Theme: Mexican Americans

Zulema and the Witch Owl/Zulema y la Bruja Lechuza

By Rebecca Ballenger | Published: November 1, 2009

When Grandma Sabina comes to live with the family, the first thing Zulema says to her is, ”You sure look old and ugly.” Grandma Sabina warns her granddaughter about the Witch Owl who prowls the night looking for mean children, but Zulema laughs defiantly at such a preposterous tale. In this story about the consequences [...]

Descriptors: Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9), United States of America » Other Themes: , , » 2 Comments

Creepy Creatures and Other Cucuys

By Rebecca Ballenger | Published: November 1, 2009

Creepy Creatures and Other Cucuys presents the author’s retellings of fifteen traditional tales heard during his childhood in southern Texas.

Descriptors: Folklore, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Short Stories, United States of America » Other Themes: » 1 Comment

Juan y el Chupacabras/Juan and the Chupacabras

By Rebecca Ballenger | Published: November 1, 2009

Young Juan and his cousin Luz savor Abuelo’s hair-raising stories. He tells the children of defeating terrifying fiends like the Chupacabras and La Llorona. The children cling to every word as he describes his brave stand-off with the Chupacabras, a terrifying beast with wings, claws and sharp fangs. But yet they wonder if there’s more [...]

Descriptors: Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9), United States of America » Other Themes: , » 2 Comments

Lucha Libre: A Bilingual Cuento: the Man in the Silver Mask

By Rebecca Ballenger | Published: November 1, 2009

Carlitos attends his first lucha libre match in Mexico City. At ringside, Carlitos sees the famous luchador — the Man in the Silver Mask, a man whose eyes look terribly familiar. He is mesmerized as the Man in the Silver Mask is pitted against the terrible forces of evil — los rudos, the bad guys [...]

Descriptors: Mexico, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9) » Other Themes: , » 4 Comments

Becoming Naomi León

By Book Importer | Published: October 1, 2009

Naomi Soledad León Outlaw has had a lot to contend with in her young life, her name for one. Then there are her clothes (sewn in polyester by Gram), her difficulty speaking up, and her status at school as “nobody special.” But according to Gram’s self-prophecies, most problems can be overcome with positive thinking. Luckily, [...]

Descriptors: Fiction, Intermediate (ages 9-14), United States of America » Other Themes: » 2 Comments

I Love Saturdays y Domingos

By Yoo Kyung Sung | Published: December 1, 2008

Saturdays and Sundays are very special days for the child in this story. On Saturdays, she visits Grandma and Grandpa, who come from a European-American background, and on Sundays — los domingos — she visits Abuelito y Abuelita, who are Mexican-American. While the two sets of grandparents are different in many ways, they also have [...]

Descriptors: Fiction, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9), United States of America » Other Themes: , , , » 4 Comments