Copyright Date:
2014
Edition Date:
2014
Release Date:
10/31/14
Pages:
58, 58 pages
ISBN:
1-558-85798-2
ISBN 13:
978-1-558-85798-8
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2014022875
Dimensions:
22 cm.
Language:
Spanish
Bilingual:
Yes
Reviews:
School Library Journal
(Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)
Gr 4-7 This slim book incorporates many Latino themes in a first-person realistic tale, recounted in English and then in Spanish. Similar to Alma Flor Ada's Love, Amalia (S. & S., 2012), the protagonist, Celeste, moves through a grieving process following the death of her beloved grandmother. She also misses dance lessons and time with her mother, who must now work two jobs to cover their economic situation. Healing begins when the girl receives posthumous letters from Grandma filled with love, advice, and special memories. In spite of quarrels with school friends and a bully who makes her life difficult, Celeste finds solace with the family's network of adult female friends who help her with recipes. Later, she prepares all six dishes for a full-course meal in honor of her Cuban grandmother. This narrative shares ways that U.S. Latino children may experience racism, as well as how they use bilingualism to code switch between languages to share private or public information. The inference about Latin Americans' inherent ability for dance does not seem to fit with the other cultural themes in the book, although Celeste's love for dance and her grandmother's advice propel her to find a creative solution to a problem on her own. Some accent errors are evident in the Spanish text, but do not impede meaning in a significant way. Ruth Quiroa, National Louis University, IL
Celeste is heartbroken when her grandmother dies, and nothing can make her feel better. But everything changes when a letter mysteriously comes in the mail--from Grandma! "I know you miss me as much as I miss you. Don't be sad. Where there is love, there is no sadness." As letters continue to arrive from the beyond, each with a recipe of a favorite food she used to prepare, Celeste follows her grandmother's advice and consoles herself by learning how to cook the dishes.With Grandma gone, so is her social security check. Celeste's mom needs to get a second job to make ends meet, and Celeste has to quit her favorite activity, dance lessons. At school, Amanda the bully gloats over the fact that Celeste won't participate in the upcoming recital. And her friends think that she's gone crazy; dead people can't send letters!When a final letter arrives, Celeste realizes that all the recipes combined make an entire meal: cafe con leche,guava and cheese croissants, congri, plantain chips, ropa vejaand flan. Can she really make a Cuban feast to celebrate her cherished grandmother's life?A tender story of family and friendship, Letters from Heaven / Cartas del cielocelebrates Latino traditions, especially those of the Spanish Caribbean. This entertaining novel is written in ten brief chapters for children ages 8-12 and includes six traditional Cuban recipes with easy-to-follow instructions.i
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