Category Archives: Young Adult Books
Book review: Meg Medina’s “The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind”
The lead character in The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind (Candlewick Press), by Meg Medina, has an unique problem. Sonia Ocampo was born during a terrible storm in the poor village of Tres Campos. Villagers considered it a miracle … Continue reading
Filed under Book Reviews, Young Adult Books, Fiction, 2012 Books
Meet novelist Meg Medina, author of “The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind”
Meg Medina began telling stories at a young age. Now she’s won awards and devoted audiences for those stories. The Cuban-American writer released her new young adult novel, The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind, (Candlewick Press) earlier this week. … Continue reading
Filed under 2012 Books, Author Q&A, Children's Books, Fiction, Young Adult Books
Book review: Francisco X. Stork’s “Irises”
In Francisco X. Stork’s young adult novel Irises (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic), the Romero sisters lived a life so strict that one of them had never been to the mall. Their father, a pastor, “literally thought the devil was going … Continue reading
Filed under 2012 Books, Book Reviews, Fiction, Young Adult Books
In the news: Arizona, awards, Mexico, Marquez, Saenz
Arizona: • Wednesday will mark a National Day of Solidarity in which educators across the country are encouraged to teach the controversial Tucson, Ariz., school district curriculum – including Latino-themed books such as Occupied America. The district put away the … Continue reading
Filed under Awards, Children's Books, News, Young Adult Books
In the news
• Awards: Pam Muñoz Ryan picked up the PEN Center USA award in Children/YA Literature earlier this month for her children’s book about poet Pablo Neruda, The Dreamer. Francisco Goldman took the Prix Femina Étranger, a French literary award, for … Continue reading
Filed under 2011 Books, Awards, Children's Books, Young Adult Books
In the news
• Puerto Rican/Cuban-American poet Piri Thomas (pictured at left) passed away last week. His book, Down These Mean Streets, described his life growing up in Spanish Harlem and became a staple in classrooms, according to this New York Times obituary. … Continue reading
Filed under 2011 Books, Children's Books, Classic Authors, Events, News, Young Adult Books
Meet novelist Guadalupe Garcia McCall
The seeds for Guadalupe Garcia McCall’s career as a novelist began in school, when her teachers encouraged her to become a writer. McCall’s first young adult novel, Under the Mesquite, was published earlier this month by Lee & Low Books. … Continue reading
Filed under 2011 Books, Author Q&A, Fiction, Young Adult Books
Tough crowd
School will start soon, and many Hispanic teenagers will be stuck reading about white people again. When I taught English at a high school with a predominantly Hispanic population, I struggled to get my students to enjoy any type of … Continue reading
Filed under Fiction, Young Adult Books
