THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

  Happy Day of the Dead. The Latina Book Club has been counting down all this week with great books celebrating the dark and mysterious,  but today we celebrate our loved ones who have passed away. Happy Reading.  And always, Read Latino!    Arte Publico Press THE REMEMBERING DAY / EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS is a three-hanky book. Be prepared to cry happy tears.  This is Pat Mora’s take on the origins of El Dia de los Muertos and why it is such an important day and not just another excuse to paint sugar skulls on your face. Endearing. Emotional. Enjoyable. No matter what age you are or if you are Mexican, Puerto Rican, American, European, Chinese, et al, we all have someone we have loved and lost. Remember them. Recall a wonderful memory and celebrate that love which lives forever in your heart.    Book Summary:   Long, long, long ago, Bella and her grandmother Mamá Alma admired their vegetable garden. They l...

It's Halloween Week and Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The Latina Book Club is proud to bring you books that will scare you and make your heart race.   So Be Brave and Happy Reading. Arte Publico Press I love graffiti art, especially large, colorful murals that depict fun communal scenes.  I found a lot of these in Harlem, and so many more during my recent trip to San Juan.  SOFI AND THE MAGIC, MUSICAL brings these murals to mind and to life.  The book is full of vibrant pictures and enchanting narrative, and I love that it is bilingual.  Readers will be delighted and amazed.  I am, and I am thinking of buying extra hard copies for my nieces and nephews in New York and on the island. SUMMARY:  When Sofi walks through her   barrio  to the local store, she always passes a huge mural with images from Puerto Rico: musicians, dancers, tropical flowers and her least favorite a vejigante, a character from...

It's Halloween Week and Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). The Latina Book Club is proud to bring you books that will scare you and make your heart race.   So Be Brave and Happy Reading.    Harry N. Abrams Publishing This children’s book is playful, artistic and fascinating.  I never knew the history of the calaveras and why they are identified so much with Mexico.  This book was fun and arresting. Readers of all ages will love it. SUMMARY:  FUNNY BONES tells the story of how the amusing calaveras—skeletons performing various every day or festive activities—came to be. They are the creation of Mexican artist José Guadalupe (Lupe) Posada (1852–1913). In a country that was not known for freedom of speech, he first drew political cartoons, much to the amusement of the local population but not the politicians. He continued to draw cartoons throughout much of his life, but he is best known today for his calavera drawings. They h...

       As a Catholic, I celebrate November 1 as All Saint’s Day and November 2 as All Soul’s Day. (And, November 15, as my birthday!) I pray to the Saints for my family’s well being and for the souls of my loved ones in heaven. November 2 is also regarded as the Day of the Dead by Mexicans and Mexican-Americans everywhere. It sounds like a “dark” concept, but it’s actually a beautiful tradition of honoring and remembering loved ones that passed away. In the Mexican tradition, one would build an “altar” to a lost loved one and say prayers in their honor. My mother would turn over in her grave if I were to build an altar for her or Papi. My Abuela would love it though. I won’t be building any altars anytime soon, but I will be thinking of my lost loved ones – Mami, Papi, Mama (my grandmother), cousin Larry. I pray that they are all together and having a wonderful time in heaven. However, I am interested in the Day of the Dead and the traditions behind it. ...