Hombre Perro Giveaway!

This book giveaway is in partnership with Scholastic. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains affiliate links.

  

Are your kids Dog Man fans? Did you know that the series is also available in Spanish as Hombre Perro?!? 

I love graphic novels for kids. When integrated into a child's literacy development, they are a remarkable tool... especially for reluctant readers. Between the adventurous storyline and the action-packed illustrations, they grab a child's attention and keep them engaged. The short bouts of text don't overwhelm struggling readers but still satisfy advanced readers.

So when I received an email asking me to share this series with you, I said, "Sure, send me the books and I'll see if they are a good fit."

They totally are.

Dog Man has been around for several years. It centers around the adventures of Dog Man (Hombre Perro) and his sidekick Cat Kid (Supergatito). Dog Man is part dog and part policeman who is out to do good in his town. It is totally hilarious. What I love best about the series is how empowering it is for young people and how it promotes traits we desperately need more of these days: respect and kindness, empathy and persistence, having a positive attitude and being true to yourself.

I probably don't have to tell you any of this because if you have slightly older children, you've probably already discovered this series. But did you know it is now available in Spanish (aff link)? And, YES, the Spanish translation is excellent!

AND they've just released the fifth book in Spanish, too.

Check it out here:

Seriously, what's not to love about this series? The characters are just cute as can be, but the storyline keeps readers coming back to see what new scraps Hombre Perro is getting into. Kids love it because it is FUNNY!

And teachers, if you visit the site you can download a free classroom kit (English only).

And here's one more thing to love: The author, Dav Pilkey, is currently on tour promoting his "Do Good" Campaign, which encourages readers of all ages to give back and make a positive impact in their communities. 😍

The Giveaway!

Scholastic is generously offering an Hombre Perro prize pack to one MommyMaestra reader! It contains all the books in the series (in Spanish!!) plus a T-shirt and plush of Hombre Perro himself. :D

To enter, just use the Rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free Download: Spanish Halloween Word Search & Activity Sheet

October is here, but it sure doesn't feel like it down here in TX! We're still melting. But my kids are excited anyway because one of their favorite holidays is coming around: Halloween! Maybe your children feel the same way. If so, this month's free download is just what you need. MommyMaestra sponsor Spanish for You! has created a special Spanish Halloween word search and activity sheet.

The word search features vocabulary most closely associated with the spooky holiday. And there's also a second page with boxes for drawing the prompts. As always, you can find an attached audio to help you with pronunciation.

Click here to download this file

Remember! Spanish for You!'s program is geared for middle schoolers and is the perfect choice for homeschoolers and afterschoolers alike because their concepts are carefully divided up into manageable bundles that are available for immediate download from their website.

If this is your first time here, you can find other free samples from Spanish for You! here. There are some fantastic downloads of games and activities for you and your family to enjoy. If you enjoy this activity, be sure to visit the Spanish for You! website where you'll find tons of additional resources for you to help your young Spanish learner!

Hispanic Heritage Month Writing Contest

Do you have a middle schooler or high schooler in your home or classroom? Are you in a Suddenlink/Optimum service area? If so, be sure to check out the annual Hispanic Heritage Month essay contest from Suddenlink's owner, Altice USA.

Students must write an essay in English of 500 words or less describing "those (of Hispanic heritage) who are making connections in their communities." The grand prize is a $3,000 scholarship. Three finalists will win an iPad.

Essays should be typed and double-spaced. The deadline is October 31st.

Students may enter the contest by submitting one essay here. Or they can mail in their entry with this printable form. 

Other Scholarship Opportunities

• Annual National Contests for Students
  
  
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund Makes College a Reality for Latinos
  
  
• Top Five Reasons Why Latino Children Need to Go to College
  
  
• Design Squad Nation’s Build It Big Contest
  
  
• Scholarships for DREAMers

Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln

The only thing I love more than discovering children's books about remarkable Latinos is being able to share them on MommyMaestra.

A few months ago, author Margarita Engle shared news about her upcoming new book, Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln (aff link). I finally got my hands on a copy  this month. It. Is. Wonderful.

I had never heard of Teresa Carreño, the prodigy pianist from Venezuela who began playing the piano as a little girl and composing her own music by the time she was 6. Not only did she play for President Lincoln as noted in this lovely story, but apparently for the famous composers Rossini and Liszt, too!

In Dancing Hands, we learn about Teresa's love of music and how she developed her talent in her homeland of Venezuela. We also read about how she and her family were forced to flee to the United States when Venezuala erupted in a revolution...only to arrive in the middle of the U.S. Civil War. The story goes on to chronicle the events that led to her performing for President Lincoln and his family in the White House.

