Final Thoughts on Hispanic Heritage Month from me and YOU the readers

I just wanted to share some of the responses that I got from the Celebration of Hipsanic Heritage Month giveaway.

1. The majority of people agreed that their favorite thing about Latino culture is the food. The food is definitely one of my favorites too (quesadillas, flan, ropa vieja, tres leches, paella, ochata, etc.). I also love how pretty the Spanish language is and how it unites so many people. even though not all words are the same, for the most part if you speak Spanish and go to another Spanish-speaking country you'll be able to understand everyone just fine (it may be a bit more difficult if you speak Central American/South American Spanish and you go to Spain, where they speak Castilian Spanish). Other responses were; soccer (futbol!), and the people. In my experience many Latinos are very hospitable, warm and loving. Also there is such a great diversity amongst us, especially in skin color. The white Cubans, tan Mexicans, dark Dominicans (of course these are only examples there are also dark Cubans, dark and light Mexicans tan Puerto Ricans, light Dominicans etc.). It's sad but too often in Latino culture light skin is valued more than dark skin, in fact, some Latino families don't want their kids associating with dark skinned kids(remember some of the fuss going on about J-Lo dating P.Diddy?). I've dealt with this myself. One of my Latina friends told me she couldn't invite me over to her house, because her mom doesn't like dark people, especially not African Americans. This made me sad, but I got over it because at least my friend didn't feel the same way!

We are a triumphant people. Like all cultures, we've had our bad moments (Inquisiton, way too many Latin American dicators, etc.) but we also come out ok and ready to improve! As Caesar Chavez said: Si Se Puede! We are a beautiful and proud people. We are the (or soon to be) number one minority group in America. We have power (as consumers and as voters). Let's get more Latinos in Congress, especially in the Senate!

The most common place people wanted to visit was Mexico or Spain. I've been to Mexico and Panama, but I want to see all the Spanish-speaking countries*. My highest priority is Spain, then Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Ecuador and all other Central/South American Spanish-speaking countries, ending with mi patria (my country) of Panama.
*Side note: Belize is NOT a Spanish-speaking country. It's an all too common mistake. They speak English and French.

Some response I want to share: Everyone's response was wonderful and I appreciate all of you sharing your thoughts and entering!

Bookweirdo: i love hispanic heritage month because i am hispanic and am very proud of my culture. People may say they like the diversity or whatever but really its the food it's too good to be true(my mom cooks the best tamales).

Isa: Well, I'm Mexican so I like September since it's the month of independence. My mom's b-day is a day before it! :)
All these books sound really cool and I'm a little sad that I haven't heard of them before. Have you read Perfect Chemistry? My favorite book ever, I think. I think I would visit Spain since that's where it all started.
-That is what Reading in Color is all about. Introducing people to books that they haven't heard of before with teenage poc.

Zetta:What I love about Latino culture is what I love about black culture: respect for ancestors and elders, the centrality of family, and the FOOD!

Wanda: I like Hispanic Heritage Month because it draws my attention to the type of books I don't normally read. I love reading different types of books.
-Yay Wanda!

YA Vampire Books: Why do you like Hispanic Heritage Month? - I think it's interesting to learn about other cultures and other ways of living, which you do when you read for example hispanic books.
2. Your favorite aspect of Latino culture - I love that the people is very nice and warm-hearted (at least the ones I met)I also love the food!!

Okibum:I am an elementary school Spanish teacher and love Hispanic Heritage Month because it reminds me not to just teach language, but culture is just important. I love to celebrate famous Latinos to show my students that there is a lot more to the Spanish speaking world than a 30 minute class three times a week

-Amen! :)

Allie: My favorite aspect of Latino culture is the literature. The literature not only debunks and deconstructs stereotypes. It is also delightful and insightful, engaging readers with plots and characters that are sharp, stirring, and scintillating.

-Junot Diaz, Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marequez, Julia Alvarez. Amazing!

Ladysilver: Why do you like Hispanic Heritage Month? I love learning about all heritages. unfortunately it is only during HHM or BHM that the world allows that extra peek into our cultures.
2. Your favorite aspect of Latino culture...The food..can not say enough about the yummy diverse options.

Paradox: Your favorite aspect of Latino culture - I love so much about it! The art, history, the beauty of the Spanish language, and the food (especially tamales)!

Nancye: I would like to visit Guatemala to see the country where my nephew was born (& adopted from as a baby).

