When Jacinta Juarez is paired with a rich, famous mentor, she is swept away from the diapers and dishes of her own daily life into a world of new experiences. But crossing la linea into Miss’s world is scary. Half of Jacinta aches for the comfort of Mamá and the familiar safety of the barrio, while the other half longs to embrace a future that offers more than cleaning stuff for white people. When her family is torn apart, Jacinta needs to bring the two halves of herself together to win back everything she’s lost.
United States
Materials from United States of America
¡Vámonos! Let’s Go!
An adaptation of the song “The wheels on the bus,” written in Spanish and English, which follows two children who see and hear a train, a fire truck, an ambulance, and other vehicles on their way to an amusement park. Includes music.
The Place Where You Live
Simple rhyming, repetitive text describes “the place where you live,” from the warm and sunny kitchen smelling of tortillas and hot chocolate to the yard, neighbors, school, library, and front porch.
Miracle On 133rd Street
The day before Christmas, everyone in Jose’s neighborhood seems grumpy, including his mother who is homesick for Puerto Rico, but when he and his parents return from the pizzeria where they borrowed an oven to cook their roast, the heavenly aroma reminds those they pass of all they have to celebrate.
A Bean And Cheese Taco Birthday
Five-year-old Ariel wants a very simple birthday celebration at the park with bean and cheese tacos and bubbles, despite his older brother Dario’s preference for big birthday parties.
Last Stop On Market Street
A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things.
Join the discussion of Last Stop on Market Street as well as other books centered around relocation on our My Take/Your Take page.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 8, Issue 3 and Volume 18, Issue 1.
Maya’s Blanket
“When a little girl’s cherished baby blanket becomes old and worn, it is made into a dress, and over the years it is made into even smaller and smaller items, eventually ending up as a bookmark and inspiring the creation of a book. Includes an author’s note and a glossary.”
Little Chanclas
Lily Lujan is known as Little Chanclas because she wears her chanclas, or flip flops, wherever she goes, especially to parties, so when the chanclas come apart while she is dancing at a family barbecue and Chewcho the bulldog eats one, Lily is inconsolable until Granny Lola arrives with a solution.
Friends From The Other Side / Amigos Del Otro Lado
Having crossed the Rio Grande into Texas with his mother in search of a new life, Joaquín receives help and friendship from Prietita, a brave young Mexican American girl.
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.
The Desert is My Mother/El Desierto es Mi Madre
The first bilingual picture book published under the Pinata Books imprint in 1994, Pat Mora’s ode to the desert is finally available in paperback format. The Desert Is My Mother creates a beautiful poetic and artistic rendition of the relationship between people and nature. Rather than being an expanse empty of life and value, the desert is lovingly presented as the provider of comfort, food, spirit, and life.