Ms. Nichols Reads

  Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan   Bibliography Ryan, Pam Munoz. 2002. New York, NY; Scholastic. ISBN 9780439120425 Plot Summary This is the story of Esperanza, the daughter of a wealthy farmer in Mexico. She is raised with servants and beautiful dolls and dresses, and anything her heart desires. All that changes in the blink of a moment when a fire takes everything from Esperanza, including her beloved father. Now Esperanza and her mother must escape to America where they will find jobs working in the fields of California. Life becomes very difficult for Esperanza, but with the help of her mother and some new friends and acquaintances, she learns to grow from her hardships.  Critical Analysis (Including cultural markers) The fact that this story begins in Mexico is a great reminder to the reader of all the cultural inclusiveness that comes with the Hispanic Culture. Spanish is continuously being thrown in the story to bring about a more realistic experience. The phys...

  Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales Bibliography Morales, Yuyi. 2014. VIVA FRIDA. New York, NY; Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 1596436034 Plot Summary This is a children’s illustrated book about the life of the famous Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. Portrayed as Kahlo’s inner thoughts and wishes, the reader seemingly becomes acquainted with a more personal side of the now immortalized artist.  Critical Analysis (Including cultural markers) There isn’t much to say about this story as a whole. I honestly was not a big fan of this book. I think there may have been about 40 words written in the entire story, and half of those include translations into English; that’s it. There could have been a bit more of a story line and I think I would have enjoyed it more. On the positive side, this book would be perfect for a student who is learning English because the entirety of it is written in Spanish, then translated into English. It is also great for beginning readers because of the sparse amount of w...

I am not your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez Bibliography Sanchez, Erika L. 2019. I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER. Toronto, ON; Penguin Random House Canada. ISBN 1524700517 Plot Summary This is the story of Julia Reyes, a 17 year old high school senior, looking forward to graduating and going off to college. Julia is trying to overcome the sudden death of her sister from a bus accident, while still attempting to please her overbearing and never satisfied Mexican immigrant parents. Through pain and time, Julie learns to love and accept her family for who they are and to understand what challenges they endured in their past lives to make them the way they are.  Critical Analysis (Including cultural markers) This story pulled at my heartstrings in more ways than one. There were so many layers to this book and I absolutely loved it! Although there were some more mature and graphic themes in this novel, I would recommend this story to high school girls, especially t...

Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico! By Pat Mora Bibliography Mora, Pat. 2007. YUM! MMMM! QUE RICO!. New York, NY; Lee & Low Books. ISBN 1600608922. Plot Summary Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico! Is an illustrated children’s book that depicts different foods that play an important role in the hispanic culture. These foods vary from blueberries, chiles, and chocolate to corn, cranberries, and papayas. Along with this wide variety of food, comes a short description of how that food came about.  Written in haiku format, Pat Mora presents a historical and culturally inclusive story that children will want to take a bite out of. Critical Analysis (Including cultural markers) This is a story, unlike any that I have read before. I wouldn’t even necessarily consider it a story, as there doesn’t seem to be a main character, or really a plot to go along with it. Actually, this book more-or-less discusses foods found in the hispanic culture and how it relates to certain scenarios.  The illustrations in this st...