I quite simply love the inspirational story that is this book. And the illustrations! Really, all of Rafael López's work is outstanding. And Dancing Hands is no exception. His unique style is just vibrant and joyful. It's full of detail and transition.

This book isn't just for Hispanic Heritage Month, though I will certainly add it to my master list of book for celebrating this national observance. But it is an engaging story that should be read anytime and anywhere by everybody.

I think it is an especially wonderful read for little girls to motivate and inspire them to grab ahold of their talents and not let go.

I love this particular book so much that I created reading comprehension questions to go with it, also. Use them while reading with your child or students.

Click here to download the reading comprehension questions

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Non-Musical Parents Supporting Musical Kids
  
  
• Free Online Piano Lessons: Encore Music Studio
  
  
• Online Preschool Music Class

• Little Creatures: An Introduction to Classical Music
  
  
• Great Spanish Songs for Your Classroom!

Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library

I love learning about new people who have done remarkable things. Last month, on the MommyMaestra Facebook page, I asked my followers who they would include on a list of Latinos who impacted U.S. history. The response was overwhelming.

One of the names mentioned was Arturo Schomburg. I had not heard of him before. But a little research quickly led to a description of his inspirational contributions. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Schomburg's mother was a freeborn black midwife and his father was a German merchant.

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was only in grade school when one of his teachers claimed that blacks had no history, heroes, or accomplishments (I know! What a horrible person!). That comment stayed with Schomburg, who vowed to prove her wrong and began a lifelong collection of books, letters, music, and art documenting the accomplishments of Africans and the African diaspora.

When he was 17, Schomburg moved to New York and his collection continued to grow. Eventually, it outgrew his home and became the basis for the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library (which he curated himself).

Candlewick Press has a beautiful new picture book out telling this Afro-Latino's life story. Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library chronicles his adventures from when he was a young boy up through adulthood. And it is all written in free verse poetry, which makes it even more special.

Really, the whole book is a work of art because in addition to being beautifully written, the most remarkable part of this book, in my opinion, are the illustrations. Created by Eric Velasquez, each page is a portrait that I just want to sit and stare at. Take a look...

The back of the book even contains a timeline of his life.

And, yes! It is also available in Spanish.

Request this new title at your local library or bookstore. Or you can purchase it from Amazon:

Mario and the Hole in the Sky & Free Download

I'm emotional because I've been listening to all the news about our amazing youth who are championing demanding action on climate change from political leaders around the world. I've listened to Greta Thunberg deliver passionate speeches and interviews, including today's speech at the United Nations. I've read about American Alexandria Villasenor, who at 14 is one of the youngest organizers of the global climate strike. And I've watch interviews with Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, one of the young people suing our federal government in Juliana v. United States of America.

In light of all this, I can't tell you how thrilled I am to share this new book from Charlesbridge!

This post contains affiliate links.

Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet by Elizabeth Rusch is the biography of Dr. Mario José Molina, the researcher who discovered the horrifying effects of CFCs on our planet's protective ozone layer.

The book begins with Mario's childhood and how he became interested in science. It highlights his family's support of his interests, and then follows his journey into higher education eventually earning his PhD. 

And then the story focuses in on his research of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and his discovery of the damage they were causing to our atmosphere. It talks about his struggle to let the world know about the danger and what it took for people to finally believe him.

And it talks about his new concern - global warming - and how he has hope because he's already lived through the first environmental crisis and seen how universal action can happen and make solutions work.

This awesome book goes further to help extend the learning because it also has additional pages included to help kids, including:

• an epilogue in the back of the book that talks about Mario's new focus: climate change,
• pages dedicated to showing the surprising similarities between the ozone hole and global warming in an easy to read flow chart,
• an entire section with books and websites to read about Mario Molina and the ozone layer, as well as books and websites for understanding about global warming,
• a section listing things kids (and families!) can do today to use less energy and release less greenhouse gas into the atmosphere,
• another section from the author dedicated to the research process,
• and a timeline inside the back cover!

I mean, really. This book is such a treasure for families and schools! And I love that it highlights such an important figure in our world history: A Mexican American chemist. 

Elizabeth Rusch is a science writer who loves telling important, overlooked stories. She does a great job with this book.

And the illustrator, Teresa Martínez, is a Mexican artist. Her artwork in this book is very engaging for children. (It actually reminds me of early Disney movies - beautifully hand-drawn.) The illustrations make science come alive - chemistry at that! How hard is that for an artist?

And you know what the best part is? It's available in BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH! (See below.)

