Publisher Description

Martha, la mejor amiga de Amalia, va a mudarse muy lejos. Y Amalia se siente triste y enojada. Sin embargo, aunque la vida parece injusta, las sabias palabras cariñosas de su abuelita la ayudan a sentirse un poco mejor. Amalia disfruta el tiempo que comparte con su abuela: cocinando, escuchando cuentos y música y aprendiendo de la familia mientras miran las tarjetas que la abuelita atesora en una caja de madera de olivo. Pero cuando una nueva pérdida sacude la vida de Amalia, nada tiene ya sentido. ¿Podrá descubrir Amalia, a pesar del dolor, que especial es, aun si quienes ama ya no están a su lado?

Author Biography

Alma Flor Ada, an authority on multicultural and bilingual education, is the recipient of the 2012 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, and in 2014 she was honored by the Mexican government with the prestigious OHTLI Award. She is the author of numerous award-winning books for young readers, including Dancing Home with Gabriel Zubizarreta, My Name Is María Isabel, Under the Royal Palms (Pura Belpré Medal), Where the Flame Trees Bloom, and The Gold Coin (Christopher Award Medal). She lives in California, and you can visit her at AlmaFlorAda.com. Gabriel M. Zubizarreta draws from his experiences of raising his three wonderful daughters in his writing. He hopes his books will encourage young people to author their own destinies. He coauthored Love, Amalia and Dancing Home with Alma Flor Ada. Gabriel lives in Northern California with his family and invites you to visit his website at GabrielMZubizarreta.com.

Review

"Ada and Zubizaretta's (Dancing Home")...collaboration focuses on the deep bond between Mexican-American sixth-grader Amalia and her grandmother.... The authors successfully depict family love and closeness across generations and distances.... In the final chapters...the book...takes on an authentic emotional poignancy, bringing a closing richness to this story of a girl's first experience of loss."--Publishers Weekly, " May 28, 2012
"Ada and Zubizarreta (Dancing Home", 2011) reunite to focus on a young Latina girl coping with loss.... The authors tackle issues of love, loss and familial ties with a sympathetic, light hand and blend Spanish words and Latino music and recipes into Amalia's tale. A charming story, especially for children facing the loss of grandparents."--"Kirkus Reviews, "June 1, 2012
"Amalia is upset when her best friend announces that she is moving from Chicago to California. When Martha leaves, Amalia turns to her grandmother for comfort. It is in her kitchen and at her table that the child learns not only about her family and her Mexican heritage, but also about herself.... This story utilizes a special intergenerational relationship to introduce Mexican culture and traditions within the themes of changing family and friendships. Spanish words and phrases are woven into the text...this quiet story may provide a different perspective on the loss of a loved one.""" --"School Library Journal, "August 2012
"Latina sixth-grader Amalia is so upset by her best friend Martha's move from their Chicago neighborhood to California that she can't even say good-bye. When her beloved "abuelita "passes away suddenly a few days later, she doesn't even have the "chance "to say good-bye....Sprinkled with Spanish words and phrases, this quiet story charmingly emphasizes the importance of both friendship and intergenerational relationships. It concludes with simple recipes for making some of Abuelita's favorite desserts." --"Booklist, "August 1, 2012
"With sensitively drawn characters and a low-key story moving between present and past, the authors construct a portrait of a multigenerational immigrant family. The Latino culture of the family is reflected in the cooking the two do together, the memories Abuelita passes on, and all the letters she has kept from distant loved ones." --"Horn Book Magazine, "July/August 2012

Review Quote

"With sensitively drawn characters and a low-key story moving between present and past, the authors construct a portrait of a multigenerational immigrant family. The Latino culture of the family is reflected in the cooking the two do together, the memories Abuelita passes on, and all the letters she has kept from distant loved ones." - Horn Book Magazine, July/August 2012

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