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Last week, I covered a new, children's book, Boy Zorro and the Bully (El Niño Zorro y el Peleón), by Kat Aragon. My post opened with "U.S. readers definitely need more and more diverse books. Especially for children, both Anglo and the marginalized children of color. A bilingual book by Kat Aragon, published last month, relates to that need, as well as to the U.S. sickness of bullying."
I closed with, "Our First Voice books should aspire to be superior to others being written. If expecting books to meet such a standard offends someone, I prefer that to my saying nothing about our literature needing improvement. And when mine are published, I'll ask help holding them to similar standards. To help publicize Zorro, I'll give the author, publisher, and illustrator, for that matter, space here if they would like to explain more about the book."
The author and the publisher sent responses to my post and as promised, I include them below, as well as some others. Reading the original post will likely help you understand what's said below.
Reviews of any book are inherently done from personal perspectives; it's simply part of human frailty. Which is why authors sometimes disagree with their reviewers. Based on what follows, I displeased some people, got confused or maybe even don't understand certain things. I do sometimes do that. Although my review can't be considered thorough, it was my best attempt.
Normally, Anglo reviewers don't necessarily go "light" on Anglo writers, except insofar as they go "heavy" on ethnic writers or lit that's not part of the Anglo world. I believe Chicanos, Latinos, all People of Color also need to be as insightful and honest about "their" literature and writers. Maybe, more so.
Back in the 60s-70s, we Chicanos tended to hide our differences, not criticize ourselves in front of Anglos and generally looked with disdain on any Raza who dared to find fault in the Chicano Movimiento, its leaders or its politics. I tried not to be one of those. I continue to try to practice honesty in my writing and in assessing that of others. According to the author and publisher of Zorro, at least, I didn't do that in their case. You decide.
1. Rudy. Rudy. Rudy. You practically missed the book altogether. Starting with the misclassification of it as “A Latino Book”. This is a book about “Bullying”. You made it a book about Latinos and then used the book as a platform to go off into different tangents about race, skin color, lack of female representation, and injecting the word “punishment” -implying a negative connotation, as though it is related to the injustice of the system – which is indeed a problem, but not in this book.
A children’s book about a bully, that happens to be inclusive of Latinos, particularly Mr. Ramos the principal, and the iconic Mexican character Zorro, should be commended, not torn apart for not addressing every single issue regarding race. Are you helping or hurting those who actually do something in the world to provide quality education in today’s world with our Latino families?
The fact that I selected a publisher (and there aren’t too many), that focuses on bilingual books as a way to be inclusive of Spanish-speaking immigrant parents, and provides a practical solution to include Spanish-speaking parents in the discussion at schools, with language, reading and educational opportunities to improve our society, should be commended not slighted. - Kat A. - Author [of Zorro], Educator
2. I am the publisher at Lectura Books and I would love to clarify the intent of this special book – Boy Zorro and The Bully. The book is quite timely and is intended for the support of very young elementary kids, as a way to have discussions about the topic of bullying and what to do if they experience it, or witness it.
The Boy Zorro character, Benny, is very young, and the Zorro outfit was a creative expression of his young imagination, and perhaps his fascination with superheroes.
Boy Zorro does the right thing by having an adult handle the bully. And, doing the right thing, at the risk of being called a name like “snitch,” takes true courage.
Bullying is a serious topic today, and goes beyond teasing and snitching. Actual bullying happens over and over and creates ongoing fear in the victim – which is the case with the Big Ricky character in the book. Mr. Ramos, the principal, does the right thing, stays strong, and all outcomes are favorable – no matter their skin color or race.
As you can see from the text, Boy Zorro doesn’t “make a difference” simply by going to the principal. He ultimately makes a difference by taking it to the right person (instead of trying to fight the bully), who will bring it to the school community for discussion, accountability and policy.
