Elena's Story

Written by Nancy Shaw · Illustrated by Kristina Rodanas

Part of the Tales of the World series

Elena juggles school, chores, and sibling care, seeking time to read.

3.5 Goodreads · 39 ratings

32 pages· 810 words· Est. 7 min read-aloud· 510L

$16.95Save 7%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In a small Guatemalan village, young Elena balances school struggles with family duties. With her father away, she helps her mother and watches over her siblings. Amidst chores and chaos, Elena yearns to improve her reading. As she shares stories with her brother, she discovers the deeper meaning of her role in the family. Can she find the time and strength to succeed in school and at home?

From the publisher

Elena lives near a small town in western Guatemala. She lives there with her mother, her younger brother, Luis, and her baby sister, Ana. Her father is far away, working on a plantation. Elena struggles to keep up in school. Her teacher says she needs to practice her reading, but it’s hard to find time to read. She must help her mother with the cooking and housework, as well as the hard work of planting and weeding their garden. As the big sister Elena is also in charge of watching over Luis to keep him out of mischief. It isn’t always easy and she gets impatient with her little brother. But at the end of the day, when Elena shares a book with Luis, carefully sounding out the words, she comes to better understand and appreciate her role in the family.

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