Recommended Teaching Resources - Spanish/Bilingual (Children)

DESCRIPTION: Magnificent color photographs and simple, engaging language capture the essence of one way we are special and different from one another--our skin color. Answers the "what and why" questions that children love to ask. Includes unique activity ideas.

DESCRIPTION: As a boy, Cesar Chavez lived in ramshackle sheds and slaved as a field hand. Things had to change, and he thought he could help change them. So Cesar spoke up . . . and an entire country listened. An author's note provides context for the life of the inspiring civil rights leader.

DESCRIPTION: "Did you come from the other side? You know, from Mexico?" So begins the friendship between Prietita and Joaquin, the young boy who, with his mother, has crossed the Rio Grande River to Texas in search of a new life. Prietita, a brave young Mexican American girl, defends Joaquin from the neighborhood kids who taunt him with shouts of "mojado" or "wetback." But what can she do to protect Joaquin and his mother from the Border Patrol as the van cruises slowly up the street toward their hiding place? Writer Gloria Anzaldua is a major Mexican American literary voice. Illustrator Consuelo Mendez is a noted Latin American artist. Both grew up in South Texas. In this, their first collaboration, they have captured not only the hardship of daily life on the border, but also the beauty of the landscape and the dignity and generosity of spirit that the Mexican Americans and the Mexican immigrants share.

DESCRIPTION: Told in both English and Spanish, this compelling tale features a young boy's encounter with the world of gangs, and how the love and respect of his uncle help him find a way out. Full color.

DESCRIPTION: We can do lots of things. So proclaim the five preschoolers that we meet in this book. Gina has spina bifida, David has Down syndrome, Sarah is blind, and Jewel and Emiliano have cerebral palsy. But that doesn't stop any of them from playing, learning or laughing. Glossary and resource list included.

DESCRIPTION: "'Wonderful!' That's the word that best describes this inspirational story about the 2000 janitors' strike in Los Angeles. Si, Se Puede! reminds us that victories can be won and that the future lies with the children we can inspire. I highly recommend this book for people of all ages"--Linda Chavez-Thompson, Executive Vice President, AFL-CIO. The victory of the Justice for Janitors Campaign in Los Angeles, conducted by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 1877, inspired Diana Cohn to write Si, Se Puede! The story honors the 8,000 janitors who, in April 2000, put down their mops and brooms and went on strike. Three weeks later-after receiving unparalleled solidarity from fellow workers, students and educators, religious leaders and elected officials from the community around them -- the janitors won a contract that brought them a living wage and respect and dignity for the work they perform.

DESCRIPTION: The author recalls the year when his farm worker parents settled down in the city so that he could go to school for the first time. Jaunito is bewildered by the new school and misses the warmth of country life. Everything he does feels upside down, and his tongue feels like a rock when he speaks English. But his sensitive teacher and loving family help him find his voice through poetry, art, and music. Full-color illustrations.