As a child development expert, I love how this book spells out the consequences so that kids, parents, and teachers know what to expect. It’s also important that the offender, Big Ricky, had an opportunity to see that his actions were unacceptable and would not be tolerated in their community, and yes, there are real world consequences. Consequences should be spelled out clearly and followed through, as in every good parenting and leadership situation.
It’s true, this is a complex time in our society, which is reflected in our schools and I don’t think anyone has an easy fix for bullying. But, I do know that having ongoing discussions, about what is acceptable and what are the consequences, is a terrific model for parents, kids, teachers, and administrators. The book also has an age-appropriate play for young school kids to perform in front of their school community, which invites further opportunity to open up the lines of communication.
If you’d like more bilingual books with girls, boys, people of different colors, histories, traditions, and socioeconomic diversity, visit our website at: www.LecturaBooks.com - Katherine Del Monte, Publisher
3. I like the main character Boy Zorro and his fighting against Bullying. Putting aside the issue of light v. dark skin, the illustrations are great. Hopefully, Zorrito will appear in follow-up books fighting other problems. - Author Giora
4. I like the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of your review. I also like how you offer space to those who created the book for their comments. I remember some awful moments in school, some more terrifying than others. If I had told my Father everything, I feel certain he would've had me transferred -- I was a kid, and valued being with friends more than safety. I think it's great to teach kids how to deal and I also like adult awareness. I also agree that bullies won't teach themselves how and why to stop. Great post, Rudy! - Sylvia Riojas, Independent Writing and Editing Professional
5. Very good review, Rudy. You've really covered all of the pros and cons. Bullying happens both within and outside of cultures and needs to be always in our minds to protect children and show them how to work with and survive it. This book is a good start. - L. M. (Linda) Quinn, Marketing/Technical Writer Living and Writing in L.A.
6. Rudy, as always, you are honest, straightforward, and insightful in your comments. I, for one, appreciate this. No book is perfect. You pointed out plenty of good points about this book, so the author, illustrator, and publisher should feel good. Re: the cons, every book has some. Hearing honest reviews helps us authors keep pushing the envelope toward higher and higher quality. Thanks for not insulting us by expecting less. - Thelma T. Reyna, author
Final aviso: This post is not intended as a literary boxing ring. In my mind, there are no sides. There are opinions, and that's all they are. Anyone who chooses to comment to this post should keep in mind that only "constructive" criticism will improve "our" literature, assuming you include yourself in the "our."
Es todo, hoy,
Kat Aragon, illustrated by Mary Jo Madrid,
The Oldest House in the USA/La casa mas antigua de los Estados Unidos
Lectura Books, 2012.
Ages: 6-8
Perhaps the best thing about The Oldest House in the USA, in my admittedly biased opinion, is that the author got it right: the oldest house in the USA is in Santa Fe, New Mexico (not far from where I grew up), and nowhere in New England.
There is a tendency in the United States to propagate the myth of European “discovery” which would suggest that this land was all but uninhabited before the Mayflower arrived in Massachusetts in 1620. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, the oldest house in the USA was already 400 years old by then and had already endured its first serious remodeling project!
It was built, as the angels Teresa and Annie who protect it in Kat Aragon’s charming bilingual picture book, tell us, in 1200 by the original inhabitants of what is now Santa Fe: the ancestral Puebloans. They lived in the house for more than 200 years before something mysteriously drove them away. It remained vacant until the Spaniards came in 1598 and has been continuously inhabited ever since.
The angels provide the narrative, and Mary Jo Madrid’s lovely watercolor illustrations help us realize that the house has been many things to many people over its 800 year history. The Pueblo people were living in the house again, for instance, in 1680 during the Pueblo Revolt when they managed to drive out the Spanish for a brief time. When the Spaniards came back, however, in 1692 under the leadership of General DeVargas, they recaptured the house and installed the Spanish governor there. DeVargas gave his name to the street the house sits on, and so it remains to this day.