-Awww :D

Lisa: Hispanic Heritage Month is a great opportunity to share history and culture that otherwise does not get enough time in the spotlight.
2. Performing and visual arts get all tied up in a beautiful, interrelated bundle for me.

Finally, I urge everyone to remember that HHM should be celebrated 365 days of the year (as should Black/Asian/Native American Month). I hope to see more reviews and comments of books with poc all year round, not just during their 'special' month!

PS Do check out my links to contests in my sidebar! There are a few books with Hispanic main characters or important secondary characters being given away. The more entries these contests get, the more contests similar to that particular one will be held. Lots of entires=lots of interest! Let's show bloggers, publishers and authors that we want to see more books with poc!

Male Monday: Muchacho

Muchacho by LouAnne Johnson 2009

Rating: 5/5

IQ "Being a good example is hard work but at least it makes me feel like I'm doing something and not just taking up space. I'd like to take up a real big space someday, so big that people would have to stand back when I walk into the room, but I would act like I didn't even notice they were looking at me. That way, people wouldn't feel embarrassed and they could take a good long look at me and maybe they would see something in me that is so good I can't even see it myself."

Como se dices amazing? Muchacho! Translated: How do you say amazing? Muchacho!

Eddie Corazon is definitely one of my new favorite guy characters of all time. He's such a great kid with a lot of heart (fyi: Corazon means heart in Spanish)! Eddie is a really smart, but angry kid. He hides his love of reading and hangs out with his cousins instead. His cousins are usually in jail, or doing stuff that will result in jail time. Then Boy Meets Girl. Eddie meets Lupe. Lupe blows his mind away. She's smart, independent, beautiful and she wholeheartedly believes in Eddie. She sees potential in him that he himself does not see. Lupe is going places, with or without Eddie. She encourages Eddie to start writing poetry and not to hide his intelligence. But Eddie's cousins and friends say Eddie is "whipped", completely under the control of Lupe and who cares about school? "Gripping, thought-provoking and hopeful, MUCHACHO is a rare and inspiring story about one teen's determination to fight his circumstances and shape his own destiny." (last part is from the jacket flap).

I added that last sentence from the jacket flap because Muchacho is all that and it's a good description of how I felt about the book. In the beginning I'm not so sure I could be friends with Eddie. He's well on his way to being a juvenile delinquent, he's one of the toughest guys at school. But after he meets Lupe, he changes and I think after that change I would have been his friend. The character development in this novel was so good. It was gradual process, but not boring, it unraveled at its own pace and it was a complete delight to watch Eddie flourish. He makes mistakes, but he always gets back up ready to fight and try again. That is what makes him such an endearing character.

The dialogue is the key element that makes this book so fantastic. I talk (well not all the time)and think the way Eddie does. Especially about school. "They should teach us the stuff we really need to learn-like how to make somebody really love you, and how to turn off that little voice in your head that tells you what a loser you are, and how to teach your dog to pee where it's supposed to and how to get over being sad when your little cousin dies, and how to talk to your father without both of you getting so mad." Exactly (except for the dog part!), schools should help kids deal with the real world, teach them survival skills, especially those who live in rough neighborhoods and are barely surviving. But sometimes when schools do that, they go about unrealistically, like with abstinence (I won't even start on my rant about this, I'm saving it for my Choices review!), drugs or alcohol Like Eddie says "People shouldn't be allowed to go around telling little kids to Just Say No to drugs because that could be dangerous. Besides, Just Say No has to be one of the lamest ideas ever invented in the first place and I bet it was invented by somebody white who never had to sleep in the same bed with four other people who hardly don't ever take a shower because there wasn't anyplace else to sleep. If just saying no worked then people would go around just saying no to stuff they didn't want to do anymore. Papi could just say no to being poor and unemployed. People would just say no to cigarettes...And all those white girls wouldn't be puking up French fries in the bathroom behind the cafeteria." No offense to white people, it's not your fault really. It's just that often, white people hold the positions of power and they make unrealistic policies. Just Say No is a decent start, but after you say No, then what? You get hurt, maybe even killed. Also, I do realize that anorexia and bulimia are not just issues for white girls, but girls of color too.

