SB Finds : Books + Libros

I knew I would be impressed with the Chorrito series by Pacific Learning before it even arrived in the mail, but it was better than I expected. I cannot express how impressed I am with these books. The Chorrito I package comes with 20 excellent, entertaining, and well-illustrated stories and a Cuentos y canciones CD that includes story audio plus adorable sound effects and the songs whose lyrics are at the end of each book. The stories are about everythingRead More ...

I recently learned there’s something called the immigrant paradox or “the evidence that immigrants, even those from poor, violent lands who live hard lives in the United States, tend to be physically and mentally healthier than the rest of us.” A lot has to do with the customs and traditions that immigrants bring to their adopted land, as journalist Claudia Kolker discovered and decided to put into a book, The Immigrant Advantage, which was just published. As an immigrant myself, just readingRead More ...

Great news from Putumayo Kids: they’ve expanded their children’s music line to include Africa, Europe and Latin America coloring books and sticker collections as part of their new World Culture books. And you’re going to love them! I’ve always liked what Putumayo already does in terms of music, so I was pretty curious to see their new products in the publishing arena. I was not disappointed at all. We got the Latin America sticker collection which is a hardcover “book”Read More ...

While we are busy dressing our little ones for trick-or-treating and attending costume parties, los mexicanos are putting on calacas and honoring the deceased in the traditional Aztec ritual, el Día de los Muertos. On November 1st and 2nd, Mexicans (and some in other parts of Central America) visit cemeteries, build altars for loved ones in their homes, and enjoy a feast featuring pan de muerto. Even if this is not your family’s tradition, you can take advantage of theRead More ...

As many of you know, around this time last year, we started our trilingual adventures with Little Pim in an effort to teach Vanessa my third language, French. While I haven’t been as consistent as I would’ve liked to, Vanessa tells everyone who’s willing to listen that she speaks three languages! The good thing about learning French with Little Pim (or any other of the nine languages they offer) is that it’s a complete package. They have the DVDs –Read More ...

My daughter just experienced her first Scholastic Book Fair at school. I volunteered to work the fair a couple of days, not only because I wanted to help, but also because I wanted to see her in action. And, it was just as I expected, she was in book heaven! I helped her, and her little friends, fill out her wish list and a few days later we went back to the fair and got her a couple of theRead More ...

Given that we are in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), we should pause to examine the meaning of being Latino in this country. Though I cannot count myself in this ethnic group, I am interested in staying abreast of Latino contributions to America because my entire world is wrapped up in the language and culture of this rapidly expanding population. One of the easiest, and most enjoyable, ways for me to delve into theRead More ...

 This is my new favorite bilingual children’s book! Rubber Shoes…A lesson in gratitude is an adorable story by Gladys Elizabeth Barbieri about a young girl (by the same name) who goes shopping for new shoes with her mother. When she can’t get the sparkly ballet slippers she wants, and instead receives a pair of zapatos de goma, little Gladys is disappointed and embarrassed. She tries her hardest to destroy or lose the shoes, but fails to rid herself of theRead More ...