style shows how much fun this celebration can be and portrays round-faced kids reading to a variety of pets and riding an elephant or sailing with a whale. Students will be encouraged to join in the book-based activities. This lively selection will motivate and excite children about the adventures they can go on through reading."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.patmora.com/dia/dia_song.htm

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book

Written and illustrated by: Yuyi Morales

Elementary Grades

"Winking and nodding as she goes, a Latino grandmother will charm readers as she charms Death Himself in this original counting-cum-trickster tale. When skeletal Senor Calavera appears at the door, Grandma Beetle bids him wait while she sweeps ONE house ('UNO'), makes TWO pots of tea ('DOS'), grinds THREE pounds of corn for tortillas ('TRES'), and so on, culminating in a festive birthday party at which Senor Calavera finds himself guest number TEN ('DIEZ'). As Grandma, round and brown, with sparkles in her eyes and gray hair both, bustles about, the expression on Senor Calavera's sugar-skull face grows more and more hilariously impatient -- but by party's end, he's departed, leaving a thank-you note promising to be back for Grandma Beetle's next birthday. Lit with dancing lines and warm colors, Morales' illustrations enhance the appeal of this winning story even further."

Kirkus Starred Review

Online Resources:
http://www.yuyimorales.com/just_aminute.htm

Los Gatos Black on Halloween

Los Gatos Black on Halloween

Written by: Marisa Montes
Illustrated by: Yuyi Morales

Elementary Grades

"A cat's green eyes stare out from the book's cover. Inside, there are more of los gatos--as well as las brujas (witches), los fantasmas (ghosts), and los esqueletos (skeletons looking like they have come from a Dia de los Muertos celebration. The pithy, rhyming text tells a frightening, if familiar, story. The ghosts and ghoulies are off to a Monsters' Ball at Haunted Hall, and though there's plenty of scary stuff around, the guests are most frightened by the children who come knocking at the door for trick-or-treat. Montes' evocative poem deserves exceptional artwork, and Morales obliges. Her soft-edged paintings glow with the luminosity of jewels, and her witches, werewolves, and corpses are frighteningly executed. Therein lies what may be a problem for preschoolers. These fiends aren't particularly kid-friendly; they are dead-eyed, Day of the Dead folk who scare. For slightly older children, however, this spookiness is what Halloween is all about. The Spanish is neatly integrated into the text, but for those who need clarification, a glossary is appended."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://www.marisamontes.com/GatosBlack.htm

My Name is Celia/Me llamo Celia

My Name is Celia/Me llamo Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/la vida de Celia Cruz

Written and Illustrated by: Monica Brown

Elementary Grades

"Honoring the unique rhythms of Celia Cruz music, My Name is Celia pays tribute to the life and music of the famous Cuban singer. In combination with vivid illustrations, this book is an exceptional picture book that will keep the memory of la reina de la salsa (the queen of salsa) alive, recognizing her legacy of artistic works and musical contributions." — Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP)

Online Resources:
http://www.monicabrown.net/books/celia.html
http://www.lindakreft.com/Americas/celia.html

Reaching Out

Reaching Out

Written by: Francisco Jiminez

"From the perspective of the young adult he was then, Francisco Jiménez describes the challenges he faced in his efforts to continue his education. During his college years, the very family solidarity that allowed Francisco to survive as a child is tested. Not only must he leave his family behind when he goes to Santa Clara University, but while Francisco is there, his father abandons the family and returns to Mexico. This is the story of how Francisco coped with poverty, with his guilt over leaving his family financially strapped, with his self-doubt about succeeding academically, and with separation. Once again his telling is honest, true, and inspiring."

Publishers Review

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom

Written by: Margarita Engle

Junior High and High School Grades

How can there be
a little war?
Are some deaths
smaller than others,
leaving mothers
who weep
a little less?

"Cuba has fought three wars for independence, and still she is not free. Her people have been rounded up in concentration camps, where there is always too little food and too much illness. Rosa knows how to heal sickness with medicines made from wild plants. But with a price on her head for helping the rebels, Rosa dares not go out in the open. Instead, she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her. Black, white, Cuban, Spanish–Rosa does her best for everyone, even Lieutenant Death, who has sworn to kill her. Yet who can heal a country so torn apart by war? In this history in verse, acclaimed poet Margarita Engle has created a lyrical, powerful portrait of Cuba."

Publisher's Synopsis

Web Links:
http://www.poetseers.org/submissions/2006/margarita_engle

What Can You Do With a Rebozo

What Can You Do With a Rebozo

Written by: Carmen Taffola
Illustrated by: Amy Cordova

Elementary Grades

"A cradle for baby, a superhero's cape, a warm blanket on a cool night--there are so many things you can do with a rebozo. Through the eyes of a young girl, readers are introduced to the traditional shawl found in many Mexican and Mexican-American households. Pictures of family life frame simply rhythmic text, and rich bands of jewel-toned acrylics highlight and demonstrate both the versatility of the shawl and the warm family relationships."

School Library Journal