Felita [Paperback]

Nicholasa Mohr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 18, 1995

The everyday experiences of an eight-year-old Puerto Rican girl growing up in a close-knit, urban community.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nicholasa Mohr's award-winning books include the National Book Award finalist El Bronx Remembered, and the ALA Notable Book In Nueva York. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (December 18, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440412951
• ISBN-13: 978-0440412953
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,492,723 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Felita Review, October 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Felita (Paperback)

Felita is a story of a Puerto Rican family struggling to give their children a brighter future in the face of racism and prejudice. I think these are important issues that need to be addressed with children, in the classroom or in the home. I found it especially poignant that the children immediately accepted Felita as a friend, but it was the adults that rejected differences and cultivated the prejudice in their children. I am confused about the previous review stating that this book is appropriate for chidren ages 4-8. The back of the book states that it is for children 7-11 years of age and the top of this page states that it is appropriate for ages 9-12. Children of these ages should become familiar with short chapter books such as this one. Overall, I found this to be a good addition to a culturally diverse selection of childrens books-- one perspective to add to the many that make up life in the United States.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Moving on up, January 30, 2005

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Felita (Paperback)

Usually, I don't read the backs or book flaps of the books I intend to review. I like to keep a fresh mind open and to come across a book without any expectations or any plot points given away. But in the case of "Felita", I made an exception. I read that the book was all about a girl's move from her predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood into a "better" German/Irish neighborhood and the strife that occurs there. And yes, that is part of the book. But what's remarkable about "Felita" is that its more an examination of separate events in Felita's life than a single one that defines her. Her confrontation with racism is, in some ways, just as important as her ways of dealing with the death of her beloved abuelita. This book is one to be taken as a whole. Not glorifying a single plot point.

In the course of a year, Felita has a lot to deal with. First there's her family's move to a neighborhood that will provide good schools for Felita and her brothers. When the neighbors turn out to be prejudiced and not afraid to make their threats physical, the family is forced to move back to their old area at a bit of a loss. Then there's the fire that burns down poor Old Bernie's candy shop. Felita also has to deal with her supposed best friend stealing of the lead in the school play out from under everyone's nose. Fortunately, Felita's grandmother, Abuelita, is there to listen to everything her granddaughter has to say and to offer advice. But when Abuelita becomes ill, it's Felita who must find the courage to continue on.

The book's an excellent follow-up to the slightly similar, "My Name is Maria Isabel". Both books involve Puerto Rican girls dealing with the problems and prejudices of the adults around them. But "Maria Isabel" is a much younger reader while "Felita" is the perfect reading level for fourth to fifth graders. When I read it, I was initially shocked at the degree of hatred leveled at Felita's family after their move. The book was written in 1979, so it's debatable whether or not you'd find this level of prejudice in any large urban city with a significant Latin American community. Certainly you might find some small growls, but nothing like the concentrated effort on the part of the people found here anymore. One review of this book posed the worry that maybe the children reading this book would automatically dislike Germans and Irish because of their actions here. This is, to say the least, unlikely. At no point does Felita point to her neighbors and say, "I hate those Irish and those Germans!". It's mentioned that that's who originally populated the area. Nothing more.

The book is an interesting series of vignettes in the life of a single girl. And it reads as beautifully today as it did in the late 70s. The writing is clear, crisp, and easy to understand. Children will definitely agree with Felita on everything from her anger at her nasty neighbors to her hurt feelings when her best friend doesn't even tell her she wants the lead in the school play. Mohr sticks with clear cut emotions and matter-of-fact situations. It's a fun book with a catchy plot and interesting characters. A good read all around.

4.0 out of 5 stars Experiences of a Young Puerto Rican girl, January 2, 2012

By 

Marisa Militello (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Felita (Paperback)

Felita is the narrator of this story. She is an eight-year-old Puerto Rican girl who lives in an American city with her mom, dad, and two older brothers, Tito and Johnny. She also lives nearby her grandmother and her Uncle Jorge. At the start of the book, Felita's family is moving to a nicer part of the city with better schools and where her father promises her a better life. They are also moving from a more Hispanic neighborhood to a White neighborhood. When they arrive in their new apartment, the neighbors are brutally mean to them, calling them "spicks" and other names, beating them up, and telling them to go back where they came from with their own kind. Eventually, the family is forced to move back to the old neighborhood where Felita has some other new experiences, including a fight with a friend, a neighborhood fire, and the death of her grandmother, with whom she is very close. The move is just one issue in the story and is just one of the many problems Felita deals with in her life.

I think this is a great book for 3rd-6th graders. Felita's story still has resonance with children's experiences today but also things have changed in the U.S. since the late 70s. I think that racial discrimination and prejudice still exist, but I don't think Felita's family would have been attacked today as they were back then in the book.