Another great thing about Muchacho is all the characters. You can't hate anyone. Or even really dislike someone. All the characters give you food for thought. For example, T.J. Ritchie is a jerk but one day in class the kids are talking about a Black guy who was minding his own business, but got killed by the police right before he was to get married (I think he's referring to the Sean Bell case). The kids wonder why that kind of stuff happens and T.J. says "Because you people let it happen....I'm serious. The cops don't do nothing about it and the government sure ain't gonna do nothing about it, so the regular good black people need to do something about it." He then goes on to say the Black people should kill the cops, which I vehemently disagree with (obviously you can't kill people who wrong you!) but he has a point. People have to organize, step up and take a stand. I also like how all the characters have a story, you learn about almost all the characters mentioned.

Finally, I adore Eddie's English teacher Beecher. This review is long as it is, so I will leave you with two quotes that sum her up perfectly and explain why I love her. "Beecher was too busy trying to show us how smart we were instead of how smart she was, so by the time we wised up to how smart she was, she was already gone." And "I choose to live within the law because I could never survive being incarcerated, but if you don't mind risking your freedom in pursuit of a life that offers you fulfillment, that is your choice, However, analyzing literature will not help you become a more successful drug dealer, which is why I suggest that if you seriously wish to pursue that avenue, you focus your efforts on your criminal career. The sooner you start, the better chance you have of being successful-until you are incarcerated or killed." Brilliant response. Beecher is calm and poised. No yelling on her part, nor does she go into a state of shock or worse, denial (acting like he said nothing). This is how a teacher should be in my opinion.

*Side note: Why are the awesome teachers always English teachers? A good topic to ruminate on in a post someday.

Lupe is just fabulous. There's nothing else to say about her, READ MUCHACHO to find out more. I'm sure guys (and girls) will be laughing and nodding their heads in agreement with the thoughts Eddie expresses, especially those on dating. A must-read for all teens, but especially disadvantaged guys. High school and up.

Invisible Touch

Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra 2008

Rating: 4/5

IQ (Incredible Quote): "I know how difficult it is to believe in something that everyone else doesn't. It's almost as if you have to overcome a fear, to be brave enough to break away from society's view of normal." Kara

(You can see a summary of the book here). I enjoyed Invisble Touch immensely. I thought the main plot was original as well as romance (didn't see the ending coming). Kara sees signs that are clues to a person's fate. She generally tries to help that person if their fate is supposed to be tragic. Her mother doesn't want her to talk about the signs or tell anyone so Kara starts a blog where she anonymously blogs about seeing signs. It's a way to get all her secrets that are weighing her down off her chest.

The blog entries are a good and helpful way of getting into Kara's head. I agreed with a lot of what she said and I liked how she phrased it "There are people in life who can only see black and white, and then there are those that can see gray, and red, orange, yellow, and blue too."

The friendship between Kara and Danielle is interesting. They don't share their feelings with each or really seem to trust each other, and yet they are best friends. It's an odd friendship, but it suits them both. But how can someone be your best friend if you don't share your feelings and secrets with them? Their complex friendship adds an intriguing twist to the plot.

Kara's mom and brother are frustrating. Her mother because she is always trying to put Kara in therapy/hospitals and only sees things in black and white. The flashbacks of Kara from when she was in (essentially) a mental hospital are sad and depressing because you can clearly imagine a young child, terrified out of her mind at the signs she is seeing, and everyone thinks she's crazy and instead of comforting her, they are only trying to medicate and lock her up. Kara's brother Jason is frustrating because he's not there for Kara and she needs him since her father died. The Featherman was a rather creepy but cool addition to the story!

Invisible Touch is a nice addition to the supernatural/paranormal genres while still remaining realistic. The action will keep you turning the pages and it's a pretty easy read so you can (and will definitely want to!) finish it in one day. 8th Grade and Up.

Disclosure: Thank you Kelly for donating this book to give away!

BTW Be sure you vote in my poll because it concerns what to include in my reviews. I'm working on improving my blog!

Also there will be no Male Monday post this week and I got no new books :(

Down to the Bone

Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole 2008

Rating: 5/5

IQ "He smiles. 'You're not gay right?'"
"I move away from him and twirl around him twice. I think about it for a minute, then say 'Right'. I guess it's just a matter of semantics. if he had asked, 'You've never been in love with a girl, right?' then that would be a different story."

