A Mexican-American first-grader experiences the difficulties and pleasures of being different when she wears a tulip costume with all the colors of the rainbow for the school May Day parade.
Latinx in US
The Last Doll/La última Muñeca
The beautiful, but old-fashioned, Sarita sadly watches as her shelf-mates are purchased by eager shoppers and taken home. She looks out through the dust-covered plastic of her box, and she worries that she will be the last one. Every day she preens and puts her best porcelain face forward, but every evening, she remains on the shelf.
Finally one day, a tall man in a black mustache decides that she is perfect, and that she absolutely must be the last doll for his godchild, Teresa, on her quinceañera. Sarita’s alarm at still being last quickly shifts to pride when she realizes that sometimes people save the best for last.
500 Anos del Pueblo Chicano/500 Years of Chicano History: In Pictures
This bilingual pictorial history depicts the Mexican American/Chicano people from their origins 500 years ago with Columbus’ “discovery” and the invasions of the New World, to their struggles for social justice today. Over 800 photographs with brief explanatory texts tell the story of how Mexicans came to what is now the U.S. well before the Pilgrims and after the U.S. war of 1846-48, were made strangers in their own land. Elizabeth Martinez, author of books and articles on social movements, presents a vivid record of the life, culture, and collective struggles by farmworkers, miners, students, factory workers, women’s organizations, noted leaders, immigrants, and artists across the country. The faces of weathered workers, militant youth and beautiful children alternate with victims of lynchings and bloody repression to create a work of both pain and celebration. This updated edition should be of special interest, given today’s emphasis on multiculturalism, to teachers and students as well as the general public. The publisher, the SouthWest Organizing Project, is a community-based organization nationally known for its work on racial, social, and economic justice issues. Order from Southwest Community Resources, 211 10th St., SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, 505-247-8832.
La Noche Buena
Nina is visiting her grandmother in Miami for Christmas. Usually she spends it in snowy New England with her mother and her family, but this year is different. She isn’t certain what to make of a hot and humid holiday, until she learns the traditions of her father’s side of the family from her Cuban grandmother. She helps prepare for the evening and takes part in all their traditions—the intricate cooking for the feast, the dancing, the music, and the gathering of relatives and neighbors. It all comes together for a Noche Buena that Nina will never forget. Antonio Sacre and Angela Dominguez have created a wonderful story that everyone who celebrates Christmas will enjoy. The book includes a glossary of Spanish words.
Chato Y Los Amigos Pachangueros
This lively tale of a party-loving barrio cat who throws a surprise celebration for his friend Novio Boy. With a lively text, bold art, and a setting and theme with Latinx flavor, this is an ideal choice for Spanish readers.
Grandpa’s Magic Tortilla
When Grandpa Luis’s grandchildren are visiting him in Chimayo, New Mexico, they see pictures of animals in one of the tortillas he has cooked for their breakfast.
Orson Blasts Off!
What’s a megabyte-loving kid to do when his computer breaks? BLAST OFF! Join Orson and his sidekick, Weasel, on a hair-raising adventure where they touch the North Pole…watch the eye of a storm wink…and fall through a black hole in outer space. Readers (but maybe not their parents!) will be amazed at what can happen when a creative kid is forced away from his computer screen. Raúl Colón’s picture book is filled with delicious word-play and all the fun of a comic book.
A Picture Book of Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to helping American farmworkers. This champion of social justice organized farmworkers into unions and argued for better pay and fwir working conditions.
The Old Man And His Door
Who would bring the door, la puerta, to a picnic instead of the pig, el puerco? An old man who’s great at gardening but lousy at listening to his wife! “In the universal tradition of the wise-fool story, this gentle disaster tale is funny and affectionate….The combination is great for reading aloud.” — Booklist
On The Texas Trail Of Cabeza De Vaca
In 1527, the conquistador Cabeza de Vaca set sail for the Spanish territory of La Florida. His aim was to explore and colonize an unknown land that stretched from present-day Florida to Texas.