Spanish Is the Language of My Family

Written by Michael Genhart · Illustrated by John Parra

A boy and his grandmother unite over a Spanish spelling bee, bridging past and present.

4.4 Goodreads · 401 ratings

40 pages· 709 words· Est. 6 min read-aloud· ~400L

$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

A young boy, eager to win his school's Spanish spelling bee, turns to his grandmother for help. As they study, she shares stories of her past, when speaking Spanish was forbidden in school. Inspired by her resilience, he strives to honor his heritage and make his family proud. This touching tale explores cultural pride and the power of language across generations.

From the publisher

An intergenerational story of family ties, cultural pride, and spelling bee victory following a young boy who bonds with his beloved abuela over a love of Spanish. As a boy prepares for his school’s Spanish spelling bee, he asks his grandmother for help with some of the words he doesn’t know how to spell yet. When she studies with him, she tells him how different things were back when she was a girl, when she was only allowed to speak English in school. This only inspires him to study even harder and make his family proud. Based on stories author Michael Genhart heard from his mother as a child, Spanish is the Language of My Family is about the joy of sharing cultural heritage with our families, inspired by the generations of Latino people were punished for speaking Spanish and the many ways new generations are rejuvenating the language.. Michael Genhart’s text is as touching as it is poignant, and it’s paired with the striking artwork of multiple Pura Belpre Award-Winning Illustrator John Parra. Extensive material at the back of the book includes essays from the author about the history of Spanish suppression in U.S. schools and information about the Spanish alphabet. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection