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This subscription to BrainPOP ELL could be very useful in giving fun and engaging lessons and quizes to our ELL students and could be used on our school's iPads or our newly purchased Kindle Fires.

Brainpop. (n.d.). Brainpop ELL. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://ell.brainpop.com/

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Pura's Cuentos - How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories - $17.29

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Pura's Cuentos - How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories - $17.29

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This is a book about Pura Belpré and her experience coming to Harlem from Puerto Rico and being surrounded by books only in English at the library.  She decided to do something about it and shared stories she grew up with in English and Spanish.  I think this book would truly connect with so many of our students who feel distant from their homeland and wanting that connection, no matter the Latinx country their family comes from.

PIMENTEL, A. Bay. (2021). Puras cuentos how Pura Belpré reshaped libraries with her stories. HARRY N ABRAMS.

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Reviewed by Paige Pagan

Review Source: Teaching for Change
Book Author: Annette Bay Pimentel

Pura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories is itself a story of la gente, a cuento for and belonging to all children. In this book, children are taken on Pura Belpré's journey of how she came to be a transformational figure in the library system by pioneering bilingual storytelling and making library services accessible to the Latinx community. When Belpré moves to Harlem in 1921 and is hired as a librarian, she realizes that the enchanting stories her abuela told her as a child in Puerto Rico are missing from library shelves. Driven by the knowledge that "Not all the stories worth telling are in books," (p. 10) Belpré decides to break the library rule that she must only read from books to children at storytime and instead performs her abuela's cuento of how Pérez the mouse asks Martina the cockroach to marry him. Belpré also realizes that the Spanish-speaking neighborhood children are missing from the library and brings them in to listen to cuentos en inglés y en español and to fill their arms with books.

Pura's Cuentos highlights the tradition of oral storytelling, the importance of the passage and preservation of cultural narratives to audiences from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, the creation of cultural bridges, and the influence of bi/multilingualism. Author Annette Bay Pimental and illustrator Magaly Morales extend visibility to characters with different social identities and lifestyles, showing that there is something to gain for every child who reads this book. The narrative is a counter-story by nature, children witness Belpré challenging the dominant ideology in storytelling to be an agent of change in fostering inclusive spaces.

The front cover begins the narrative's creation of a cultural bridge that breaks through spatio-temporal barriers. Children are mesmerized by Belpré's oral storytelling in the New York library illuminated by candlelight, while also being transported to Puerto Rico through Belpré's cuentos, shown by symbols such as the coquí, mangos, Pérez and Martina. The opening two-page spread shows young Belpré listening to her abuela's cuentos as they make food together around a table that looks like a globe. This illustration shows that although her abuela's cuentos are introduced to Belpré on the island, they are universal, foreshadowing how Belpré will bring the island to New York City through the cuentos passed on to her.

The colorful, pastel illustrations are reminiscent of the island and to the color scheme in Belpré's Pérez y Martina shown below.

Illustrations of New York City feel authentic, as well. When Belpré moves to Harlem, children feel the longing of home, but also the excitement of a new adventure in a foreign place.

Belpré marvels at the music in the streets and chats with other Spanish-speakers in the neighborhood, but when she enters the 135th Street Branch New York Public Library, she neither sees faces that look like hers nor books that tell abuela's cuentos. This is a problem for Belpré.

When Belpré is hired as a librarian and told the rules about storytime: "Light the candle. Open the book. Tell the story" (p. 9), she does not follow them. Belpré instead brings storytelling to life with Pérez and Martina's tale of romance, expanding both the kinds of stories being told, moving beyond the dominant king and queen trope, and the methods of doing so, which she is praised for by the children and her bosses. Children see that breaking rules to be active agents for positive social change is acceptable.

As Pura brings Spanish-speaking neighborhood children to the library and begins holding bilingual storytime, she creates a space where all are welcome and all could learn. The bilingual inclusions in the illustrations feature a girl telling her mother, "Nos contó historias de Puerto Rico!" and one child pointing to Belpré telling a friend, "Ella habla español!" (p. 20). The children visibly feel seen and heard as Belpré tells the cuentos of the community.

While Belpré knew that stories didn't have to be on the written page to be valuable, she eventually published her story, abuela's story, the children's story, as one for the people. In 1932 Pérez y Martina was the first book published in the United States by a Puerto Rican author. Children learn that working against the status quo is worth the challenge. In Belpre's case, she brought marginalized voices to the forefront and made sure Latinx children were being acknowledged and validated.

It's also worthwhile to note that the folktale of Pérez and Martina within this book is about two completely different creatures who fall in love, emphasizing that difference need not equate to division.

A book that I recommend on the impact of library services to the Latinx immigrant/ migrant community is Dreamers by Yuyi Morales.

Related Resources

"The Pura Belpré Medal: the Latino/a Child in America, the "Need" for Diversity, and Name-branding Latinidad," in Prizing Children's Literature: The Cultural Politics of Children's Book Awards (2017), by Marilisa Jiménez García, Routledge. Recommended reading on the memorialization of Pura Belpré and the success of the Belpré medal in the field of children's literature.

"Tracing Activist Genealogies in Latina Children's Librarianship," in Research on Diversity in Youth Literature, vol. I, no. 2, (2019) by Lettycia Terrones. Recommended reading on the activism of three foundational Latina librarians, Pura Belpré, Sandra Ríos Balderrama, and Oralia Garza de Cortés.

Further Reading

González, Lucía. The Storyteller 's Candle: La Velita de los Cuentos . Illustrated by Lulu Delacre. San Francisco: Children 's Book Press, Harper, 2008.

Aldamuy Denise, Anika. Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré. Illustrated by Paola Escobar. Harper, 2019.
Paige Pagan is a Social Justice Books Program Specialist at Teaching for Change.

Publisher's Synopsis: A lyrical, vibrant tribute to the amazing life and legacy of Pura Belpré, a lauded storyteller, librarian, and pioneer of bilingual storytimes.

Pura's abuela always has a cuento to share. She crows ¡Qui-qui-ri-quí! for Señor Gallo, booms Borom, Borom for Señor Zapo, and tells of a beautiful cockroach who loves a mouse. Pura clings to these stories like coquíes cling to green leaves.

When Pura grows up and moves from Puerto Rico to Harlem, she gets a job at the library, where she is surrounded by stories - but they're only in English. Where is Señor Gallo? Where is Pérez the mouse? Where is Puerto Rico on these shelves? She decides to tell children the tales of her homeland in English and in Spanish.
Lyrically written, with lively illustrations, Pura's Cuentos captures the exuberant spirit and passion of Pura Belpré: celebrated storyteller, author, folklorist, and the first Latina librarian in New York City. A pioneer of bilingual storytimes, she welcomed countless new families to the library, formed cultural bridges in her community, and broke the rules by telling stories that weren't printed in books - at least, not yet.

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Pura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories - Social Justice Books

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Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Pura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories is itself a story of la gente, a cuento for and belonging to all children. In this book, children are taken on Pura Belpré's journey of how she came to be a transformational figure [...]

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A bit of a sequel to Julián is a Mermaid, Julián at the Wedding represents both girls and boys negating gendered clothing for what is comfortable and fun.  The abuelas in the book are kind and accepting and the wedding happens to be a queer one! Representation matters!

Love, J. (2021). Julian at The wedding. Walker Books and subsidiaries.

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Amazon.com: Julián at the Wedding: 9781536212389: Love, Jessica, Love, Jessica: Books

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Julián is a Mermaid is a beautifully written and illustrated story about a Latinx boy who doesn't abide by gender norms and stereotypes.  This is another wonderful Latinx LGBTQIA+ book that highlights Afro-Latinx characters.

Love, J., & Roque, A. (2020). Julián is a mermaid. Dreamscape Media, LLC.

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While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes - and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself?

Mesmerizing and full of heart, this jubilant story is a radiant celebration of individuality and self-love.

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Amazon.com: Julián Is a Mermaid (Audible Audio Edition): Jessica Love, Avi Roque, Dreamscape Media, LLC: Audible Books & Originals

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This bilingual book beautifully and lovingly highlights the intersection of the LGBTQIA+ community and the Latinx community in a beautiful story about a son and his father.  This representation is incredibly important, as most children's books about the LGBTQIA+ community feature white Americans.

Martínez Ernesto Javier, Gonzalez, M. C., & Gabriel Martínez Feliciano Jorge. (2018). Cuando Amamos Cantamos. Reflection Press.

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When We Love Someone We Sing to Them: Cuando Amamos Cantamos (English and Spanish Edition)

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When We Love Someone We Sing to Them: Cuando Amamos Cantamos (English and Spanish Edition) [Martínez, Ernesto Javier, Gonzalez, Maya Christina, Feliciano, Jorge Gabriel Martínez] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. When We Love Someone We Sing to Them: Cuando Amamos Cantamos (English and Spanish Edition)

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Pele, the King of Soccer - Pele , El Rey del Futbol - $7.99

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Pele, the King of Soccer - Pele , El Rey del Futbol - $7.99

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One of the things that unites many of my ELLs is their love of soccer.  I think this bilingual book would be a great connection across many different Latinx countries and may even be a good starting point for some friendships across borders.

Simon, E., & Brascaglia, V. (2017). Pele: The king of soccer. First Second.

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Pele, King of Soccer/Pele, El Rey del Futbol: Bilingual Spanish-English

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Pele, King of Soccer/Pele, El Rey del Futbol: Bilingual Spanish-English [Brown, Monica, Gutierrez, Rudy] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Pele, King of Soccer/Pele, El Rey del Futbol: Bilingual Spanish-English

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This book would create a great longterm project and discussion around neighborhoods, families, and cultures.  The premise of the book is that Luis' brother is joining the army with the army's promise to "see the world".  Luis wants to show his brother that their world at home is beautiful and more than enough.  The book highlights all the beautiful parts of Luis' Dominican upbringing, neighborhood and culture.  Having students make their own versions of a mural of their world would create great connections.

Farish, T., & Dominguez, O. (2016). Luis Paints the world. Lerner Publishing Group.

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Luis Paints the World [Farish, Terry, Dominguez, Oliver] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Luis Paints the World

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The Spanish Language edition of Islandborn.

Díaz Junot, Espinosa, L., & Mlawer, T. (2020). Lola. Beascoa.

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Lola: Edición en español de ISLANDBORN (Spanish Edition)

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Lola: Edición en español de ISLANDBORN (Spanish Edition) [Díaz, Junot, Espinosa, Leo] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Lola: Edición en español de ISLANDBORN (Spanish Edition)

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Islandborn is written by Junot Díaz, a Dominican author who portrays the people of the Caribbean across skin-tones and types of hair.  This representation is as beautiful as the words, and much needed by our young readers who often depend on pictures to tell a full story.

Diaz, J., & Espinosa, L. (2019). Islandborn. Findaway World, LLC.

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The new children's book Islandborn by Junot Díaz tells the story of a young girl, Lola, who learns from family and friends about the island where she was born. The island is not named in the book, but readers can deduce that the story is based on the history of the Dominican Republic.

"Every kid in Lola's school was from somewhere else," the book opens. "Hers was the school of faraway places." Lola was brought to the United States as a baby, therefore she has no memories from the island. When her teacher asks the class to draw a picture of "the country you were originally from, your first country," Lola asks family and friends in the neighborhood what they remember most about the country where she was born. The stories paint a picture of life on the island and the forces that led her family to leave such a wonderful place. Leo Espinosa's illustrations of people beautifully affirm a range of skin colors and Afro-Latinx identity. This diversity and genuine representation are rare in children's books.

There is so much to love about this book. The writing is lyrical with a child reader in mind. Just how hot is the island? "The heat is on you like five bullies." How shy is Lola in class? "She hated raising her hand almost as much as she hated Nelson's yelling."

Most important of all, Islandborn is the only one of dozens of new books on immigration that explains in an age-appropriate way why people are forced to leave their home countries. When Lola hears so many wonderful stories about the island, she asks the obvious question, "Then why did they come to the U.S.?" Finally, the building superintendent explains to her that "A monster fell upon our poor Island. . . It could destroy an entire town with a single word and made a whole family disappear simply by looking at it." By describing the dictator Trujillo as a monster, Díaz introduces a brutal and essential political history; a history that upends the deficit narrative around immigration and highlights the push factors. He opens the door for conversation with children about the complex reasons for immigration. All too often, this essential part of the story is reserved for the author's note on the end pages. Islandborn is a Harvest of Empire for young children.

We are proud of the role of Teaching for Change played to make this excellent book even better. When an advance copy arrived at our office in January, we were dismayed to see that that the monster was illustrated as a black bat in an ominous sky. One more time, the message was that black is bad and scary. We quickly consulted with our colleagues in the See What We See network who all agreed the illustration was problematic.

Teaching for Change contacted Díaz and the publisher, Dial Books for Young Readers (a division of Penguin Books) with our concerns that the affirmation of racial identity in the beautiful illustrations throughout the book would get undone by the "black is bad" monster. Especially in contrast to the other "good" bats throughout the rest of the book that are drawn in a myriad of other colors.

We were delighted that Dial Books took the major step, just one month away from the book's release, of revising the illustrations of the monster throughout the book. We were told this involved destroying tens of thousands of books already in print and issuing a new printing in English and Spanish.

The new version of the book portrays the monster as green rather than black.

While it is a dramatic improvement, we hope that children's book illustrators consider making monsters in even lighter colors. (This would be a good student assignment for art classes-convey to the viewer that an orange or pink monster is scary.)

In addition to describing the monster, the building superintendent also describes the people's resistance. "Heroes rose up. Strong smart women just like you, Lola, and a few strong smart young men, too." Díaz is likely referring to the Mirabal sisters and many others who fought for an end to the U.S.-backed dictatorship in the Dominican Republic.

One place where young readers could handle a more accurate narrative is in the description of what happened to those heroes. Lola was told, "No one knows really [what happened to them.] It was so long ago." The truth is that we actually do know what happened to the Mirabal sisters and countless others who challenged the Trujillo dictatorship. A response that children could handle would be "Sadly, many were killed, but others survived. Their children, like you, continue to work for a better world today."

While all the references throughout the book indicate that the Dominican Republic is the island, it is never named. Díaz has explained in public events that he intentionally left the island unnamed so that the reader could bring their imagination to the story. He adds that there are monsters in many countries and there are many kinds of monsters (not all are dictators); he wanted this story to be about more than one place or experience.

However, all too often places and people are generalized in children's literature, particularly with respect to people of color. Children's books reference " Africa" rather than naming a country or reference "Native Americans" rather than naming an American Indian nation. While we appreciate Díaz's rationale, we think it would be better to name the place and in an afterword note that there countless related stories in countries around the world, particularly where the U.S. has intervened.

Overall, this is one of the best and most important children's books to have been published in quite some time. We hope it sets a new standard for illustrations of skin color, for poetic writing, and for addressing a relevant topic in a sophisticated yet child-friendly way. We look forward to the forthcoming sequel.

Related stories

A similar concern was raised in 2017 about The Bad Mood and the Stick. Librarian Edith Campbell published a blog called " I Am Not Your Bad Mood."The publisher changed the image before the official release of the book.

A critique of My Beautiful Birds led to a response from the publisher, but no change to the representation of blackness as something evil to escape.

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Junot Díaz's Islandborn: Before and After - Social Justice Books

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The new children's book Islandborn by Junot Díaz tells the story of a young girl, Lola, who learns from family and friends about the island where she was born. The island is not named in the book, but readers can deduce that the story is based on the history of the Dominican Republic.

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Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale - $14.29

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Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale - $14.29

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Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote is a child-appropriate picture book about migrants.  Pancho Rabbit is awaiting his father's return for two years after his father leaves the land to farm.  A coyote pretends to help Pancho.  This is another great book that introduces the migrants and migrant work to children. This would be a great read aloud.

Tonatiuh, D. (2013). Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale. Abrams Books for Young Readers.

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Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale

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Amazon.com: Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale: 9781419705830: Tonatiuh, Duncan: Books

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This is the Spanish language edition of My Papi Has a Motorcycle. Having books in Spanish and English is important for connections at home for our ELLs. The students' grownups can read the books and make those connections. Students can also borrow both copies and compare languages, words, and phrases.

Quintero, I. (2019). Mi papi tiene una moto. Kokila.

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Mi papi tiene una moto [Quintero, Isabel, Peña, Zeke] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Mi papi tiene una moto

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This book is one of the few I have found that highlights the relationship between daughter and father, especially in Latinx culture (most are abuelitas and grandchildren.). This book highlights a day with Papi, but the illustrations tell a story of gentrification and the pushing out of Latinx people from their neighborhoods.  Many stories can be told and highlighted through this book.  The representation of a father who is present in their child's life is also an important one.

Quintero, I., & Peña Zeke. (2021). My Papi has a motorcycle. National Braille Press.

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Reviewed by The Horn Book

Quintero's picture-book text acts as an evocative love letter to her apá and to the interconnected web of Mexican immigrant working-class people who built her hometown of Corona, California. When Papi gets home from work, young Daisy jumps into his arms for a hug (the warmth of his body language expressing "all the love he has trouble saying"), then grabs their helmets, eager to zoom through their neighborhood on Papi's speedy blue motorcycle before the sun goes down. Peña's joyous digital and hand-painted watercolor illustrations capture the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and "redbluegreenorangepink" colors of the town.

They observe the community's many people and institutions that contribute to the well-being and harmony of "everyone and everything [Daisy and Papi] pass" on their motorcycle ride. There's Abuelito and Abuelita's yellow house with the lemon tree and the nopales; murals "that tell our history"; there's Mr. García, the librarian in the Dodgers cap, with whom they exchange nods ("this is how we always greet each other"); and the raspados man. All of this - plus the text's nuanced alliteration, its use of Spanglish, and the realistic linguistic mix in the illustrations (even the cat says both meow and miau) - marks the quotidian specificity shaping Daisy's memory-making as well as her loving reflections on Corona's unfolding changes, its history and future. An appended author's note tells more about Quintero's inspiration. Concurrently published in Spanish as Mi Papi Tiene Una Moto.

Publisher's Synopsis: A celebration of the love between a father and daughter, and of a vibrant immigrant neighborhood, by an award-winning author and illustrator duo.
When Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighborhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees the people and places she's always known. She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her.

But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind Daisy Ramona and her papi, she knows that the love she feels will always be there.

With vivid illustrations and text bursting with heart, My Papi Has a Motorcycle is a young girl's love letter to her hardworking dad and to memories of home that we hold close in the midst of change.

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My Papi Has a Motorcycle - Social Justice Books

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Reviewed by The Horn Book Review Source: The Horn Book Book Author: Quintero's picture-book text acts as an evocative love letter to her apá and to the interconnected web of Mexican immigrant working-class people who built her hometown of Corona, California. When Papi gets home from work, young Daisy jumps into his arms for a [...]

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This photography book contains gorgeous photos and text that highlights the food, arts, culture, and people of Latinx culture.

Pinkney, S. L., & Pinkney, M. C. (2013). I am latino: The beauty in me. Little, Brown and Co., Hachette Book Group.

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Use your senses and you will see,
there is beauty in everything.

In this celebration of Latino children, Myles Pinkney's joyous photographs and Sandra Pinkney's buoyant text showcase traditional food, music, and more through each of the five senses. From dancing the salsa and the tango to smelling delicious empanadas and mouthwatering tamales, to treasuring time with family members and even learning Spanish words and phrases along the way, this is the perfect way to celebrate Latino culture.

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I Am Latino: The Beauty in Me [Pinkney, Sandra L., Pinkney, Myles C.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. I Am Latino: The Beauty in Me

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Grandma's Records is a beautifully illustrated picture book, written and illustrated by Eric Velasquez.  While it is Puerto Rican and takes place in El Barrio in New York City, the connections to the importance of music and dance span across Latin America.  This book also features Afro Latinx characters, which is incredibly important for representation, as the majority of Latinx books highlight people with lighter skin tones.

Velasquez, E. (2004). Grandma's Records. Bloomsbury.

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Grandma's Records (Rise and Shine) [Velasquez, Eric, Velasquez, Eric] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Grandma's Records (Rise and Shine)

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This bilingual illustrated book depicts immigration, crossing the Mexican/American border with a parent, and finding that the land that claimed to be "for all" actually has quite the divide between documented and undocumented people.  This would be a great read-aloud to garner empathy, discussion, and critical thought across all races/ethnicities.

Domenzain, A., Loh, K., & Irene, P. de C. (2021). For all = Para Todos. Hard Ball Press.

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Reviewed by Paige Pagan

Review Source: Teaching for Change
Book Author: Alejandra Domenzain

For All Para Todos takes children on Flor and her father's journey of crossing the Mexico-United States border and the injustices they face as undocumented immigrants in a nation that is heralded as one united para todos. Growing up, television serves as a window for Flor to witness life on "that side" where children have "oh so much stuff!" (p. 1), unlike her own family who never have enough. When the land that Flor and her father sustain themselves on becomes decimated and they don't have the resources to bring it back to life, Flor's father knows that crossing the border is the only way for them to survive. For Flor, this means an exciting plane ride into the land para todos where toys will be waiting for her, food from all places, and people with different faces. However, the journey is nothing like what she's envisioned. Through deserts and rain they arrive at the border to be given papers with big red X's on them. Flor goes on a process of discovery as all of her and her father's hopes and dreams in this new land are jeopardized because of their undocumented immigrant status. She comes to the hardest realization of all: that in this land, "justice for all" means "justice for some" (p. 30) where immigrants are left out. Because of this experience, Flor resolves to use her voice to advocate for immigrant and worker rights and encourages others - documented and undocumented alike - to do the same.

For All Para Todos brings attention to the underrepresentation of immigrants, underscoring their particular struggles of social and economic disparity, cultural and lifestyle differences, the fear and threat of deportation, isolation and exclusion, the pressure to succeed, and the risk of exercising your voice to fight for equality. Being bilingual and utilizing a lyrical rhyme scheme makes the book accessible and appealing to all children. The book also inspires children to ask important questions, as Flor does, about who is being represented and accepted and who is being erased and rejected by the systems and policies held in society. The book motivates children to use their voices for social change.

For All Para Todos begins with the divide between Mexico and the United States, which is heightened as Flor and her father eventually make it over the border and the documented versus undocumented distinction reigns. Flor's mental image of the United States corresponds to what she sees on television, a romanticized nation of hopeful tomorrows and happy endings where "no one was hungry and the law made things right" (p. 4). Flor's dad envisions the United States to be a land of equal opportunity where "all hard workers are given a chance, fair and square" (p. 8). Although both have high expectations of what the land para todos will hold for them, they are saddened by the inability to return home where Flor's mother is buried after losing her life to illness acquired from hard labor in a factory. Domenzain writes this loss of family and home that immigrants face in a way that children can understand as Flor questions who will pull out the weeds and bring fresh flowers to her mother's grave when they're gone. The pain of leaving continues to be felt as readers follow Flor and her father on their perilous trek to the border to be given papers with red X's on them, denying legal entry. Flor wonders what they have done wrong because X's in school are always bad. Here is where both Flor and her father's initial perceptions of the land para todos begins to change.

Life in the land para todos proves to be a challenge for both Flor, who is ostracized in school, and her father, who is driven to exhaustion from working day and night. Students bully Flor for her Spanish name and her struggle to grasp English and American culture. Flor longs to find community with kids who "came from far away, too" (p. 14) and questions if coming to this new place was a big mistake. She finds comfort in Ms. Soto, the language arts teacher, who tells her that she has a story similar to Flor's and so do others in school. Ms. Soto encourages Flor to find her voice through writing and to share her story in the school paper. When Flor's story becomes one that many students find relation with and are grateful for, Flor is optimistic that things will get better. But when she goes home to her empty, run-down apartment, she is once again doubtful. When her father comes home at night from work, she asks, "Why don't you have money if you work without stopping?" Her dad explains that as an undocumented immigrant, the only work available is to toil in the fields without complaint or risk being jailed and deported.

Flor sees the sacrifice that her single-father has made in order for Flor to get an education so that she can have a better life. Flor understands that she must do more than write stories, and that it's safer to keep silent and blend in. She studies hard for her entrance exams so that eventually she can have a fair job, unlike that of her father, in order to help mothers who are ill like hers was and to provide for her father. Loh puts Flor's dreams in a heartwarming illustration of her in a cap and gown in her father's embrace, which can be compared to an earlier illustration of her father carrying her on the brink of collapse to the border. These illustrations outline the adversity they have faced and the hopeful reward. Here readers feel the pressure of immigrant children (and first-generation children of immigrants) to succeed in order to secure the brighter future their parents worked so hard for them to obtain.

Being rejected from a prominent school due to her undocumented status, despite her getting a top score, sparks a fight in her to advocate for immigrant and worker rights. Motivated by the need to "convince them [citizens who can legally vote and exercise their political rights] to make a new rule, to work without fear and be let into school" (p. 31), she interviews immigrants all over town, writing their stories. Flor makes it on television to amplify immigrant voices and publicize the truth. Even though Flor had to learn that "For All wasn't all it should be" (p. 34), she believed in collectivity as the path toward achieving justice, what the country should be about. Children see that united, a group with goals that they believe in can change unfair laws.

