Best Selling Books by Alma Flor Ada

Animals do silly things in this charming book. Rhyming words, repeated text, and beautiful illustrations.

Presents articles, editorials and ads from the "Hidden Forest Times" that retell many well-known stories, including Jack and the beanstalk, Pinocchio, and the Tortoise and the Hare. When the residents of Hidden Forest wake up and open their morning papers, they are in for a surprise. When the residents of Hidden Forest wake up and open their morning papers, they are in for a surprise. An enormous beanstalk has mysteriously sprouted outside of Jack Blake''s house, and Jack is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Pinocchio and Half-Chicken have set out on adventures of their own, and Tortoise and Hare are off to the races. Will they all find their happy endings? Hidden Forest News has got the scoops. Written and laid out in newspaper format, this installment in the enchanting Hidden Forest series has received a new twist from Alma Flor Ada and Leslie Tryon.

A third grader realizes the importance of her name in this classic story of heritage and self-identity. For María Isabel Salazar López, the hardest thing about being the new girl in school is that the teacher doesn''t call her by her real name. "We already have two Marías in this class," says her teacher. "Why don''t we call you Mary instead?" But María Isabel has been named for her Papá''s mother and for Chabela, her beloved Puerto Rican grandmother. Can she find a way to make her teacher see that if she loses her name, she''s lost the most important part of herself?

Un año de revelaciones culmina con una actuación llena de sorpresas, mientras dos niñas descubren su lugar en el mundo. Un año de revelaciones culmina con una actuación llena de sorpresas, mientras dos niñas descubren su lugar en el mundo. México es el país de sus padres, pero no el de Margie. Ella ha logrado convencer a sus compañeros de escuela que es cien por ciento estadounidense, igual que ellos. Pero cuando Lupe, su prima mexicana, va a vivir a su casa, la imagen de sí misma que había creado se deshace. La situación de Lupe no es fácil. Siente que su casa de México no es un hogar desde que el padre se fue al norte. La esperanza de poder encontrarlo en los Estados Unidos le da algo de consuelo, pero aprender un idioma nuevo en una escuela nueva representa un gran desafío. Al igual que Margie, Lupe necesita una amiga. Poco a poco, los pasos de cada niña van encontrando el ritmo de un baile compartido, a medida que descubren el verdadero significado del hogar. Siguiendo la tradición de Me llamo María Isabel, Alma Flor Ada y su hijo Gabriel M. Zubizarreta ofrecen un relato honesto de los valores de la familia y de la amistad, y de la experiencia que debe atravesar el inmigrante: volverse parte de algo nuevo y, a la vez, conservar la propia identidad.

Meet the strangest musicians you have ever heard in this book of rhyming and repeated text.

Explores the contradictions between what is expected of teachers and the education and support they have received, and provides teachers with advice on how to teach writing and generate their students'' interest in writing.

In simple words and sun-drenched paintings, Alma Flor Ada and Simón Silva take us into the fields and orchards, and into the lives of the people who work them. Simple poems in Spanish and English, one for each letter of the Spanish alphabet, describe the wonder of the vegetable and fruit farms. Together, the poems and the rich illustrations celebrate the glory of nature and the hearts of all who dedicate their lives to working the land.

Saturdays and Sundays are very special days for the child in this story. On Saturdays, she visits Grandma and Grandpa, who come from a European-American background, and on Sundays -- los domingos -- she visits Abuelito y Abuelita, who are Mexican-American. While the two sets of grandparents are different in many ways, they also have a great deal in common -- in particular, their love for their granddaughter. While we follow our narrator to the circus and the pier, share stories from her grandparents'' pasts, and celebrate her birthday, the depth and joy of both cultures are conveyed in Spanish and English. This affirmation of both heritages will speak to all children who want to know more about their own families and ethnic backgrounds.

