“My name is Ana. Every year, my family makes tamales for Christmas. This year, I am six, so I get to mix the dough, which is made of cornmeal. My sister Lidia is eight, so she gets to spread the dough on the corn husk leaves. I wish I was eight, so that my hands would be big enough to spread the dough just right–not too thick and not too thin.” And so the years pass, and Ana turns eight, ten, twelve, fourteen, sixteen. But every year, big sister Lidia is always two years older. Ana envies her elder sibling and wishes she could do what Lidia does: put just the right amount of meat inside the tamales and roll them up; steam the tamales without scalding herself with the hot, hot steam; chop and cook the meat for the tamales without cutting or burning her hands. When she turns eighteen, though, Ana knows she will keep making tamales and she will be able to do all of the steps herself in her very own factory. When Christmas comes around, Ana will deliver tamales to all of her customers around the world, in delivery trucks that say “Ana’s Tamales.” And maybe Ana will even let Lidia work for her. Gwendolyn Zepeda’s rhythmic prose is combined with April Ward’s bright illustrations to create an affectionate and amusing story about sibling relationships that introduces an important Hispanic holiday tradition–making tamales!
Latinx in US
500 Years of Chicana Women’s History/Anos de Historia de las Chicanans
The history of Mexican Americans spans more than five centuries and varies from region to region across the United States. Yet most of our history books devote at most a chapter to Chicano history, with even less attention to the story of Chicanas. 500 Years of Chicana Women’s History offers a powerful antidote to this omission with a vivid, pictorial account of struggle and survival, resilience and achievement, discrimination and identity. The bilingual text, along with hundreds of photos and other images, ranges from female-centered stories of pre-Columbian Mexico to profiles of contemporary social justice activists, labor leaders, youth organizers, artists, and environmentalists, among others. With a distinguished, seventeen-member advisory board, the book presents a remarkable combination of scholarship and youthful appeal. In the section on jobs held by Mexicanas under U.S. rule in the 1800s, for example, readers learn about flamboyant Doña Tules, who owned a popular gambling saloon in Santa Fe, and Eulalia Arrilla de Pérez, a respected curandera (healer) in the San Diego area. Also covered are the “repatriation” campaigns” of the Midwest during the Depression that deported both adults and children, 75 percent of whom were U.S.-born and knew nothing of Mexico. Other stories include those of the garment, laundry, and cannery worker strikes, told from the perspective of Chicanas on the ground. From the women who fought and died in the Mexican Revolution to those marching with their young children today for immigrant rights, every story draws inspiration. Like the editor’s previous book, 500 Years of Chicano History (still in print after 30 years), this thoroughly enriching view of Chicana women’s history promises to become a classic.
Mercy on These Teenage Chimps
At age 13, best friends Ronnie and Joey suddenly feel like chimps–long armed, big eared, and gangly–and when the coach humiliates Joey in front of a girl, he climbs up a tree and refuses to come down. Gary Soto tells a touching story about friendship, understanding and the painful insecurities of being 13.
Quinceanera: English-Language Edition
You are invited to the biggest party of Cindy Chvez’s life. In text and gorgeous color photos, Elizabeth King takes us to this joyous, once-in-a-lifetime event–the quinceañera. It is the celebration of a Latina’s fifteenth birthday, a coming-of-age ritual in which a community welcomes its newest adult member with a church service, a feast, and dancing. The tradition, which has its roots in Aztec and Mexican custom, is popular in the United States. With a lavish dress, an honor court of friends, a big cake, and a night filled with music, the quinceañera is a chance for a young woman to feel like a queen. But there are solemn, quiet moments, too, particularly at the Mass held before the party. The history, significance, and fun of the quinceañera are warmly recounted in this lovely book. It is an inviting glimpse at a part of American culture for newcomers to the tradition, and a special scrapbook for those anticipating or remembering their own quinceañera.
Ricardo’s Race/ La Carrera De Ricardo
Ricardo Romo never dreamed that running to catch the school bus would lead to a college education, and ultimately, to a long and respected career as a teacher, administrator, and university president. He grew up in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Mexican immigrants, and worked in his family’s small grocery store, where he learned to work hard and respect his family and neighbors. In school he learned that, as a Latino, he was expected to go to the technical high school rather than the one that prepared students for college, yet his teachers and coaches encouraged him to pursue his studies. They also fostered his natural athletic abilities as a runner. In high school, Ricardo set numerous records in track and cross country, including the country’s second fastest recorded mile at that time. While still a sophomore, he began to receive invitations from colleges and universities urging him to consider running for their schools. Ultimately, he went on to run for the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated with an undergraduate degree in history. While injuries ended Ricardo’s hopes of competing in the 1968 Olympics, his educational dreams were achieved when he obtained a master’s degree from California State University, Northridge and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles, both in history. Currently, he is the president of the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a time line detailing Dr. Romo’s accomplishments as an athlete and a scholar is included.
Sand Sister
When lonely Paloma goes to the beach and wishes that she had a sister to play with, the girl she draws in the sand comes magically alive, and at day’s end her parents give her the good news of a new baby on the way.
Viva!…!una Pinata! (Spanish Edition)
Clara chooses to have a dog-shaped pinata at her birthday party but quickly finds she has become attached to it and cannot bear to destroy it, so she finds herself in a bad situation because if she keeps the dog pinata, she will have no pinata for her party.
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.
First Day in Grapes
All year long, Chico’s family moves up and down the state of California to pick fruits and vegetables. Every September, Chico starts at a new school. Often, the other kids pick on him — maybe because he’s always new, or maybe because he speaks Spanish sometimes. But third grade promises to be different. He likes his teacher, and she recognizes his excellent abilities in math — he may even get to go to the math fair! When some fourth-grade bullies tease him, he surprises them with strengths of his own.
This book has been included in WOW’s Kids Taking Action Booklist. For our current list, visit our Boolist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.
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!