Lotería: free will or fate?

I have always been fascinated by the Lotería cards and their images, but have never learned about them.  When I heard about Karla Arenas Valenti and Dana Sanmar's middle grade chapter book, Lotería, I knew I had to read it.  Not only did I learn more about the cards and the game itself, but the story taught me about Mexican mythology, folklore, traditions, and beliefs.  This book will intrigue middle grade readers who like stories about family and high stakes adventures.

In Mexico, a young girl named Clara has no idea that she's the center of a Lotería game between the ultimate players, Life and Death. As they shuffle the cards and begin to play, Clara's life continues with the integration of the symbols from the cards, except they have life-altering consequences for her. When her cousin Estaban goes missing, she must go after him and against all odds, do everything she can to send him back home safely.  This story is full of powerful questions about fate, free will, and human determination. Sanmar's illustrations enhance the story and bring the events to life in the eyes of the reader. For example, at one point a character's hair turns silver and I couldn't believe it! The illustration helped reinforce this shocking twist in the story. 

Clara's choices will make readers think about deep philosophical questions long after they have finished the story.  

After reading the book, I found a dual-language picture book called, Playing Lotería (El juego de la Lotería) by René Colato Laínez and Jill Arena.  

The story is about a young boy who doesn't want to stay with his grandmother because his Spanish language skills are weak. When he arrives she whisks him away to a fair in the plaza where she leads a game of Lotería. He is mesmerized by the phrases she uses that match the images on the cards. This inspires him to learn them and later when they are in her home she teaches him and he even teaches her English.  The rules for the game are included in the end of the book.  

I would use both of these books with my students and daughter.  Children can explore the images, phrases and even make their own.  They can also play the game which is a lot of fun, too.  Even the Google Doodle was dedicated to the game one time! This game works for anyone because it's a visual game, the language component isn't as necessary.  The act of playing the came together in a community is what is most important.  

The Year I Flew Away: Haitian voices of magical realism

 The Year I Flew Away is a middle grade historical fiction novel by Marie Arnold.  In it the reader meets 10 year old Gabrielle who lives in Haiti with her family but she is sent to Brooklyn to start a new life with her uncle's family until hers can join them in the U.S.  Life is hard for Gabrielle in New York.  She faces bullying for not speaking English.When a witch offers her a deal to make her fit in, Gabrielle's desperation wins.  The witch's agreement has a cost and before she takes everything from Gabrielle, a team of people and even a rat, need to put that witch in her place!  A story of identity, racism, family, friendship and new beginnings.   

I enjoyed this story because it is unique to the Haitian culture and experience immigrating to the U.S.  The folklore of the witch and the talking animals, like the rat, are reminiscent of authentic stories from the author's upbringing.  It is also a relatable story to so many readers because they have either been the new kid or have had new kids in their classes at school.  This can help readers empathize with how those students may be feeling and be better equipped with ways to welcome them into school and the community. Teachers and families who want to use this book with their middle grade readers can use the vast amount of resources offered on the  Teaching Books website.