Have you noticed that most of the Spanish children’s books that receive mainstream attention are for children under 4 or 5 years old? I recently became concerned that my son and all of the Spanish-speaking children I know would reach an age when Spanish literature (translated or original) would be impossible to find. Then, in a moment of great synchronicity, I happened to run into a display of Spanish chapter books at my local bookstore. ¡Entonces, existen!
While it would be great if young bilingual readers were exposed to authentic Spanish literature, the following list of translated books is a good way to keep your little bookworms interested in their native language. It includes some of my childhood favorites; I wish I had been able to read them in two languages in elementary school!
Visit La Tiendita to get started on summer reading in Spanish with your 2nd-5th graders.
Esperanza renace by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Yo, Naomi León by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Ramona la chinche by Beverly Cleary
Ramona empieza el curso by Beverly Cleary
El ratoncito de la moto by Beverly Cleary
La telaraña de Carlota by E.B. White
Charlie y la fábrica de chocolate by Roald Dahl
James y el melocotón gigante by Roald Dahl
La casa del árbol: Dinosaurios al atardecer by Mary Pope Osborne
La caseta mágica by Norton Juster
Tuck para siempre by Natalie Babbitt
Perfect! Love reading about spanish books for older kids. These are all loved classics…would also love to hear about spanish authors for older kids or bilingual books.
Thanks, Marcela. I will keep that in mind for a future list!
So true, Chelsea…finding books in Spanish for my kids used to be relatively easy, but it’s getting harde.! I was just about to purchase some of the Beverly Cleary books in Spanish, I’m curious to see how the translation reads!
Let us know how your kids enjoy them. I’m curious about whether or not the reading level translates directly, especially if some children are not as advanced in Spanish reading as they are in English.
A great list of translated chapter books! I really like Pam Muñoz Ryan’s work. And if you are looking for chapter books by Spanish authors, check out my suggestions here:
http://www.mommymaestra.com/2011/06/chapter-books-in-spanish.html
Thanks, Chelsea!
¡Gracias, Monica!
I really wish more of these books were available on the Kindle. I am pretty sure that within a few years our local elementary schools will be have the kids use ebooks.
you mofo bish
your not a mofo your all mofos
Do you have suggestions for chapter books actually written in Spanish originally?
My children have loved Mi Monstruo Burrufu (Alberto Corral), the Cocina de Monstruos series, and the Agus y los Monstruos series. (Do you see the theme?) We try to find non-translation stories so that they have a more rich experience with the language. I actually came on hoping to find a new series or a few stand alones.