The boy who touched the stars El niño que alcanzó las estrellas

José M. Hernández, 1962-

Book - 2019

"Juan Marcos is eager to continue his studies in the United States and rents a room from family friends living in El Barrio, or Spanish Harlem. Soon, he has a job wrapping packages at a department store that pays as much as he made teaching high school at home. As he interacts with the Puerto Rican community in New York, he witnesses the problems his compatriots encounter, including discrimination, inadequate housing, jobs and wages. Despite these problems, friendships and romances bloom and rivalries surface, leading to betrayal and even attempted murder!" -- Publisher annotation.

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Subjects
Genres
Biographies
Picture books
Published
Houston, Texas : Piñata Books, an imprint of Arte Público Press [2019]
Language
English
Spanish
Main Author
José M. Hernández, 1962- (author, -)
Other Authors
Steven Petruccio (illustrator), Gabriela Baeza Ventura (translator)
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 23 x 29 cm
Audience
Ages 5-8.
K to Grade 3.
ISBN
9781558858824
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

In this bilingual autobiographical picture book, Hernández recounts his path from child of migrant farmworkers to astronaut. José's dream began when he watched the first man land on the moon. The lack of a steady education was a hurdle at first he had trouble learning English but once his family settled down, his education progressed quickly. José became an electrical engineer and more before applying to NASA, becoming an astronaut, and eventually achieving his dream of going into space. Petruccio's realistic illustrations depict José as an enthusiastic, wide-eyed dreamer, working hard to overcome rejection. While this is a straightforward biography, it is told in an optimistic voice, and Hernández's story will inspire future astronauts as well as children of all ages who may feel that their dreams are unachievable.--Selenia Paz Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

Working the fields of California's Central Valley by day and staring up at the stars by night, young Jos M. Hernndez had an impossible dream: to become an astronaut. Even though the U.S.-born migrant farmworker didn't speak English until he was 12, Jos swore he would realize that dream. With his Mexican parents' support, he followed his father's "recipe" for success: "Identify my goal, determine how long it would take me to achieve it and create a plan to reach it." His mother added that he should strive for excellence in school, and Jos contributed his own special ingredient: "never ever give up!" After earning degrees in electrical engineering, he applied to NASA and was rejected11 times. In order to better his chances of entering the program, he became a pilot, was certified as a scuba diver, and learned Russian. NASA finally accepted his 12th application, and in 2009 he blasted into space. Hernndez's descriptive narrative flows effortlessly in both English and Baeza Ventura's Spanish translation and is easily accessible. Petruccio's colorful and detailed paintings bring this amazing adventure to life, hazy backgrounds giving the scenes a pleasing dreamlike quality. Hernndez closes his account with a heartfelt exhortation to readers to pursue their own dreams, asking them "Which stars do you want to touch?"This outstanding bilingual autobiography encapsulates the life-changing power of having a goal and the will to achieve it. (Bilingual picture book/biography. 7-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.