Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built
Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built
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Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built

Written by Angela Burke Kunkel & illustrated by Paola Escobar
Hardcover
$17.99
$16.73
4 - 8
Reading age
40
Page count
22
Words per page
~619L
Lexile measure
Sep 8, 2020
Publication date

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What's This Book About

Publisher Summary

A gorgeous and inspiring picture book based on the life of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogotá, Colombia who started a library with a single discarded book found on his route. In the city of Bogata, in the barrio of La Nueva Gloria, there live two Joses. One is a boy who dreams of Saturdays– that’s the day he gets to visit Paradise, the library. The second Jose is a garbage collector. From dusk until dawn, he scans the sidewalks as he drives, squinting in the dim light, searching household trash for hidden treasure . . . books! Some are stacked in neat piles, as if waiting for José́. Others take a bit more digging. Ever since he found his first book, Anna Karenina, years earlier, he’s been collecting books–thick ones and thin ones, worn ones and almost new ones– to add to the collection in his home. And on Saturdays, kids like little Jose run to the steps of Paradise to discover a world filled with books and wonder. With an evocative text by a debut author, and rich, stunning illustrations from an up-and-coming Colombian illustrator, here is a celebration of perseverance, community, and the power of books.

What Kind of Book is Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built

Topics

the librarybooks and readingbooks and librariesColumbia

Race, Ethnicities, & Nationalities

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    Book Details

    ISBN
    9781984892638
    Publication Date
    September 8, 2020
    Publisher
    Schwartz & Wade Books
    Text Details
    The text of this book is set in 16-point Brandon Grotesque.
    Illustration Details
    The illustrations were rendered digitally.
    Page Count
    40
    Words Per Page
    22
    Audience
    Picture
    Reading Age
    4 - 8 years
    Lib. of Congress (LCCN)
    2019043235
    WorldCat Number (OCLC)
    1202976371
    Est. Lexile® Level
    ~619L
    Est. Fountas & Pinnell Level
    ~O
    ATOS® Book Level
    4
    Accelerated Reader® Points
    0.5
    Accelerated Reader Quiz
    511974
    Accelerated Reader Interest Level
    LG

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