Customer Reviews

Friends from the Other Side / Amigos del otro lado

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Friends from the Other Side tells the heart- warming story of two children living on opposite sides of the southern US border who become unlikely friends out of curiosity and circumstance. As the two children become familar with each other, the reader also becomes familiar with cultural differences within the Latino culture itself and with the daily hardships faced by families that live near the border. The book informs and educates the reader about these children's cultural issues by keeping the reader interested in the true to life plot and using realistic culturally significant illustrations. While the story reveals that life is hard for the characters, in the end it remains a story about triumph and friendship. This leaves readers of the same culture with a sense of pride for their heritage and others feeling good after reading the book.

this book is one of the great book. It teach many lessons to children. One is to teach children to help those who are less fortunate. Futhermore, this book teach children to be brave and made their own decision upon what is right rather than follow the crowd. I think if the book change the character's race like make Prietita a white kid and helping a mexican boy, this book will teach the children another lesson that helping is regardless of race and sex.

I believe that children, when they reach second grade, begin to understand that there are people of differet nationalities in our country. Friends from the Other Side dicussed about the Mexican immigrants and how they strive to find a better life in this country. This story teaches children to appreciate what they have because there are many children who are not as fortunate. It also teaches children to criticize and make fun of others like Joaquin is wrong because they might be going through a difficult time in their lives.

Children's book Friends from the other side is a well composed saga depicting daily struggles of a young Mexican girl Prietita. Written in Spanish and English it serves as a valuable teaching tool in a bilingual classroom. Nearly all immigrant children face substantial social adjustments and academic learning problems because they do not share the language and the culture of the dominant group that is built into the school system. Hopefully, many children will get in posession of this bilingual book that highlights importance of friendship and will become the active participants in their own development.

This book was a very well written book which I think parents should encourage their children to read. It deals with illegal immigrants from Mexico. It teaches children about being tolerant, accepting, generous, and standing up for what is right. I think it teaches a good lesson for all children and parents.

This is a great book for children. It teaches children about tolerance, trust, and about friendship. It teaches a child that just because someone may look, talk, and act different, there is no reason to be afraid or to be mean to them. With the book having detailed illustrations, you feel that you're right there in the story, sharing the adventure and suspense with Prietita and Joaquin.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I am an elementary school teacher and I feel that this book is wonderfully written so that children are able to enjoy it.

I could not honestly say that Friends from the Other Side is an excellent or even a good book. I'm not saying that this book doesn't have any redeeming values because it does contain some very helpful information and lessons. However, I find it difficult to recommend a book wherein some of the book teaches important values and some of it encourages wrong behavior.

Anzaldua, in a very poignant manner, teaches us to be more empathetic toward others, however, at the same time she encourages lawlessness. The author promotes empathy when she has the main character protecting an illegal Mexican family (a boy and his mother) from the border patrol. Although this protection is a compassionate gesture, this is also an unlawful act. Anzaldua is basically giving children the thumbs up to do something wrong as long as something right is being done at the same time.

Another positive lesson that Anzaldua encourages along with a negative lesson is in the area of prejudice. The author does a great job exhorting us to be aware of and overcome our prejudices when she has the main character, a Mexican-American girl, develop a frienship with a Mexican boy who is hated because he is different. However, Anzaldua encourages prejudice later on in the book when she separates the Mexicans from the gringos in the retort, "Yes, I saw some [Mexicans] over there [on the gringo side of town]. The author encourages animosity of the races when she adds laughter to this comment. How can Anzaldua ask us to eliminate our prejudices while she encourages them?

This book has so much to teach us about the Mexican culture and can teach us valuable lessons but, I cannot honestly say it is a book I would suggest children to read. I cannot promote good with bad.

I would recommand this book to anyone. It has big issues that can be understood by kids, yet it is still fun to read.