A Bear for Miguel (I Can Read Book Series: Level 3)

by Elaine Marie Alphin, Joan Sandin (Illustrator)

Overview

One day, María's father takes her to the busy market. There they trade goods for food for Mana's mother and baby brother. María helps by making her father laugh while he works. But she wants to do more. So Mana finds a very special way to help her family.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780064442343
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/25/1997
Series:	I Can Read Level 3
Edition description:	REPRINT
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.19(d)
Lexile:	500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Elaine Marie Alphin is the author of the I Can Read Book a bear for miguel, illustrated by Joan Sandin, as well as several young adult novels, including Counterfeit Son, which won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. Ms. Alphin lives in Madison, Indiana.

Joan Sandin is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including the I Can Read books Small Wolf, written by Nathaniel Benchley, Snowshoe Thompson, written by Nancy Smiler Levinson, and her own The Long Way Westward and The Long Way to a New Land. Ms. Sandin lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 1-4The story of a young girl helping her father trade some of their possessions for basic necessities in war-torn El Salvador seems an unlikely topic for an easy reader. However, this poignant narrative, told from the child's perspective, is straightforward and speaks to the heart. Mara never intended to trade her stuffed bear, but her sensitivity to her family's circumstances helps her to make the difficult decision. A general map and glossary (with a pronunciation guide) for the eight Spanish words/phrases used in the text precede the five chapters. The Spanish blends easily with the English text and the meaning is also made clear in context. Sandin's watercolors add to the emotional impact of this beginning reader and do an effective job of setting the scene. An author's note intended for adults briefly explains about the war that took place in the 1980s. This sensitive and compelling title will be welcome in all libraries, particularly those serving refugees from El Salvador.Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Public Library, ID

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