Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 6-10. The poems, stories, and essays in this anthology were written by eighth-grade girls, students in a New York City public school, who gathered in a class designed to introduce them to Hispanic women writers. Sharing their feelings and views of their lives, families, and ethnic heritage, the students responded to the writings of established writers--Nicholasa Mohr, Pat Mora, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and others--with writings of their own. The collection is organized into nine chapters, each with its own topic ("Remembering Our Culture," "La Magico y La Realidad," "La Familia," "Recuerdo: Memories from Childhood," "Growing Up," "A Las Mujeres," "El Barrio," "Prejudice," and "Making It"). The last contains interviews conducted by the young women with authors Ingrid Ramos and Nicholasa Mohr and two other women. The talented young writers who contributed to this anthology have much to tell their readers. While their work speaks directly to those who share their culture, like all good writing, this collection showcases works that both encompass and transcend ethnicity. ~--Merri Monks
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8-12-This collection of poems, essays, and stories by both published and aspiring writers has been selected by Las Mujeres Hispañas, an eighth-grade elective class in Spanish Harlem (El Barrio) schools in New York City. The students searched for, read, and reviewed literature by Hispanic women and then chose examples that would appeal to YAs. They also include three interviews they conducted with women they admire-Ingrid Ramos, Olga Mendez, and Nicholasa Mohr. The stories are emotionally and mentally stimulating. Many will whet readers' appetites for more works by the same or other Hispanic females; unfortunately, there is no bibliography to lead readers to them.-Dona Weisman, Northeast Texas Library System, Garland (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