The takeaway of this book aligns with the critical race theoretical principle of critiquing liberalism and therefore questioning who is being left out of the laws and policies in place. This also relates to the concept of structural determinism, the idea that our system is ill-equipped to redress certain wrongs, including those against immigrants. While the book charts political participation and activism as a concrete way forward for immigrants, one step further would be to acknowledge that in a nation that's based on legal precedents which have upheld racism as normal, antiracist efforts extend beyond law and policy. This book is highly recommended.
Paige Pagan is a Social Justice Books Program Specialist at Teaching for Change.

Publisher's Synopsis: Flor and her Dad make the dangerous journey from their poor country to a land called For All/Para Todos. As Dad works long hours picking fruit in the fields for little pay, they soon learn that immigrants are not welcome. As Flor grows up, she learns that her story, like the story of so many migrants, needs to be told. She picks up her green pen and writes from the heart about her life in this beautifully illustrated bilingual children's book, written in musical rhyme. A timely children's story about the hopes and dreams of immigrants and the harsh realities of life in a new country, For All/Para Todos is a tone poem for families to enjoy together.

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For All / Para Todos - Social Justice Books

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Reviewed by Paige Pagan Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: For All Para Todos takes children on Flor and her father's journey of crossing the Mexico-United States border and the injustices they face as undocumented immigrants in a nation that is heralded as one united para todos.

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Dreamers is a gorgeous autobiographical picture book by Yuyi Morales about her life coming to the United States from Mexico with her young baby.  It is also an ode to libraries.

Morales, Y., & Sananes, A. (2019). Dreamers. Findaway World, LLC.

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Reviewed by Debbie Reese

Review Source: American Indians in Children's Literature
Book Author: Yuyi Morales

The first library I knew as a child was a cardboard box full of books. You see, I went to a government day school on my reservation. We didn't have a library. What we had was a librarian from the nearby public school, who would drive to our school every couple of weeks, with a box full of books. That was our library. That I remember it is an indicator of who much books mattered to me then, and now.

Libraries of books are, indeed, special places.

Books in libraries can be very special, too. A lot of people have warm memories of a book they liked. They've also got memories of horrible books, too, so I'll note that as well!

The point is, books touch our lives. Some of them find a place in our beings. They snuggle in and keep us warm in ways that we might not be conscious of all the time, but, they are there. That warmth is what I've felt today (again) as I read (again) Dreamers by Yuyi Morales.

Continue reading.

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
Published by Holiday House on 2018-09
Genres: Biography and Autobiography, Central America, Immigration and Emigration
Pages: 40
Reading Level: Grade K, Grades 1-2
ISBN: 9780823440559
Review Source: American Indians in Children's Literature
Buy at Powell's Books
Also by this author: Little Night/Nochecita, Rudas: Nino's Horrendous Hermanitas

Caldecott Honor artist and five-time Pura Belpré Award winner Yuyi Morales tells her own immigration story in this picture-book tribute to the transformative power of hope . . . and reading.
In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the US with her infant son. She left behind nearly everything she owned, but she didn't come empty-handed.

She brought her strength, her work, her passion, her hopes and dreams...and her stories. Caldecott Honor artist and five-time Pura Belpré winner Yuyi Morales's gorgeous new picture book Dreamers is about making a home in a new place. Yuyi and her son Kelly's passage was not easy, and Yuyi spoke no English whatsoever at the time. But together, they found an unexpected, unbelievable place: the public library. There, book by book, they untangled the language of this strange new land, and learned to make their home within it.

Dreamers is a celebration of what migrantes bring with them when they leave their homes. It's a story about family. And it's a story to remind us that we are all dreamers, bringing our own gifts wherever we roam. Beautiful and powerful at any time but given particular urgency as the status of our own Dreamers becomes uncertain, this is a story that is both topical and timeless.

The lyrical text is complemented by sumptuously detailed illustrations, rich in symbolism. Also included are a brief autobiographical essay about Yuyi's own experience, a list of books that inspired her (and still do), and a description of the beautiful images, textures, and mementos she used to create this book.

A parallel Spanish-language edition, Soñadores, is also available.

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Reviewed by Debbie Reese Review Source: American Indians in Children's Literature Book Author: The first library I knew as a child was a cardboard box full of books. You see, I went to a government day school on my reservation. We didn't have a library.

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This is the Spanish language copy edition of Coqui in the City.  It is important that we have books in both English and Spanish to connect with our ELL students who speak Spanish as well as our entire community.

Perez, N., & Guerra, A. (2022). De aquí Como El Coquí. Findaway World, LLC.

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De aquí como el coquí (Spanish Edition) [Perez, Nomar, Perez, Nomar, Perez, Farah] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. De aquí como el coquí (Spanish Edition)

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Another #OwnVoices title based on the author/illustrator's life coming to New York City from Puerto Rico.  After feeling like the land is completely strange, the main character begins to note the commonalities between the two lands.

Perez, N. (2021). Coquí in the city. Dial Books for Young Readers.

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Coquí in the City [Perez, Nomar, Perez, Nomar] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Coquí in the City

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Dalia's Wondrous Hair / El Cabello Maravilloso de Dalia $18.95

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Dalia's Wondrous Hair / El Cabello Maravilloso de Dalia $18.95

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This bilingual picture book normalizes thick, curly hair and portrays it as beautiful.  The main character uses her hair to create a colorful garden based on plants found in the Caribbean, mainly Cuba.  The colorful and detailed illustrations take the reader back to the Caribbean.

