I recently recommended this to someone and was all set to send a link to my review, only to be shocked that I’d never written it up! It’s a great family read if you’re in one of the frozen parts of the country right now. Tia Lola will bring plenty of warmth and excitement to your house, just as she brightened snowy Vermont for her niece and nephew. I taught this in my third grade class for years as part of an immigration unit and it was a hit. It was great having a modern option that was really accessible to third graders.
Juanita and Miguel’s parents are getting a divorce. They’ve ended up in rural Vermont with their mother, while their father remains in New York City. Now their Aunt, Tia Lola is coming for a visit. Miguel is not exactly thrilled. Back home, he had lots of friends who looked like him. Here in Vermont people make fun of his last name, Guzman. He just can’t help feeling that he stands out and Tia Lola makes him even more noticeable. As time goes by, Miguel slowly gets used to his new life in no small part, thanks to Tia Lola. The adjustments that Tia Lola makes in her move to America are echoed on a smaller scale by Miguel’s experience moving from a largely Dominican neighborhood in NYC to rural Vermont. The book culminates in a trip to the Dominican Republic, where Miguel gets to meet his extended family and realizes just how much he would lose if Tia Lola doesn’t choose to return home to Vermont with them.
Age Recommendation: Grades 3-5. As the content on this is very clean, this would also be a good choice for younger readers who are looking for books with a greater difficulty level. Alvarez has peppered the book with Spanish phrases but translates them or makes their meaning clear by context. This is a great reading experience for kids to have as it prepares them for more difficult works that rely on context alone for foreign language inclusion. Alvarez also helps younger readers by not leaving things unsaid. When A friend says that Miguel will have no trouble making the team because he’s Dominican and baseball comes naturally to Dominicans, Miguel’s father points out to Miguel that the friend is stereotyping and Miguel will make the team with hard work. When children read independently, it can help when authors spell out exactly what is and isn’t acceptable rather than rely on the children to infer it all.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – “heck”, “fundillo” (which if you look up in a translator online will say “bum, backside or ass”),
Death, Violence and Gore – Mami’s mother died when she was only 3. Tia Lola ended up taking care of Mami.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – They see an ad that shows a cowboy smoking a cigarette.
Frightening or Intense Things – Miguel tells his sister that Tia Lola could be deported if people find out that she’s there. He’s lying to her, but that might not be immediately apparent to readers. Miguel has some difficulties coming to terms with his parents divorce. In the Dominican Republic Miguel sees children dressed in rags who clean your car’s windshield for change. He learns many of them don’t have parents.
