Content: G
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
12yo Santiago is headed to Hillside Valley to spend a month with his Abuela, and he is terrified! Abuela Emma mostly speaks Spanish, and while his mother and father tried raising him in a bilingual home, speaking was difficult for Santi. In HIllside Valley he meets some local kids who invite him to join their secret soccer club and play in the local tournament at the end of the month. Things are starting to look up for Santi until he overhears Abuela Emma and her friends laughing about his broken accent. As his embarrassment turns to anger, Santi starts taking his feelings out on everyone around him. After a particularly aggressive soccer practice, Santi even finds himself kicked off the team. Not only is he upset, but he returns home to find Abuela Emma has fallen and suffered a hairline fracture. Amidst the chaos of the hospital and doctor visits, Santiago learns to speak up and offers to care for his Abuela.
You don’t have to be learning a new language to empathize with Santiago. His experiences with embarrassment, fear, and betrayal are common emotions many of us feel when breaking out of our comfort zones or learning to speak up. The illustration style is brightly colored and the bilingual text is handled in a way that makes the reader feel as if they are learning Spanish along with Santiago. The Spanish word bubbles at the beginning of the novel have blacked out words, indicating Santi is only picking up half a conversation. As his Spanish improves, English translations begin popping up next to the Spanish word bubbles.There is a special author and illustrator note in the back that talks about their personal insecurities about being a second-generation Latino or learning Spanish.
Santiago’s father is Colombian and his mother is Irish/French.
E. Powell - Junior High Librarian
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