I am a failure. I failed to see what I was missing out on by not reading about GLBTQ teens. I'm going to be completely honest, before I started reading Down to the Bone I didn't know if I could read this book without being uneasy. I felt almost hypocritical because ask me Do you believe in gay marriage? And I would say absolutely! You should be able to fall in love and marry whoever you want. But I didn't know if I could actually read a book about gay people. I hope no one takes offense to this, I'm trying to be honest and admit how wrong I was in thinking that. I didn't know if I could handle in a mature way, reading about girls kissing girls and being in love with each other. Could I relate, even though I'm straight? Well, the answer is YES! In reading Down to the Bone, I realized that the main character Laura (who is lesbian) felt the same way about being in love as so many other people (including myself). She went through the same feelings of her first love as anyone else; the happy, giddy, crazy in love feelings. And when her girlfriend of two years was forced to go home to Puerto Rico and get married, I felt SO BAD for her. It's the exact same as (for a straight person) dating someone for two years and then they leave the country and marry someone else. How do you feel? Heartbroken. Regardless of your sexual orientation. Why do I share this with my readers? Because I don't want anyone to not pick up this wonderfully honest, funny, amazing book simply because they don't want to read about same sex love. Don't allow yourself to miss out on a great book.

Laura is a great character. I love her environmentalist, girl-power qualities. "'True equality will happen when straight guys start dressing like and acting like girls.' I point to the guys. 'Girls picked up all your bad habits-like drinking, smoking, hooking up with everybody, going to the gym to get muscles, wearing suits and ties to work-just to be equal. It's cool for butches, kings and bois to dress like guys, cuz that's how they really feel. But for real equality you guys have got to start dressing in skirts and heels and putting on makeup.'" This idea of true equality had never occur ed to me. It was really interesting to think about. She's funny, but she did tell a few too many lies for my taste, lies that were pointless. I also didn't really understand why she didn't think she was lesbian. However, that just made the book even more interesting and I couldn't put it down.

Soli is Laura's awesome best friend. I think she should truly go down in the history books as one of the Greatest Best Friends of all time. She was always there for Laura, and this was especially true when Laura's mom kicked her out and Soli (and her mom) took her in. This may seem like no big deal, but (from what I gathered in the book), it is a huge deal for a Cuban mom and daughter to accept a Cuban girl as lesbian and love her anyway. Soli is wacky and cool. She's straight, but goes through so many quick relationships. Her and Laura's arguments are temporary and they always cheer each other up. It's a beautiful friendship.

Laura's mom made me so mad. How can any mother kick their child out of their house simply because she isn't in love with the 'right' gender? The scene where Laura is kicked out is so sad, especially when Laura gets on her knees and begs her not to kick her out. Laura's brother Pedri really wants his sister to stay. Laura and Pedri have such a sweet relationship, they are really close and loving. They don't have one of those always-fighting-couldn't-care-less-about-them-sibling relationships and it's refreshing to read about.

Down to the Bone also gave me a detailed glimpse of the Cuban community. It showed the good and the not-so-good. The Cuban mother and almost the whole Cuban community viewed being GLBTQ as something crazy and shameful. I don't think this negative attitude applies only to the Cuban community, it's the same way in many other immigrant communities and conservative towns (I say this based on polls and personal experiences). The good was the food, the Spanish language (specifically Cuban expressions) and the people. The strong sense of love and community. The food sounded (and is, I've had most of it) delicious (frijoles, flan jugo de melocoton, cafe con leche, carne asada, pastelitos and so much more!). Also Miami sounds like such a fun and vibrant place to live in. I loved the descriptions of the clubs, beaches and shops (I believe they are fictional but they are most likely based off of real places).

I loved Down to the Bone and I finished it with the full intent of reading more YA GLBTQ books. 8th grade and up (not very graphic, the sex scenes are brief, and not very detailed).

-Thanks so much for donating a copy to my giveaway Mayra!
Also, remember to enter my Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month giveaway. You could win this book!

Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway!

In honor of Hispanic Heritage month I'm giving away 8 books with Latino/a main characters!

There will be 5 winners. The first winner will pick 3 books, the 2nd winner will pick 2 books and the other winners will each get one.

Ends: Thursday Oct. 8 at 11:59 PM CT

Open: Internationally (some authors are mailing the books to the winners, those books are only open to U.S. residents. A * means it's open to U.S. residents only)

Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Pena *

Danny's tall and skinny.
Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any
college scout would sign him on the spot. A 95 mph fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team.
Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it.

But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny’s brown. Half-
Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else
knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak
Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged.

Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico. And that’s why he’s
spending the summer with his dad’s family. Only, to find himself, he might just have to face the
demons he refuses to see right in front of his face.


