|
When
his parents divorce, Miguel Guzman’s life turns upside down. His
family moves to Vermont; and Tía Lola who is from the Dominican Republic
and speaks no English, comes to visit. Miguel is afraid that having Tía
Lola around will be something else that makes him different. Miguel
tries to keep Tía Lola a secret, but he soon discovers that she wants to
be friends with everyone she meets. It doesn’t even matter that she
can’t understand the language. Miguel comes to realize Tía Lola is fun
and full of surprises. Life in Vermont would not be the same without
her.
About the
Author
Julia
Alvarez was born in New York, but she lived in the Dominican Republic
until she was ten years old. She and her family had to leave when her
father’s involvement in a plot to overthrow dictator Rafael Trujillo
was discovered. Julia thought she would never fit into this
strange new world with a schoolyard full of unfriendly faces speaking a
language she didn’t understand. Life was happy again when she
wrote little stories about her beautiful island home. “ I could
save what I didn’t want to lose, and leave out the ugly faces in the
schoolyard.” Julia continues to visit the Dominican Republic
where she is an operator of a cooperative coffee plantation.
Activities
Create
a Dominican Republic welcome party to help Tia Lola not feel so
homesick.
-
Make
a welcome banner that includes the bright colors, parrots, and other
things that Tía Lola loves.
-
Make
bright colored paper flowers.
-
Learn
welcome phrases in Spanish.
-
Cook
a welcome dish like banana fritters or a fruit salad that includes
tropical fruits and nuts.
More,
more, more…
-
Beatty,
Theresa M. Food and Recipes of the Caribbean. Rosen Publishing
Group, 1999.
-
Creed,
Alexander. Dominican Republic. Chelsea House Publishers, 2000.
-
Kaufman,
Cheryl Davidson. Cooking the Caribbean Way. Lerner Publications,
1988.
-
Soto,
Gary. Local News. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1993.
-
Soto,
Gary. The Skirt. Delacorte Press, 1992.
Websites
Scholastic
Hispanic History of New York
Info
please (general information on the
Dominican Republic)
Julia
Alvarez Information
|