I love this book so much that I've created a free download with some easy comprehension questions for you to ask your child/student after they have finished reading the story. Yes, they are in English and Spanish so you can choose which one best suits your needs.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

You can find these fabulous books on Amazon in English and Spanish.

You May Also Like Learning About...

Here are some of my other posts and reading passages that you may enjoy.

• A Mini-Lesson on Bill Meléndez
• Free Vicente Fernández Reading Passage
• Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz - Lesson Plans, Videos, and Books for Kids
• Arturo Alfonso Schomburg Reading Passage
• Dolores Huerta Lesson Plans, Activities, Coloring Sheets and More
• Cesar Chavez Lesson Plans, Activities, Coloring Sheets and More

Tito Puente Lesson Plans, Coloring Pages, Crafts, Activities and More

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I'm delighted to participate once again in the MKB Hispanic Heritage Series. I've chosen to highlight musician Tito Puente this year. Below, you'll find a few resources for studying the Mambo King, as well as a free download that I've created for the occasion. I hope you enjoy!

If you want to learn about other important figures, check out my post on Latinos in History Your Children Should Know.

This post contains affiliate links.

Tito Puente Lesson Plans

• Here is a great lesson guide to accompany Monica Brown's children's book shown below.
  
  
• Resources from TeachingBooks.net
  
  
• From TpT, this is a lesson plan for K - 8th
  
  
• Tulsa Library has this downloadable lesson plan that involves Tito: Going on a Sound Hunt
  
  
• Also, one of my favorite artists, Rafael Lopez, has posted this great biography about Tito Puente on his blog. The images are fantastic.
  
  
• For older children in middle and high school, NPR has a fabulous collection of materials
  
  
• The Smithsonian has some excellent multimedia resources available online for middle and high school students.

Coloring Pages & Download

Not a lot of options are out there for coloring pages. So I made one and am sharing it with my newsletter subscribers. 

I also have a MommyMaestra's 1-page reading passage and coloring page for young readers. You can download this printable page for free here (English-only version). The reading passage is for 4th - 8th grades.

OR you can purchase the full reading passage with English and Spanish versions plus a digital version here in my TpT shop. 

Videos about Tito Puente

For Younger Children:

• Check out this introductory video to the book Tito Puente:

• You can also find Tito Puente on Sesame Street! And again here. 

For Older Students

• And for older students, here's Tito's official Oye Como Va video.

• This is a great interview with Tito. 

Tito has also been featured in a Google Doodle! Shown below. If you want to share the (excellent!) story behind it  with your children/students, check out the video, Behind the Doodle: Celebrating Tito Puente.

Books

Definitely one of my favorite children's books on the market...

Tito Puente: Mambo King / Rey del Mambo

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Celia Cruz Lesson Plans, Coloring Pages, Crafts, Activities and More
  
  
• Vicente Fernández Reading Passage
  
  
• Resources for Celebrating Selena Day
  
  
• A Mini-Lesson on Bill Meléndez
  
  
• Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz - Lesson Plans, Videos, and Books for Kids
  
  
• Arturo Alfonso Schomburg Reading Passage

Dual-Language Board Books

Quite a few remarkable new titles have been released just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month. And I'll be sharing a lot of them here over the next few weeks.

The first set is a pair of bilingual board books by my favorite U.S. Poet Laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera. He served as the 21st United States Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017. I think he was the first Hispanic to do so.

Herrera is a prolific author whose work includes quite a few children's books. But I believe these are his first board books for little ones.

It's easy to figure out what they are about. Cerca, Close and Lejos, Far (aff links) are short, sweet stories that help young readers understand the concepts described in the titles. A single illustration takes up two pages and each one has one sentence. Take a look:

I love that the books contain full text in both English and Spanish. And I find the illustrations to be lovely in their simplicity with a strong focus on shapes.

These are a great addition to any home or school library, especially because the concepts of near/close and far are not easily found in books but are both important concepts for toddlers and preschoolers to master.

You can find them on Amazon:

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Heritage Journals

Do you know what is a great way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month? By having your kids fill out their own heritage journal!

My Heritage Journal Series includes five different Hispanic cultures:

1. Mexican
2. Puerto Rican
3. Spanish
4. Cuban
5. Guatemalan

And because we are so often a mix of cultures, My Multicultural Heritage Journal is always a winner. 

Each book contains a page at the front where your kids can record their name and write down the year in which they start the journal.

image from the My Mexican Heritage Journal

The next two pages include a map of the country so that your child can color in where in that country their family has lived, as well as space for writing down any explanations or explaining in greater detail the who, where, when, why, or even how their family lived in that country. NOTE: The Multicultural Heritage Journal has a world map so that kids can color in the countries in which their family/ancestors have lived.