Lacámara Laura, Ventura, G. B., & Liatis, M. (2020). Dalia's wondrous hair = El Cabello Maravilloso de Dalia. Library Ideas, LLC.

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Review Author Sujei Lugo

Review Source: Latinos in Kid Lit
Book Author: Laura Lacámara

DESCRIPTION FROM THE BOOK: A Cuban girl transforms her long and unruly hair into a garden.

MY TWO CENTS: In this bilingual picture book, with a Spanish translation by Gabriela Baeza Ventura, Laura Lacámara brings us a whimsical Caribbean tale of a young Cuban girl and her luxuriant hair. Lacámara's colorful illustrations express the joyful spirit of the main character and transport us to the sunny, tropical Caribbean.

The story introduces us to Dalia, a young girl who one day wakes up and finds out that her hair has grown straight up and as tall as a Cuban royal palm tree. Many children would panic with such news, but Dalia can't hold the excitement of her new wondrous hair. She then embarks on a journey to add to her hair different natural elements of a Caribbean tropical island, such as wild tamarind, coontie plant, and violet leaves. Her purpose is to show her mother the different types of "trees" she can recreate using her hair, ending with a beautiful and unique one.

What stands out in this picture book is Lacámara's ability to portray through her paintings the endearing relationship between Dalia and her mother and their lives in harmony with nature. The expressions on their faces capture the happiness and warmth of a loving mother and daughter bond. Other characters in the book, Señora Dominguez, Señora Soledad and Soledad's daughters, all play supporting roles to Dalia's "hairy" journey and to their connection to the natural world. Through this all-women set of characters, we see a growing sense of community and a sympathetic portrayal of peculiar characters we can encounter in a rural neighborhood.

By situating their home in rural Cuba, the author incorporates the Caribbean's particular flora and fauna into the story. Through beautiful landscapes that fill the book with a graphical sense of the fresh air and natural environment of this tropical island, the book introduces young readers to different components of the natural world: royal palms, sugar cane fields, wild tamarinds, moonflowers, coontie plants, wild violets, caterpillars, birds, fireflies, ponds, and the ocean. Even the characters' clothing are filled with flowers and leaf patterns, giving us powerful images that convey a reverence to the natural world. Continue reading.

Dalia's Wondrous Hair (El Cabello Maravilloso de Dalia) [eBook - NC Kids Digital Library] by Laura Lacámara
Published by Arte Publico Press on 2017
Genres: Bilingual, Latinx
Reading Level: Grade K, Grades 1-2, Grades 3-5
ISBN: 9781518504617
Review Source: Latinx in Kid Lit

Publisher's Synopsis: One night, while Dalia slept safely wrapped in her mother's cool silken sheets, her hair grew and grew. By the time the rooster crowed, her hair had "grown straight up to the sky, tall and thick as a Cuban royal palm tree." Her mother was amazed, and wondered what her daughter would do with her wondrous hair. As Dalia looked at the flowers blooming in the garden, an idea sprouted inside her. She decorated her hair with leaves from the forest and mud from the marsh. Her mother was puzzled and could not imagine what she was. "Are you a leaf-crusted mud-tree?" she guessed incorrectly. That night, while Dalia slept safely cocooned in her mama's sheets, something stirred and unfolded. When the rooster crowed, the girl ran outside and everyone watched in awe as she carefully unwrapped her towering hair. Could it be? Is Dalia a . . . blossoming butterfly tree?!? In this whimsical bilingual picture book, Dalia's hair becomes a magical force of nature, a life-giving cocoon. Author and illustrator Laura Lacámara once again delights children ages 4-9 with her vibrant illustrations and an imaginative story about a girl's fanciful encounters with nature. Bonus features include a guide for how to create your own butterfly garden at home, as well as a bilingual glossary of select plant and animal species native to the island of Cuba.

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Dalia's Wondrous Hair - Social Justice Books

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Review Author Sujei Lugo Review Source: Latinos in Kid Lit Book Author: DESCRIPTION FROM THE BOOK: A Cuban girl transforms her long and unruly hair into a garden. MY TWO CENTS: In this bilingual picture book, with a Spanish translation by Gabriela Baeza Ventura, Laura Lacámara brings us a whimsical Caribbean tale of a young Cuban girl and [...]

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This book is rooted in Mexican folklore, but also acknowledges first day of school jitters. It's an #ownvoices title, both written and illustrated by Latinx people. This would be a great read aloud during the first week of school and make a great display. I am purchasing one for a read aloud and one for display so that it is always available.

Higuera, D. B., & Perdomo, J. (2021). El Cucuy is scared, too! Abrams Books for Young Readers.

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El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! [Barba Higuera, Donna, Perdomo, Juliana] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. El Cucuy Is Scared, Too!

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These headphones would make it much easier to listen to audiobooks on Libby or Read-alongs on Sora without the audible distraction of others. This may also help students who are emergent readers not feel so self-conscious about which books they are reading while around students who are more fluent in English.

