Mexico

Materials from Mexico

The Tequila Worm

Sofia comes from a family of storytellers. Here are her tales of growing up in the barrio in McAllen, Texas, full of the magic and mystery of family traditions: making Easter cascarones, celebrating el Dia de los Muertos, preparing for quinceañera, rejoicing in the Christmas nacimiento, and curing homesickness by eating the tequila worm. When Sofia is singled out to receive a scholarship to boarding school, she longs to explore life beyond the barrio, even though it means leaving her family to navigate a strange world of rich, privileged kids. It’s a different mundo, but one where Sofia’s traditions take on new meaning and illuminate her path.

Let’s Eat!/A Comer! (My Family: Mi Familia)

It’s dinnertime. Look at all the food! Es la hora de cenar. ¡Cuánta comida! There are beans, tortillas, Hay frijoles, tortillas, cheese, and even a green salad. queso y hasta una ensalada de lechuga. Enough for the whole family. Suficiente para toda la familia. Let’s sit down and enjoy it together. Vamos a sentarnos y disfrutarla juntos. Let’s eat! ¡A comer! This first book in the new bilingual My Family/Mi familia series will charm readers with its close-knit family—a family that is grateful for its many blessings. Éste es el primer libro de la nueva serie My Family/ Mi familia. Los lectores quedarán encantados con esta familia unida que se siente agradecida por todas sus bendiciones.

The Dream on Blanca’s Wall/El Sueno Pegado En La Pared De Blanca: Poems in English and Spanish/Poemas En Ingles Y Espanol

Offers a collection of poems in English and Spanish that tell of a young Mexican-American girl’s dream to overcome her family difficulties and economic hardships in order for her to achieve her goal of becoming a teacher.

Where Fireflies Dance / Ahí, Donde Bailan Las Luciérnagas

Vibrantly illustrated, this bilingual tale shows English and Spanish on each page. Weaving together pride in the author’s Mexican heritage with a sweetly delivered message about growing up, the story shows that each person, like the revolutionary Juan Sebastian, has a destiny to follow. Full color.

Sofi Mendoza’s Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico

When Southern California high school senior Sofi Mendoza lies to her parents and crosses the border for a weekend party, she has no idea that she will get stuck in a Mexican village with family she has never met before, unable to return to the United States and the easy life she knew.

Radio Man/Don Radio

As he travels with his family of migrant farmworkers, Diego relies on his radio to provide him with companionship and help connect him to all the different places in which he lives.

Nana’s Big Surprise / Nana, Que Sorpresa! (Spanish Edition)

Amada and her family build a chicken coop, hoping that her grandmother, visiting from Mexico, will enjoy raising the chickens and be distracted from her grief at Grandfather’s death.

 

Benito Juarez (Hispanic Heritage)

benitoRecounts the story of Benito Juárez, who overcame the horrors of poverty and racism to become Mexico’s first president and lead his country to democracy.

Triple Banana Split Boy / El Nino Goloso

”How come you can have sweets and I can’t?” Enrique asks the hummingbirds as they flutter over the flowers in the garden. His craving for sugar is getting out of control, and his father has forbidden him to eat anything sweet. Enrique’s birthday is coming up and he won’t be allowed to help his grandma with her baking. It’s not fair! Enrique’s cravings multiply by the minute. Even numbers in his math book start to look like yummy desserts. His life is over! The next day, though, he comes up with an ingenious plan to outwit his father. Unfortunately, his mother soon catches on. But she has a plan of her own. On Mondays and Fridays only, after school, Enrique may have any dessert he likes, but none during the rest of the week. What a sweet deal!On his first outing with his mother, Enrique orders a huge triple banana split, with strawberry, chocolate and vanilla scoops of ice cream, nuts, sprinkles and chocolate syrup. Later that night, Enrique’s stomach aches, and El Coco, a fearsome creature with a huge mouth and sticky hair, haunts his dreams. Enrique’s mother wonders if he will ever learn to eat in moderation. Will he be able to bake with Grandma? And what about having a special treat on his birthday? Lucha Corpi’s poetic prose is combined with Lisa Field’s enticing illustrations in this engaging story that will resonate with kids and their parents as they struggle to balance healthy eating habits with the natural desire for sweets.

Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada! Let’s Celebrate Christmas

A posada is an important Latino holiday tradition that happens all over the world on each of the nine nights before Christmas. There’s a lot to do every night before the party can begin, and here a little girl guides us through each step—from putting out poinsettias to hanging the piñata—as she counts to ten in English and Spanish. Young readers can follow along by counting the different items mentioned. An author’s note at the end of the story further explains the origins of the posada. Sprinkled with Spanish vocabulary and filled with lively illustrations, this is a posada no one should miss!