The Oldest House in the USA offers readers a glimpse of a part of US history that is very different from the one that is usually packaged up for school children, one that is no less rich or interesting. Most children will see architecture and customs completely unfamiliar to them depicted in the illustrations, which will open their eyes to the many possibilities contained in the history of the Americas when we take the time to look a little more deeply.
Abigail Sawyer
December 2012
Nation’s only bilingual children’s book publisher dedicated to Parent Involvement works to improve educational opportunities for Latino families.
Lectura Books, the nation’s only bilingual children’s book publisher dedicated to Parent Involvement, today announced that it will be releasing five new titles in May 2012. The books focus on building vocabulary, English-language proficiency, and increased home reading routines for preschool and early elementary children and their parents.
According to the US Census, Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States. One in four children under the age of five is Hispanic. But Hispanics have the lowest education attainment in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
In a recent report released by the White House and the U.S. Department of Education, President Obama stated “There is no doubt that the future of the United States is inextricably tied to the future of the Hispanic community.”
“It makes sense to publish books and parent involvement curricula for the fastest growing population of the ELL segment,” says Katherine Del Monte, Publisher of Lectura Books.
Del Monte explains, “Parents who speak Spanish are very interested in being involved in their child’s education, but often do not know how to help their children because the homework is in English. Bilingual books allow parents to participate. They can read the story in Spanish and learn new English vocabulary with their children at the same time. It’s a win-win situation for children, parents, schools and for our society.”
Birdie Flies Away / Pajarillo se va volando
Story by Kat Aragon | Illustrations by Andrea Yomtob
ISBN: 978-1-60448-022-1 | Paperback | $8.95
8” x 10” | Ages 2 to 4 | 24 pages
Bilingual in English & Spanish
Pub Date: MAY 2012
Young preschoolers will find comfort in this delightful story about a little bird that slowly gains the courage to leave his nest and explore the world. Includes an illustrated bilingual glossary of vocabulary found in the book.
I See the World / Yo veo el mundo
Story by Tom Luna | Illustrations by Christina Song
ISBN: 978-1-60448-020-7 | Paperback | $8.95
8” x 10” | Ages 2 to 4 | 24 pages
Bilingual in English & Spanish
Pub Date: MAY 2012
"The parallel texts in English and Spanish introduce animals under the sea, in the forest and on the farm. Children learn names of familiar items in the backyard, at the playground, and in the garage. Christina Song's collage illustrations use simple shapes and clear colors to make finding the named objects easy." Minnesota State University, Center for Children's /Young Adult Books.
This charming vocabulary-building book for the preschool set will help children improve and expand their knowledge of English and Spanish words. Includes a bilingual glossary of vocabulary found in the book.
![](https://bp2.blogger.com/_WWBeQXgXTX8/SCFJxzRcchI/AAAAAAAAAzI/xnkLvRG0mX8/s400/SharkSm.jpg)
The Shark That Taught Me English/
El tiburón que me enseñó inglés
By Michelle Markel
Illustrations by Bo Young Kim
Summary: In The Shark That Taught Me English, a young girl named Sofia comes to the United States from Mexico with her family and doesn’t speak a word of English. When she arrives at school, she struggles with the seemingly insurmountable language barrier. Sofia only scrapes by with the help of another Spanish-speaking student, until one day her teacher develops a simple yet ingenious method to help Sofia understand English. The shark that taught me English brings to life the linguistic experiences of generations of immigrants who struggle to learn a new language. In this book a young schoolgirl learns that even something as dangerous as a shark can bring positive change in one’s life.