Soul Enchilada by David Macinnis Gil

Girl meets boy at a car wash.
"Dog," she says.
"Dude," he says.
And probably this would have been a sweet teen romance. . . .
If Beals hadn't been sitting next to her in the car.
If Beals hadn't been a supernatural repo man looking to repossess her car.
And to possess her.

Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra

Graffiti art. It's bold. It's thrilling. And it can get a girl into serious trouble....

Raised by her single mom (who's always dating the wrong kind of man) in a struggling California neighborhood, Angel Rodriguez is a headstrong, independent young woman who channels her hopes and dreams for the future into her painting. But when her entry for a community mural doesn't rate, she's heartbroken. Even with winning artist Nathan Ramos -- a senior track star and Angel's secret crush -- taking a sudden interest in Angel and her art, she's angry and hurt. She's determined to find her own place in the art world, her own way.

That's when Miguel Badalin -- from the notorious graffiti crew Reyes Del Norte -- opens her eyes to an underground world of graf tags and turf wars. She's blown away by this bad boy's fantastic work and finds herself drawn to his dangerous charm. Soon she's running with Miguel's crew, pushing her skills to the limit and beginning to emerge as the artist she always dreamed she could be. But Nathan and Miguel are bitter enemies with a shared past, and choosing between them and their wildly different approaches to life and art means that Angel must decide what matters most before the artist inside of her can truly break free.



Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra

Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.

Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?

Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole

Here's what it means to be a tortillera.

It means you're a girl who loves girls.

Which means you get kicked out of Catholic school faster than Mother Superior Sicko can say "immoral."

Which means your wacko Mami finds out.

Which means you're kicked to the curb with nowhere to go, and the love of your life is shipped off to Puerto Rico to marry a guy.

But this is Miami, and if you have a bighearted best friend and a loyal puppy at your side, and if your broken heart is still full of love, you just might land on your feet.

Amigas and School Scandals by Diana Rodriguez Wallach Book #2 *

(I have read this book just not yet reviewed it. I'm going to re-read it, but I'd say it's in the 3-5 rating).

Mariana Ruiz is bringing a lot home from her vacation in Puerto Rico, including memories of a hot summer romance, a new understanding of her cousin Lilly Sanchez who's enrolling in Mariana's suburban Philadelphia high school.Mariana's best friends, Madison and Emily, aren't thrilled about the new arrival, especially when Lilly soars through the ranks of Spring Mills High's social circles. But Mariana has other things on her mind. Like Mariana's developing crush on her locker buddy, Bobby, the one boy to ever take Emily on a real date. But it's the revelations at Mariana's Sweet 16 party that make it clear that life at Spring Mills High School will never be the same again.

Muchacho by Louanne Johnson (2 copies)

Eddie Corazon is angry. He’s also very smart. But he’s working pretty hard at being a juvenile delinquent. He blows off school, even though he’s a secret reader. He hangs with his cousins, who will always back him up—when they aren’t in jail.

Then along comes Lupe, who makes his blood race. She sees something in Eddie he doesn’t even see in himself. A heart, and a mind, and something more: a poet. But in Eddie’s world, it’s a thin line between tragedy and glory. And what goes down is entirely in Eddie’s hands.

Gripping, thought-provoking, and hopeful, Muchacho is a rare and inspiring story about one teen’s determination to fight his circumstances and shape his own destiny

.

To enter: leave a comment with your email address. The comment needs to answer one of the foll wing questions:

1.Why do you like Hispanic Heritage Month?

2. Your favorite aspect of Latino culture

3. If you could visit any Spanish-speaking country what would it be? Why?

Must leave your email address!

+2 If you become a follower

+1 If you comment on any of my reviews starting from Rogelia's House of Magic

+2 If you link to the giveaway in your sidebar

+3 If you write a post about the giveaway or a post about Hispanic Heritage Month (list of book suggestions, a book review about Latinos, etc.) Leave an extra comment with the link.

Good luck everyone!

Viva Hispanic Heritage Month! :D

Birthday & Rogelia's House of Magic

First of all, thank you everyone for all the birthday wishes! I had an awesome birthday and I am especially stunned by the outpouring of love and goodwill by my new blogging friends :) I love and appreciate you all!!

Now as promised, finally my review!

