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Title details for El español es la lengua de mi familia by Michael Genhart - Available

El español es la lengua de mi familia

by Michael Genhart
John Parra
ebook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
An intergenerational story of family ties, cultural pride, and spelling bee victory following a young boy who bonds with his beloved abuela over a love of Spanish.
As a boy prepares for his school’s Spanish spelling bee, he asks his grandmother for help with some of the words he doesn’t know how to spell yet. When she studies with him, she tells him how different things were back when she was a girl, when she was only allowed to speak English in school. This only inspires him to study even harder and make his family proud.
Based on stories author Michael Genhart heard from his mother as a child, Spanish is the Language of My Family is about the joy of sharing cultural heritage with our families, inspired by the generations of Latino people were punished for speaking Spanish and the many ways new generations are rejuvenating the language.

Michael Genhart’s text is as touching as it is poignant, and it’s paired with the striking artwork of multiple Pura Belpre Award-Winning Illustrator John Parra. Extensive material at the back of the book includes essays from the author about the history of Spanish suppression in U.S. schools and information about the Spanish alphabet.
A Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Award-Winning Book
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Chicago Public Library 'Best of the Best' Book
Named to the Tejas Star Reading List

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 11, 2023

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780823455461
    Kindle restrictions

  • Languages

    • Spanish; Castilian

  • Levels

    • ATOS Level: 2
    • Interest Level: K-3(LG)
    • Text Difficulty: 0-1

  • Reviews

    • School Library Journal

      Starred review from June 1, 2023

      K-Gr 3-Little Michael signs up for the annual Spanish spelling bee offered at his school, and he is excited about entering because Spanish is the language that his family speaks. He practices various words with the help of his family members, especially his grandmother. As they practice, his abuela tells stories about how she and her friends were only allowed to speak English at school or they would be punished, sent home, or hit with a paddle. As Michael wins the spelling bee, he knows that he and his family win more than just a ribbon, but they also win healing and love. Parra's art is impeccable, offering rich conversations even within the illustrations. VERDICT A beautifully designed read-aloud that celebrates the importance of knowing more than one language, while also shedding light on what first-generation immigrants went through to make that possible today.-Melanie Ortega

      Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • The Horn Book

      Starred review from July 1, 2023
      Genhart highlights the love between a grandson and his abuela through their connection with the Spanish language. Narrator Manolo signs up to compete in his school's Spanish spelling bee. While he practices, Abuela tells him stories of how she was not allowed to speak Spanish in school, recounting the punishment and shame doled out to her and her classmates. After hearing about her experiences, Manolo is more determined than ever to study, and ultimately triumphs at the spelling bee. With a vivid color palette, Parra's acrylic and digital illustrations bring warmth and brightness to Genhart's story, which smoothly incorporates Spanish words and phrases within the text. Extensive back matter explains how Spanish was frequently prohibited in schools in the Southwest, especially from the 1930s through 1960s, causing many families not to pass on their language to their children. The National Spanish Spelling Bee, first held in 2011, is an effort "to change the history of negative attitudes toward Spanish and to raise its status in the United States." A Spanish alphabet, pronunciation guide, and selected references are appended. Concurrently published in Spanish as El espanol es la lengua de mi familia. Yesica Hurd

      (Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
Kindle restrictions

subjects

Languages

  • Spanish; Castilian

Levels

  • ATOS Level:2
  • Interest Level:K-3(LG)
  • Text Difficulty:0-1

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