Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
Immigrant Stories: Life Along the Border
These stories convey the complexity of life along the U.S. border with Mexico, from the sacrifices that parents make in leaving their home behind for a new life to the separation of mixed-status families.
While there are a number of children's books about families from other Latin American countries, these stories focus on families who are crossing or living along the border with Mexico and what the border means to them. Some of the families depicted in the story have the means to cross with immigration papers; others do not, as in the story of a young boy who visits his mother in a detention center in Tijuana in From North to South — with or without papers, however, these stories are based on true life experiences of the authors, their family members, or their students.
We recommend educator discretion in selecting books for class discussion. If you would like further information about any of the titles, please contact us at info@colorincolorado.org.
From North to South
When Mamá is sent to a detention center in Tijuana because she doesn't have the right immigration papers, José must get used to life without her. He and his father visit Mamá at the center, where they talk about the future in which they will be together. Based on the experiences of René Colato Laínez's students, both he and illustrator Joe Cepeda strike the right balance of honesty and hope in depicting this difficult yet common situation for families along the border.
Going Home
Mama and Papa are excited to take a break from working in the fields and go home, but Carlos and his sisters are not sure how they feel about traveling to Mexico. Soon after arriving, however, they meet their loving extended family, and the children begin to understand what it meant for their parents to leave home in order to offer the family a better future. David Diaz's stunning illustrations layered on top of photos of Mexican folk art bring Eve Bunting's beautiful story to life.
My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aquí hasta allá
While the rest of the family proclaims excitement at their imminent move ("They have escalators to ride!" says one of her five brothers), Amada confides her fears to her journal: "Am I the only one who is scared of leaving our home, our beautiful country, and all the people we might never see again?" Amada Irma Pérez shares the story of her journey to the U.S. as a young girl and Maya Christina Gonzalez's fluid illustrations spill color across the page. Bilingual text.
My Name Is Jorge on Both Sides of the River
This collection of bilingual poems gives voice to a young boy who has recently come to the U.S. from Mexico. He wonders, for example, why he has suddenly lost all of his intelligence here if in his country he was smart. From getting a library card to making friends, Jorge must find ways to overcome the challenges of his new life. An excellent portrayal of the roller coaster that newcomers experience upon arrival in the U.S.
My Shoes and I
Mario is leaving El Salvador with a new pair of shoes — and a good thing, too, because he has a long and difficult journey ahead of him to reach a new country. His shoes carry him through rain and across mountains, all the way to the river where his mother is waiting on the other side. Young readers may need some information explaining the context of the story, which is based on the author's journey from El Salvador in 1985. Painted illustrations on grainy wood backgrounds match the gritty but hopeful tone of the story.
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My new assignment this year requires me to teach Math and Science to the upper and lower grades as well as Spanish-S to first grade and kindergarten. When I read about Colorin Colorado in the UTD magazine I was very excited. Thank you so very much and I look forward to learning more about you.
~ Rosie F.