Oh, I had ten little puppies, Ten little puppies had I . . . Count along in Spanish and English as each one of the ten adorable puppies disappears from the pages—it''s a bilingual bonanza! Colorful and playful illustrations by artist Ulises Wensell, a vibrant rendition of the classic Spanish nursery rhyme by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, and a delightful English adaptation by Rosalma Zubizarreta will make this edition an instant family favorite. And you can find more information at the back of the book about the puppy breeds featured. Puppies have never been so irresistible! Yo tenÍa diez perritos, diez perritos tenÍa yo . . . Ahora puedes contar, en inglÉs o en espaÑol, cada uno de los diez adorables perritos mientras van desapareciendo de las pÁginas. ¡Una verdadera joya bilingÜe! Las originales y divertidas ilustraciones del artista Ulises Wensell, la vibrante versiÓn de la rima clÁsica de Alma Flor Ada y F. Isabel Campoy, y una excelente adaptaciÓn en inglÉs de Rosalma Zubizarreta harÁn que este libro sea indispensable en todos los hogares. Puedes encontrar mÁs informaciÓn acerca de las razas de los cachorros en la parte posterior del libro. ¡Nunca has visto perritos mÁs irresistibles!

Determined to steal an old woman''s gold coin, a young thief follows her all around the countryside and finds himself involved in a series of unexpected activities.

Juanita lives in New York and is Mexican. Felipe lives in Chicago and is Panamanian, Venezuelan, and black. Michiko lives in Los Angeles and is Peruvian and Japanese. Each of them is Latino. Thirteen young Latinos and Latinas living in America are introduced in this book celebrating the rich diversity of the Latino and Latina experience in the United States. Free-verse fictional narratives from the perspective of each youth provide specific stories and circumstances for the reader to better understand the Latino people’s quest for identity. Each profile is followed by nonfiction prose that further clarifies the character’s background and history, touching upon important events in the history of the Latino American people, such as the Spanish Civil War, immigration to the US, and the internment of Latinos with Japanese ancestry during World War II. Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy’s informational yet heartwarming text provides a resource for young Latino readers to see themselves, while also encouraging non-Latino children to understand the breadth and depth of the contributions made by Latinos in the US. Caldecott Medalist David Diaz’s hand-cut illustrations are bold and striking, perfectly complementing the vibrant stories in the book. YES! WE ARE LATINOS stands alone in its presentation of the broad spectrum of Latino culture and will appeal to readers of fiction and nonfiction.

Sixth-grader Amalia learns many important life-lessons while spending Friday afternoons with her beloved grandmother, and the teaching goes on even after Abuelita''s sudden death as Amalia finds a way to connect with relatives and a friend who has moved away.

Growing up in Cuba : includes Where the flame trees bloom, Under the royal palms, and five brand new stories.

A guide to Latino literature for young readers by literature professor Alma Flor Ada.

Far on the other side of the mountains, next to an enchanted castle, grows a tree with three golden oranges. It is there that the three brothers -- Santiago, Tomás, and Matías -- must journey if they wish to find a wife. Once they reach their destination, the brothers must carefully pick the oranges and bring them back to the old woman who lives in a cave on the cliffs overlooking the sea. But, "In order to find your wives, you will need to work together," the old woman has said. "Woe to you if you do not follow my advice!" Each of the brothers wants something different. Santiago wants a wife who is beautiful. Tomás wants one who is both rich and beautiful. But Matías, the youngest brother, longs for a woman who is kind, joyful, and loving...someone he could love very much in return. Will the brothers be able to avert misfortune by working together? Will they be strong enough to break the spell that a wicked sorcerer has placed on the castle? Master storyteller Alma Flor Ada offers a poetic and magical retelling of a well-loved traditional story about Blancaflor, a mythical young woman who appears in various stories throughout the Hispanic world. Reg Cartwright''s boldly colorful and exquisitely stylized art is a perfect accompaniment.

Presents the correspondence of Goldilocks, the three pigs, Baby Bear, Peter Rabbit, and Little Red Riding Hood as they plan to attend a housewarming party for the pigs and avoid the evil wolves in the forest.