The next page contains writing prompts where your child can record his or her own story and history. And there is space for drawing your family's crest coat of arms, if you know what it is. FYI, there are lots of online sites that can show your family's coat of arms. Just make sure that you monitor your child's time online and don't let them use a site that asks for all sorts of personal information. They only have to enter their last name. Or you can Google your last name and add "Coat of Arms" at the end.

Or, if you prefer, you can have your child design and draw your family's coat of arms! (Fun, no?) This might be preferable for families with mixed ancestry. Kids can look up different coats of arms from their family heritage and then choose elements to create their own.

And of course, no heritage journal is complete without a place to draw your family tree! Right after you do so, you can even draw or post snapshots of the family members listed in the family tree with space for captions.

image from the My Puerto Rican Heritage Journal

image from My Cuban Heritage Journal

image from My Multicultural Heritage Journal

Then the main part of the journal is filled with journaling pages. Kids can write their family stories here. And because I wanted to be sure and emphasize the heritage aspect, there are 17 journaling pages with small cultural images and fun facts about the country scattered throughout the book. (The Multicultural Heritage Journal just has images of items and places found in countries across the world.)

image from the My Spanish Heritage Journal

There are even a few pages for recording family interviews. Sketch pages and more photo pages are also scattered throughout the journal. Don't be afraid to really think outside the box. Scrapbook these pages! Add text and dimension to your journal. :)

image from My Spanish Heritage Journal

And it all ends with a section in the very back for writing down favorite family recipes.

Don't these sound like the perfect way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?

You can find all of them available on Amazon!

Oh, and they are also available as downloads in my TpT shop. Just print the pages you want to use and go!

Teacher's Discovery Enhanced Reader Series

The following is a sponsored book post in collaboration with Teacher's Discovery. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the most popular questions I get from readers is: Where can I find new readers for my kids or students?

Slowly I've started collecting quite a few series for those of you with young beginning readers in elementary grades. But I've been missing readers designed for older students. So when Teacher's Discovery reached out to me and asked if I would take a look and share their new Enhanced Reader Series, I agreed to take a look and see if they are a good fit.

They totally are. 

I received three of the books in their Level 1 series: ¡Sí, yo puedo!, El intercambio, and Los novios.  ¡Sí, yo puedo! follows the story of Mario and his struggle to get good grades. The book introduces his friends - Carmen, Eric, and Cristina - a cast of characters that also appear in the other two books. Three of them have been friends since kindergarten.

Los novios is the story of Eric and Carmen's romance. I know it sounds a little sappy, but based on my own kids, I would bet that most teenagers will eat it up! And so the language learning is made a little easier. Ha!

And finally, El intercambio tells the story of Carmen's opportunity to travel in Mexico and learn about the history and culture of the area.

Aside from the subject matter, what makes these books best geared for older students is the approach, design, and use of technology (see more below). Also, at the end of each book, there is a comprehensive glossary with all the words used in the book. They've made it super easy for the reader to understand the material.

Story Vignettes

The chapters are perfect in length and content. I think the longest one I've seen is five pages. The pages are not text-heavy, either. Each chapter is a short story - a moment, really, in the lives of the characters and the scenes are focused on helping the reader build their vocabulary and reinforce concepts. There is just enough repetition of words to help the reader master their understanding. And at the end of each chapter, there are 10 questions for reading comprehension and critical thinking. Everything is in Spanish.

QR codes

This is probably the most amazing part of these books. Most of the chapters contain a QR code* (or several) that introduce characters and/or give you, the reader, a little more background information. Some are dialogue scenes straight from the chapter. For example, in the first chapter of ¡Sí, yo puedo!, there are QR codes that lead to videos about each character. I discovered that Mario enjoys painting, playing the piano and chess.

*You can use any (free) QR code reader app on your phone. You can also use Snapchat to scan it! What?!? I know.

Full-Chapter Audio

There is also a QR code at the end of each chapter that takes you to a complete audio recording of that chapter. This is great for learning proper pronunciation, as well as to practice listening to Spanish in real-time. I love that the publisher uses voice actors to read the story aloud, theater-style. 

Overall, I believe that these are just fantastic teaching tools for the Spanish classroom. They are fun, engaging, and really facilitate learning. They can be used as independent reading, homework assignments, lessons for substitute teachers, class read alouds, and so much more.

You can find them on the Teacher's Discovery website here.

Little Creatures: An Introduction to Classical Music

The Secret Mountain does it again! Another excellent book for children has been released this month and it's as classic and beautiful as its subject matter.