Target Corp. (n.d.). Kids Altec Lansing Bluetooth Wireless Headphones. Target.com. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://www.target.com/p/guess-who-2-0-game/-/A-85008787#lnk=sametab

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Volume limiting technology at 85dB

Up to 4 hours of Bluetooth connection

Unlimited battery life via auxiliary input

Lightweight and foldable design

American Parent Association approved

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kids altec lansing bluetooth wireless headphones (mzx250)

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Kids Altec Lansing Bluetooth Wireless Headphones (MZX250)

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Read reviews and buy Kids Altec Lansing Bluetooth Wireless Headphones (MZX250) at Target. Choose from Same Day Delivery, Drive Up or Order Pickup. Free standard shipping with $35 orders. Expect More. Pay Less.

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With these Kindles, Libby and Sora can be downloaded. Students can have Alexa read any books downloaded from Libby and transferred to the Kindle App so that students can listen to the book while reading it. Alexa can also help read words and give definitions. Alexa has a multilingual mode where it can understand Spanish and English when speaking to it, which could help our ENLs feel more independent.

Amazon. (n.d.). Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet 8" - 32GB. Target. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://www.target.com/p/amazon-fire-hd-8-kids-edition-tablet-8-32gb/-/A-81795761?preselect=79804938#lnk=sametab

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amazon fire hd 8 kids edition tablet 8" - 32gb

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Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet 8" - 32GB

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Read reviews and buy Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet 8" - 32GB at Target. Choose from Same Day Delivery, Drive Up or Order Pickup. Free standard shipping with $35 orders. Expect More. Pay Less.

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Junior Learning Rainbow Phonics Magnetic Letters, 85 Pieces $34.90/ea

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Junior Learning Rainbow Phonics Magnetic Letters, 85 Pieces $34.90/ea

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Emergent readers can practice English letter sound recognition as well as practice digraphs, vowels, consonants, and more with this color-coded set.

Target Corp. (n.d.). Junior Learning Rainbow Phonics Magnetic Letters. Target.com. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://www.target.com/p/junior-learning-rainbow-phonics-magnetic-letters-85-pieces/-/A-86937125#lnk=sametab

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Junior Learning Rainbow Phonics Magnetic Letters, 85 Pieces

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Read reviews and buy Junior Learning Rainbow Phonics Magnetic Letters, 85 Pieces at Target. Choose from contactless Same Day Delivery, Drive Up and more.

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Jenga is a fun game, but have you ever tried sight-word Jenga?  With a sharpie and some levels of sight words, Jenga becomes a fun way of practicing words you can't read phonemically.  Ordering three so that I can level the sight words for emergent, beginner and more fluent readers.  For added practice, students will pull a block, read the word, and then say it in a sentence.  Their peers can join in the fun.

Target Corp. (n.d.). Jenga Game. Target.com. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://www.target.com/p/jenga-game/-/A-11199378#lnk=sametab

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Want a game experience that combines friends, skill, suspense, laughter, and a little luck? Carefully pull a Jenga block out of the tower and place it on top. It's easy at first, but as more blocks get pulled, the Jenga tower starts to get unsteady. Players will be on the edge of their seats just trying to keep the tower from tumbling. The classic Jenga game is quick to set up, and can be played just about anytime, almost anywhere. It's a great game for parties, family game night, and the rules are simple enough for the whole family to play. For kids ages 6 and up. How do you Jenga?

* Includes 54 Jenga blocks, stacking sleeve with instructions.
* Ages 6 and up
* For 1 or more players.

Jenga is a registered trademark of Pokonobe Associates.
How Do You Jenga? Is a trademark owned by Pokonobe Associates
Hasbro Gaming and all related trademarks and logos are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc.

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Want a game experience that combines friends, skill, suspense, laughter, and a little luck? Carefully pull a Jenga block out of the tower and place it on top. It's easy at first, but as more blocks get pulled, the Jenga tower starts to get unsteady.

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Guess Who is a fun way of supporting language.  Students will ask have fun asking and answering detailed questions in order to solve the mystery of who the mystery character is.  Purchasing three because it is a two person game and it would be very popular at a station.

Target Corp. (n.d.). Guess Who 2.0 Game. Target.com. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://www.target.com/p/guess-who-2-0-game/-/A-85008787#lnk=sametab

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Bring back childhood memories of playing the classic Guess Who? board game, and introduce this edition of the original guessing game to your kids and grandkids. With the Guess Who? game for kids and adults, each player chooses a mystery character card and then using yes or no questions, they try to figure out the other player's mystery person. The family game features 2 sets of double-sided character sheets including one with superhero characters. The character sheets easily slide in and out of the frame, making this classic game for kids a breeze to set up. This travel game has the convenient fold-up case which makes it a great choice for on-the-go play. The Guess Who? 2-player game is a great indoor activity for kids ages 6 and up. Childrens board games make excellent kids gifts.

Hasbro Gaming and all related terms are trademarks of Hasbro.

* Includes 2 frames, 2 double-sided character sheets, and instructions.
* Ages 6 and up
* For 2 players.
* Adult assembly required.

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Bring back childhood memories of playing the classic Guess Who? board game, and introduce this edition of the original guessing game to your kids and grandkids. With the Guess Who? game for kids and adults, each player chooses a mystery character card and then using yes or no questions, they try to figure out the other player's mystery person.