Rogelia's House of Magic by Jamie Martinez Wood

Rating: 3/5

IQ "You see how the words 'courage' and 'corazon' are similar? That is no accident. The words come from the same root. Follow your heart and you will have courage." pg. 160

It's about 2 girls, Marina and Fern who are best friends. One day they attempt to perform a magic spell and in doing so, receive special powers. Fern sees auras and Marina hears voices of the dead. Marina's family has a maid, Rogelia who is a curandera (a spiritual healer). The girls want her to teach them about magic and she agrees. Rogelia's granddaughter, Xochitl (pronounced So-chee) doesn't want her grandmother teaching strangers magic. Xochitl has the power to turn invisible. However, she no longer believes in the power of magic due to the fact that magic didn't save her twin sister who died. The girls must all learn lessons about controlling their powers and being open to growth.

When reading Rogelia's House of Magic, you must go into it with an open mind. You will not be able to fully appreciate the book if you scoff at the idea of magic existing. This book was interesting to me, because in my opinion it made some good points as to why a certain spell would work or why/how magic existed. I learned a good deal about curanderas and how they work. The book subtly discusses how to be a believer in magic and a Christian.

I liked all the characters. I could relate to Marina because even though she's half Mexican, she doesn't speak Spanish (I'm half Latina and my Spanish is pretty bad). However, I thought the book was a bit unrealistic, because it has her start learning Spanish from Rogelia and then becoming fluent by the end of the book (in less than a year!) even though she doesn't speak it at home. I liked Fern's activism. She was very passionate about environmental issues and always spoke her mind. She frustrated me sometimes because she worried over things that were (I thought) unnecessary to worry about because if she had only asked for help, she wouldn't be so confused! Xochitl was a good character too. She's struggling to get over her sister's death and I thought the parts in the book where she tries to use magic or any other way possible, to get in touch with her sister were touching. It made you wonder: if someone you loved died and you had magical powers, how far would you go to see/talk to them again?

I also enjoyed reading all of Rogelia's Spanish dichos (sayings). I'd never heard of any of them and I thougt they were very wise. I'm really going to try and take to heart "Al vivo la hogaza y al muerto, la mortaja. We must live by the living, not by the dead."

You can see the book trailer here

Rogelia's House of Magic was a good book to read. It's a nice story of a strong friendship (there's hardly any romance and that's refreshing) between 3 Latinas, which is a rare subject in books. It left room for a sequel, but I don't think one is forthcoming. 7th grade and up.

Hispanic Heritage Month Starts Tomorrow! BBAW Starts Today :)

No Male Monday post today because I haven't started Marcelo in the Real World or gone to the library for more books with a male main character :(

Hispanic Heritage Month starts tomorrow Sept. 15 and goes till Oct. 15. I'm going to try and have a book review up at least once a week with a Latino/a protagonist. Hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to post my review of Rogelia's House of Magic. Also my my next couple of giveaways (excluding the one that will start tomorrow) will be YA books with a Latina/o main character.

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, Bronzeword Latino Press ( I guest-blogged for them!) will give away a book every week with a Latino/a protag. All you have to do is review a book with a Hispanic main character or you can just do a post about one (like a Waiting on Wednesday post). I love the idea and I'm definitely going to try and participate! For more details, go here

BBAW started today! I'm going to try and participate in all the memes and posts. Also be on the lookout for my guest post!

Also, I received this email and I wanted to share the information with all of you (I just copied and pasted the email).

All across the nation, many Friends of the Library organizations hold book sales that feature cheap books that were either donated or removed from circulation. Typically these sales sell books, CDs, magazines, and DvD's for rock bottom prices. A typical sale will sell most of their items for under 3 dollars.

Being charity organizations, these Friends of the Library organizations often have limited resources to advertise and promote their sales. As such, many people are never made aware of the excellent deals they are missing within their own communities. That's where booksalemanager.com comes ins. We are attempting to bridge the gap between Organizations looking to more effectively advertise their sale, and people looking to find more places to get good deals on books and media.

Friends of the Library organizations and other non-profit groups can freely advertise their sale on our site. Our site currently has 2500 active listings, and we have been adding over 100 everyday.

People looking to find sales can use our powerful search tools to find these sales. They can search by state, zip code, sale size, and date ranged. Furthermore, people can create an account and save sales to their calendar to help them better track the sales they want to go to. You can also sign up for notifications to be emailed when a new sale in your area is listed, or a reminder email a few days before the sales on your calendar so you don’t ever miss a sale you want to attend.

I believe book sales are a great way to find bargain books and media while at the same time supporting the local libraries and non profits we all know and love. It's a total win-win.

Finally, my Gringolandia contest ends tonight at 11:59 PM! What are you waiting for? Go enter!