Little Creatures: An Introduction to Classical Music (aff link) is a remarkable musical picture book with an accompanying CD. It features the work of 17 composers covering five centuries of music history. From Josquin des Prez to Silvestre Revueltas, your children will discover composers who composed music during the last 600 years.

What is most unique about this book, I think, is the way in which children are introduced to these musicians and their work. Visually, the focus is on little creatures; insects, arachnids, small mammals, and amphibians fill the pages of this book in unusual ways. They may sport little boots on their feet. They may be playing the violin or cello. They may be pounding away at the piano or blowing on a clarinet. It really is the craziest thing you ever saw.

But I love that it is a little avant-garde because that's how you capture a child's attention and keep them engaged. (It certainly caught my attention.)

And each illustration comes with writing that shares the title, the composition, the composer, and a short story that talks about the animal and its influence on the composer. Each composition has a sound bite on the CD. So, for example, the 8th track on the CD has a sound clip to go with the 8th story in the book. The musical snippets are about 1 to 2 minutes in length.

One of the other things I love is that the author, Ana Gerhard, was born in Mexico. She studied as a concert pianist at the Mexican National Conservatory. Little Creatures is actually the fourth book in a series of Introduction to Classical Music. The others are:



In addition, the illustrator, Mauricio Gómez Morin, is also of Mexican heritage. His art is exquisite, as you can see from the images shown. It suits each piece perfectly and conveys what Gerhard is trying to present to her young readers.



Included in the back of the book are sections with:

• a listening guide, 
• short bios of the 17 composers, 
• a timeline of composers and periods, 
• a glossary of musical terms, 
• and the accompanying CD.

Truly, this book can be used with children of all ages thanks to the information found within. Younger children will enjoy the illustrations in the front of the book and the music. And older kids can go more in-depth by studying the composer bios in the back of the book and reading the listening guide before (or while) they listen to the CD.

This is such a gem of a book that both families and schools alike will love it.

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Free Online Piano Lessons: Encore Music Studio
  
  
• Non-Musical Parents Supporting Musical Kids
  
  
• Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln
  
  
• Online Preschool Music Class
  
  
• Great Spanish Songs for Your Classroom!

Book for Latino Parents on Raising College-Bound Children

I have a college-bound 10th grader. We're obsessing over college. So guess how excited I am to have just found out about Flight of the Quetzal Mama: How to Raise Latino Superstars and Get Them Into the Best Colleges (aff). I have not read it, yet, but here is the book description:

Move over, Tiger Mom! Latinos now have Quetzal Mama.

A book for Latino parents of college-bound students

Author Roxanne Ocampo – aka “Quetzal Mama” –  is a proud Latina mom who has demystified the complex college admissions process for Latino students. After strategizing her own children’s pathway to Harvard and USC, Quetzal Mama shares her strategies. She created the term, “Quetzal Mama” to refer to any person (male or female) who takes a leadership role in nurturing future Latino Superstars. 

A 3-Prong Approach: 

She provides a 3-prong approach to raising Latino Superstars that ensures Latino parents are focused and informed to prepare their students for success in academia. 

First, she provides parental guiding principles to nurture future Latino scholars. She calls them the “10 Quetzal Mama Principles.” Her Principles are more than philosophical ideas. She provides tactical, hands-on activities that she employed as a parent with remarkable success. 

Second, she shows parents how to “Work the System,” the intricate, inside track of K-12 public school systems that elude most Latino parents. She provides a step-by-step guide covering K-5, middle school, and high school – all geared toward maximizing college success. 

Lastly, she explains the nitty-gritty of the “College Admissions Process,” including how to strategize extracurricular activities, manage timelines, write an effective personal statement, create a Cyber Profile, and focus on each component of the college application process. No Hype. She informs students and parents with what they need to do, when they need to do it, and how they can achieve it. 

College-bound Latino students

Her book provides resources, tips, strategies, and practical wisdom. Her book was written with the conviction that Latino parents are not looking to understand why their children should go to college but how to get them there. The content appeals to Latino students as each chapter includes culturally-authentic language and examples, recognizable colloquialisms, personal and relatable stories, and addresses our specific needs and challenges. Her writing comes from working directly with Latino students including traditional, non-traditional, first-generation, migrant, as well as undocumented students. 

This book will empower Latino parents so their children can achieve academic excellence, become the leaders they were intended to be, and make a valuable contribution to humanity. Become a Quetzal Mama!

Other Posts That May Interest You

• Top Five Reasons Why Latino Children Need to Go to College
  
  
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund Makes College a Reality for Latinos
  
  
• The Empowered Community College Student
  
  
• DSST Online Study Guides for High Schoolers
  
  
• CLEP Study Guides for High School Students