How Tia Lola Learned to Teach (The Tia Lola Stories) [Hardcover]

Julia Alvarez (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: The Tia Lola Stories

Tía Lola has been invited to teach Spanish at her niece and nephew’s elementary school. But Miguel wants nothing to do with the arrangement. He hasn’t had an easy time adjusting to his new school in Vermont and doesn’t like living so far away from Papi, who has a new girlfriend and an announcement to make. On the other hand, Miguel’s little sister, Juanita, can’t wait to introduce her colorfully dressed aunt with her migrating beauty mark to all her friends at school—that is, if she can stop getting distracted long enough to remember to do so. Before long, Tía Lola is organizing a Spanish treasure hunt and a Carnaval fiesta at school. Will Miguel be willing to join the fun? Will Juanita get her head out of the clouds and lead her classmates to victory in the treasure hunt?
Told with abundant humor and heart, Julia Alvarez’s new Tía Lola story is the long-awaited sequel to the beloved How Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-6–This sequel to How Tía Lola Came to Visit/Stay (Knopf, 2001) continues the story of the Guzman family: 8-year-old Juanita, 10-year-old Miguel, and irrepressible Tía Lola. The new school year has begun and the children's aunt has been invited to teach Spanish a few days a week, a prospect that first alarms her since she never finished school when she was growing up in the Dominican Republic. But the woman is a born teacher, full of life, enthusiasm, and a wise saying for every situation. Lola quickly finds herself a favorite at school, charming all with her stories and personality, organizing parties and treasure hunts, and involving everyone in their small Vermont town in her plans. Along the way, she also helps Miguel and Juanita adjust to their parents' divorce, the separation from their father, who lives in New York City, and a possible new stepmother. When the residents of the town learn that Lola's immigration status is in jeopardy, they rally behind her to convince the judge the entire town needs their “Tía.” Each chapter begins with one of Lola's maxims to set the stage, and Spanish words and phrases are clearly used throughout. A welcome return for a wonderful character whose heart encompasses the whole world.–Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CAα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Just as warm and upbeat as How Tía Lola Came to (Visit) Stay (2001), the second book about Miguel and Juanita’s aunt, who comes from the Dominican Republic to live with the kids’ family in Vermont, is written in the same lively, playful style. Language is a central focus as Tía Lola volunteers to teach Spanish in the local elementary school. The story builds to a tense climax when her visa is about to expire, and the whole town rallies for her to stay. Readers will enjoy both the messages and the humor in Tía’s wry, wise sayings. Grades 4-7. --Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (October 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375864601
• ISBN-13: 978-0375864605
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.6 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julia Alvarez has bridged the Americas many times. Born in New York and raised in the Dominican Republic, she is a poet, fiction writer, and essayist, author of world-renowned books in each of the genres, including How the García Girls Lost their Accents, In the Time of the Butterflies, and Something to Declare. She lives on a farmstead outside Middlebury, Vermont, with her husband Bill Eichner. Visit Julia's Web site here to find out more about her writing.

Julia and Bill own an organic coffee farm called Alta Gracia in her native country of the Dominican Republic. Their specialty coffee is grown high in the mountains on what was once depleted pastureland. Not only do they grow coffee at Alta Gracia, but they also work to bring social, environmental, spiritual, and political change for the families who work on their farm. They use the traditional methods of shad-grown coffee farming in order to protect the environment, they pay their farmers a fair and living wage, and they have a school on their farm where children and adults learn to read and write. For more information about Alta Gracia, visit their website.

Belkis Ramírez, who created the woodcuts for A Cafecito Story, is one of the most celebrated artists in the Dominican Republic.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Miguel isn't sure he wants to try a new life in this fine story, December 18, 2010

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Tia Lola Learned to Teach (The Tia Lola Stories) (Hardcover)

HOW TIA LOLA LEARNED TO READ by Julia Alvarez joins other Tia Lola stories and tells of Tia, who has been invited to teach Spanish at her niece and nephew's elementary school. But Miguel hates living far from Papi. And even though his little sister joins in the fun with her aunt, Miguel isn't sure he wants to try a new life in this fine story, a sequel to HOW TIA LOLA CAME TO STAY.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Story, October 19, 2010

By 

DAC "Thehappynappybookseller" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: How Tia Lola Learned to Teach (The Tia Lola Stories) (Hardcover)

Miguel and his younger sister Juanita live in Vermont with their mother and tia Lola. Lola moved from the Dominican Republic to help look after the kids after the divorce. Miguel and Juanita both go to Bridgeport elementary. Miguel is in the fifth grade. Juanita in third.

Lola's English isn't every good but the family convinces her to volunteer at the school, teaching Spanish. I really enjoyed this story, it was such a pleasure to read. All the characters voices are very realistic. I loved feeling connected to whole Guzman family through the short chapters.

Only 132 pages and it's a very well layered story. Besides tia Lola, getting the confidence to teach, Miguel's getting used to his father's new girlfriend, Juanita is discovering the joy of reading. There is much more to this story, including a little unexpected magic of imagination, which I loved.

"Juanita's head is in the clouds. She sits in her third grade classroom, riding a unicorn from medieval times. She tries to add all the numbers on the board and ends up going down a sixty foot rabbit hole. She gets up to anwer a quesiton and is suddenly airborne on a magic carpet, headed for the sultan's court. But wait someone is calling her name."

The chapters alternate between brother and sister. Tia Lola loves Dichos - Spanish sayings. All the chapter's are dichos, written in Spanish and English. Alvarez easily blends in the dichos and the lessons learned by Miguel and Juanita into the story.

This is the second book in the Tia Lola series. I haven't read the first one, "How Tia Lola came to (visit) stay", but I didn't miss a beat. This one works very well on its own. Though I enjoyed it so much I now want to read the first one. Ages 8 up