Copyright Date:
2023
Edition Date:
2023
Release Date:
05/31/23
ISBN:
Publisher: 1-558-85968-3 Perma-Bound: 0-8000-6961-7
ISBN 13:
Publisher: 978-1-558-85968-5 Perma-Bound: 978-0-8000-6961-2
Dewey:
E
Language:
Spanish
Bilingual:
Yes
Reviews:
School Library Journal Starred Review
(Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Gr 1–4— Ren&3; goes to school for the first time and is very confused. He is trying to find his classroom, but the teachers and students don't speak Spanish. When he arrives, he tries to understand what is being asked of him and takes the tests he is given, but is laughed at and gets a big red F. He feels like he doesn't belong. With time, his Spanish-speaking friend Carlos and his soccer-loving friend Robert help him with his assignments and play with him at school. He thinks that maybe he belongs. As even more time passes, he is able to start reading and writing in English. His class cheers for him when he aces his spelling test. He finally feels as if he really does belong. When a new classmate joins the school only knowing Spanish, he reassures her that with time, she, too, will belong. VERDICT A bilingual text that offers an empathetic look at how immigrant children start to learn little by little, and adapt to their surroundings and friends. Recommended for all shelves.— Melanie Ortega
An immigrant boy stands "in the middle of a whirlwind of children," and wonders where he is supposed to go. Finally, a woman speaks to him in a language he doesn't understand and takes him to his classroom. A boy named Carlos helps orient him, but later when he reads aloud, everyone laughs at him. And when he gets an "F" on an assignment, he is sure "I do not belong here." But gradually the boy begins to learn English. He works hard. He always pays attention, finishes his homework and--most importantly--never gives up. He begins to recognize words. "I understand now. Open is abrir, books are libros and page is página." And when the kids invite him to play soccer, he thinks, "Maybe I belong here." As the boy's grades improve and he make friends, he realizes, "I belong here." And when he sees a girl looking lost, sure she doesn't belong, he can say with certainty: "Not yet. But you will." Award-winning children's book author René Colato Laínez teams up again with illustrator Fabricio Vanden Broeck to explore the experiences of newcomers in schools and affirm that yes! They do belong. With beautiful acrylic-on-wood illustrations depicting children at school, this bilingual kids' book by a Salvadoran immigrant tells an important story that will resonate with all kids who want nothing more than to belong.