![](https://bp2.blogger.com/_WWBeQXgXTX8/SCFJ7zRcciI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/TOKZK1F52FQ/s400/TeoCover.jpg)
Teo in Palo Verde/ Teo en Palo Verde
By Adam Del Rio
Illustrations by Noel Ill
Summary: The second installment in the award-winning Teo character series, Teo in Palo Verde continues the story of Teo and his family who have just moved to a completely new area in Los Angeles. Though fast to find friends and happy in his new home, Teo soon learns that others are not as fortunate. Teo’s innate curiosity and good nature lead him to reach out and do what he can to help a young girl and her grandmother. This adorable story about helping others teaches us that even the smallest token of kindness is not only greatly appreciated, but can help truly connect us to other people.
![](https://bp1.blogger.com/_WWBeQXgXTX8/SCFKDjRccjI/AAAAAAAAAzY/sZovLc-2yBI/s400/Carlito.jpg)
Carlito’s Story / La historia de Carlito
By Max Benavidez & Katherine Del Monte
Summary: In Carlito’s Story, we are reintroduced to the Rodriguez family from Graciela’s Dream. This time we follow Carlito, the younger brother of Graciela, through his adolescent journey. Though naturally creative, Carlito is held back by the gang lifestyle that is idealized on the streets of poor neighborhoods in the big city. This book outlines one family’s attempt at rerouting a lost child with limitless potential before he goes too far down the wrong path.
I upgraded to WordPress 2.3.1 because it was a “security” upgrade, meaning that after the One True Upgrade was released, people found holes in it. But I’m now experiencing very peculiar editing problems (that naturally mess with my ability to do my presentation through WordPress… Satan is in my software this week).
The big problem is “mushing.” If I try a series of paragraphs:
Now is the time for all good men
Bananas are fun to throw at monkeys
I like cheese, toasted mostly
Sometimes the list “sticks,” and sometimes it doesn’t; sometimes the words scrunch together into one paragraph. And sometimes the space between a period and the first letter of the next word gets mushed together as well.
I haven’t seen this reported anywhere… I don’t have any administrative plugins… grrrrr.
We have all kinds of weird things on 2.3—mostly that sometimes, for no apparent reason, you can’t use the visual editor anymore–you just get a blank screen. Strange, strange.
Karen, I have not seen them on other blogs yet. I hesitated to upgrade whilst just starting another blog. Gald I didn’t follow trough
Me too, that’s how I came across this page while googling. Is it just a problem with 2.3? It’s extremely annoying to add code to the “code” tab and having it removed everytime i switch to the visual side. Is this typical of Wordpress? 2.3 is my first version…….about to bail on it. Horrible.
WoW!ter, this problem is most evident on the editing side… and it’s intermittent. nOs, I won’t twist your arm on WordPress though before 2.3.1 I felt life was pretty good.
I was also bothered by how heavily WordPress bandwagoned the 2.3* release without adequately warning users how it would break so many plugins, and now it sounds as if it were not adequately tested.
I’m waiting (one beat, two beats) for someone to say “but it’s free.”![;-)](http://freerangelibrarian.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
I am experiencing the same problem! I installed a new copy of WP 2.3.1 last night and have the same problem. Its a fresh install. Can I go back somehow or will WP sort this out sharpish. I am using a Mac, editing with Safari. I wonder is it browser based??
I’m also having this problem and upon googling it I’ve seen that there are numerous people with this incident. The last thing that i would ever want to do is have to downgrade because I love the improvements that have actually been made to wordpress in 2.3 however, I have a multi-user blog setup for usage in the entire state of Missouri and while I am knowledgeable of coding and such, the vast majority of contributers to the site are not and this is a very annoying issue. Do you know if anyone is working on a fix, whether they’re from the actual WP developement team or not?
Tyler, I don’t know if anyone is working on a fix, but I’m glad to at least have this validated. Tomorrow I will try to figure out how to contact someone on the core development team.
Chris, I’m using Firefox on XP, and have also seen this in IE… it’s not browser-based, it’s not theme-based, it’s not (as far as I can tell) plugin based. eek.
Tyler, if you post some of those links let me know; I’ll watch askimet and pull out the post![:-)](http://freerangelibrarian.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)