A vivid portrayal of a close-knit Hispanic community Felita’s parents promise she will love their new neighborhood. Only Abuelita, her grandmother, understands how much Felita will miss her old block, and her best friend Gigi. But her new neighbors taunt and tease Felita and her family because they are from Puerto Rico. First published twenty years ago, Felita’s compelling story has resonance for kids today.”An honest, realistic view of an important aspect of contemporary American life.” –The Horn Book* An NCSS-CBC Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies* A Child Study Children’s Book Committee Children’s Book of the Year* A Puffin Novel * 112 pages * Ages 8-12
- ISBN: 9780553157925
- Author: Mohr, Nicholasa
- Published: 1990 , Skylark
- Themes: bullying, growing up, Household, moving, Puerto Rico
- Descriptors: Intermediate (ages 9-14), Latinx in US, Realistic Fiction, United States
Felita’s family is moving to a new neighborhood. Her parents continue to tell her that she will love their new home and meet new friends, but Felita is sad to be leaving her friends, her grandmother, and her favorite stores from the old block. When Felita and her family move to the new neighborhood, they are teased and rejected by threats, vandalism and violence by their new neighbors because they are Puerto-Rican. The racism and discrimination that the family faces become too much and due to safety reasons, the family decides to move back to their old neighborhood. Once they move back to their old neighborhood, Felita is surprised to find that many things have changed.
Throughout the story, Felita’s feelings about herself and her culture change. Once she moves to the new neighborhood and experiences the taunting from the girls, she begins to feel badly about herself, particularly her culture and the color of her skin. Once she moves back to the old block, she is able to speak openly with her grandmother about her feelings. Through her conversation with her grandmother, Felita learns to accept her culture and love herself and the color of her skin.
One element that I appreciated about this book is the relationship between Felita and her grandmother. Ultimately, it was the strong bond and connection with her grandmother that helped Felita understand the situation that had transpired in the new neighborhood. It was her grandmother that allowed Felita to speak about her experience and make sense of it. In addition, Felita’s grandmother taught her to realize that she is a strong girl and can stand up for herself, but in order to do so, she must love herself and where she comes from.