Welcome to José’s neighborhood. In his barrio, people speak an easy mix of Spanish and English and sometimes even Chinese. The masked revelry of Halloween leads into the festive remembrances of the Day of the Dead. And murals on the walls and buildings sing out the stories of the people who live here. As familiar as any neighborhood yet as strange as a foreign country, Jose’s barrio isn’t in Mexico or Argentina–it’s in San Francisco. Award-winning author and photographer George Ancona follows José through a season in the barrio, and in the process gives readers a glimpse of a community as rich and varied as America itself.
United States
Materials from United States of America
Canto Familiar
Celebrate childhood and the Mexican American experience with this lively collection of poems accompanied by beautiful woodcut illustrations. This touching and humorous volume is a vibrant companion to Neighborhood Odes.
Edward James Olmos (Hispanic Heritage)
Traces the life and career of the award-winning actor, looks at his roles in television and motion pictures, and describes his efforts to help the Hispanic community
Estela En El Mercado De Pulgas (Spanish Edition)
Now available in Spanish, this is the story of a Mexican American girl who learns to value the act of giving when she attends her first Swap Meet.
Family/Familia
Young Daniel doesn’t share his dad’s excitement over going to the family reunion. What’s the big deal? It’s just going to be a bunch of old people he doesn’t know, sitting around and telling stories about other old people he doesn’t know. Once there, though, Daniel is in for several pleasant surprises.
Frida Maria
Two six-page gate folds and fresco-like paintings enhance the drama, and the fun, of the strong-willed Frida Maria’s preparations–with her horse, Diablo–for the fiesta, her attempts to please Mama by behaving properly, and her decision concerning a high-stakes race.
Iguanas In The Snow / Iguanas En La Nieve: And Other Winter Poems / Y Otros Poemas De Invierno
This collection invites us to celebrate winter — by the seashore, in the city of San Francisco, and in the ancient redwood forests of the Sierras. We see a city where people have become bridges to each other and children sing in two languages. A family frolic in the snow reminds the poet of the iguanas playing by his grandmother’s house in Mexico. The seedling redwoods promise tomorrow. Maya Christina Gonzalez creates a spirited family of children and adults making their way through lively settings.
Just One Flick of a Finger
A young boy takes a gun to school to scare off the bully who has been tormenting him, and the gun is accidentally fired during a scuffle.
Prietita and the Ghost Woman / Prietita Y La Llorona
In a bilingual retelling of a famous Mexican legend, Prietita sets out to find the missing herb that can cure her mother’s illness and, while lost in the woods, comes face to face with the mysterious la Llorona, the ghost woman.
Nerdlandia
A humorous play in which Martin, a Chicano nerd, undergoes a transformation with the help of his friends and experiences true love. Includes a glossary of Spanish words and phrases used in the dialogue.