Americas

Materials from the Americas

Just a Minute!: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book (Pura Belpre Medal Book Illustrator (Awards))

In this original trickster tale, Senor Calavera arrives unexpectedly at Grandma Beetle’s door. He requests that she leave with him right away. “Just a minute,” Grandma Beetle tells him. She still has one house to sweep, two pots of tea to boil, three pounds of corn to make into tortillas – and that’s just the start! Using both Spanish and English words to tally the party preparations, Grandma Beetle cleverly delays her trip and spends her birthday with a table full of grandchildren and her surprise guest. This spirited tribute to the rich traditions of Mexican culture is the perfect introduction to counting in both English and Spanish. The vivacious illustrations and universal depiction of a family celebration are sure to be adored by young readers everywhere.

Jonron!

A story about a kid who wants to be the best baseball player ever but just keeps messing up so he wakes up earlier and tries harder just to become the best and win the championship game. This book is written by Alex Rodriquez, a Yankee baseball player.

Grandma’s Records

The author describes his boyhood summers spent at his grandmother’s apartment in Spanish Harlem where she intoduced him to the sounds and steps of the merengue and the conga and told him stories of Puerto Rico.

The Civil War: 1840s-1890s (Hispanic America)

Describes Hispanic American participation in the United States Civil War and how Hispanics in New Mexico and other acquired territories transitioned to becoming a part of the nation.

Benito’s Bizcochitos: Los Bizconchitos De Benito

benThis bilingual fairy tale for children ages 4 to 8 relates the story of Benito, who runs away from home only to learn that the rest of the world isn’t nearly as friendly as his family’s farm.

Return to Sender

After his family hires migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure, eleven-year-old Tyler befriends the oldest daughter, but when he discovers they may not be in the country legally, he realizes that real friendship knows no borders.

Featured in WOW Review Volume XI, Issue 3

Voices In First Person: Reflections On Latino Identity

This eclectic, gritty, and groundbreaking collection of short monologues features 21 of the most respected Latino authors writing today, including Sandra Cisneros, Oscar Hijuelos, Esmeralda Santiago, and Gary Soto. Their fictional narratives give voice to what it’s like to be a Latinx teen in America. These voices are yearning. These voices are angry. These voices are, above all else, hopeful. These voices are America.

A Different Kind Of Heat

Luz Cordero is on fire. She’s burning up with rage. She was there the night her brother got killed. She saw the cop pull the trigger. She tried to do something positive about it by going to protests, but all her anger got her into trouble. Now Luz is living at the St. Therese Home for Boys and Girls, working to turn her life around. Sister Ellen and Luz’s three fellow residents are helping. When Sister Ellen gives Luz a journal to write everything down, Luz is finally able to face the truth about what happened that night. And she’s able to forgive her brother, the man who took him away, and—most importantly—herself. A Different Kind of Heat is a gritty, heartbreaking, and uplifting story of one girl’s struggle to forgive and remember.