Bøger udgivet af PINATA BOOKS

"Vincent and his dad are on a bus in Mexico, headed to his late mom's village of Nagual, when he hears a loud animal roar! Oddly, no one else seems to have heard it. Looking out the window, he is surprised to see a girl running alongside the bus; he's even more amazed when she turns into a jaguar! And then he sees a sinister sight: a woman with a cadaverous-looking donkey's head whose glowing red eyes burn as if on fire! Even in a different country, there's another monster mystery to solve. The boy monster fighter has never met his mother's side of the family, but he knows his maternal grandfather Federico blames his dad for taking Luz away. Despite the tension, Vincent is excited to meet his granddad, Aunt Marina and cousins Pedro and Lupe, who looks suspiciously like the girl he saw running beside the bus! Vincent soon learns that Lupe, like many others in the village, is a nagual, someone born with the magical ability to transform into an animal. His cousins tell him the Donkey Lady hasn't been seen in years, so why has she come back now? They are also alarmed when Vincent tells them that his girlfriend Zulema, a witch owl, is coming to visit. Their grandfather hates witch owls! All too soon, this sixth novel in Garza's bilingual Monster Fighter Mystery series culminates in a convergence of supernatural beings--witch owls, the demonic Donkey Lady, curanderos and naguals--all fighting in a life-or-death battle!"

"Jacqueline Bravo can't understand why she's being called to the principal's office and is shocked to learn her mother hasn't paid her tuition at St. Bernadette High School in three months! Now Sister Mary Grace is threatening to kick her out and even recommends a vocational school until she gets married. Finances have been tight ever since Jacqui's father was killed in Vietnam. She is determined to win the alumni scholarship to UCLA, and there's no way she will transfer to a public or vocational school in her senior year--never mind get married! But she doesn't want her younger siblings to have to leave St. Patrick's either; her sister is already hanging out with unsavory boys and Jacqui knows it would only get worse at the local school. So, she starts looking for a way to earn money and help make ends meet. Without telling her mom, Jacqui gets a job at a local restaurant. She struggles to manage school and work, volunteering with an organization fighting to improve the barrio and new friendships, including with a boy she has had a crush on forever. When the police come to the restaurant looking for a former waitress who is now missing, Jacqui gets pulled into the mysterious goings-on. Why does the owner want her to cross the border into Mexico to buy supplies? Is what people say about drugs being sold there true? Introducing teens to the struggles of women and Mexican Americans for equal rights in the 1970s, this appealing novel deals with death and grief, relationships among family and friends and the importance of believing in your community--and yourself!"--

"Pedro came from a family of artists who created papier-mâché sculptures. With newspaper, cardboard and glue, they made piñatas, masks and mojigangas, giant puppets used in parades and festivals in Mexico. As a boy, he helped his family by collecting newspapers in the neighborhood. When he got older, he began making the large figures himself. The family had to make new ones every year because all the mojigangas were burned after the events! One day, Pedro became very sick. He had a high fever, slept a lot and had very scary nightmares. In his dreams, the giant puppets came to life and chased him. But suddenly, fierce animals with long, sharp teeth and claws came to his defense and ate up all the monsters! The animals called themselves alebrijes. When he was well, he began to recreate the beasts from his dream using paper and glue; he painted his creations with bright colors and intricate patterns. Soon, people came from all over to buy Pedro's monster eaters. Loosely based on the life of artist Pedro Linares, this bilingual picture book for young readers pairs the fascinating origin story of one of Mexico's most well-known folk arts with striking illustrations of the magical creatures. This is a perfect choice for parents and teachers interested in sharing the world of art with their kids. "--Publisher provided description.

"Elena and Miguel's parents don't live in the same house anymore. Now the kids live in two, Mami's during the week and Papi's on weekends. "At first," Elena says, "it felt like I left half of me behind each time I changed houses. And it didn't feel like family anymore." Elena wonders if Rico the cat misses Papi; surely, he too senses the change. At the movie theater, only three share the big tub of popcorn. The kids help their mom pick the oranges off the tree, something their dad used to do. On weekends, Papi makes pancakes for them, but they're not quite like the ones their mom makes. "It doesn't feel like family anymore." Gradually, the siblings begin to adjust to their new lives. At birthday parties, they're surrounded by relatives and "in the circle of cousins, it felt like family again." And when all four grandparents and both parents cheer Elena on at her soccer game, their obvious pride in her feels even better than the points she scored. "It feels like family!" This bilingual picture book for young readers explores a difficult subject experienced by many children--divorce and the resulting changes in their lives--while highlighting the importance of relationships with extended family members."--Publisher provided description.

In this bilingual picture book, a young girl treasures her grandmother's ankle-length hair, as well as the love, security and wisdom of ages it represents.

""My name is Gerónimo Pérez, / but everybody calls me Bilingual. / I like my name Gerónimo, / but I like Bilingual better." The boy speaks English and Spanish and loves the ease with which he can flip back and forth between the two, "easy as pie, / so smooth, so cool, so beautiful, suuuuper sweet." He can taste the words--and dance with them too! He explains the instructions for his grandmother's medications and translates his grandfather's stories. He helps his mom and anyone else who needs his assistance, whether on the bus or at school. "Sometimes I feel like I'm a parrot with two tongues: / one for Spanish and the other for English." Gerónimo is a superhero with bilingual powers! Acclaimed children's book author Jorge Argueta returns with another compelling story featuring an important theme for all immigrant children: speaking more than one language. With whimsical illustrations by Elizabeth Gómez, this book turns the lore of superheroes on its ear while encouraging kids who are learning multiple languages. Parents and teachers will appreciate both the positivity exemplified by a boy's endless enthusiasm for his bilingual skills and the reimagining of what it means to be a hero."

A grandmother assures her granddaughter that her love will always surround the young girl, even when she is no longer physically present.

"This bilingual picture book for kids recalls Major League Baseball pitcher Mariano Rivera's childhood in Panama, his fascination with playing ball-even if he had to make his glove out of cardboard-and his eventual signing with the New York Yankees, where he helped win five World Series"--

"Alain's parents have a home in Tepoztlâan, outside of Mexico City, and he invites a group of friends to spend the long Mexican Independence weekend there. They can't wait to hang out, play video games and climb up the Toltec pyramid that's in the town! Once there, the city kids meet some of the locals, including Pancho, who's about their age, and his mother, a curandera who does cleansings. The young people are thrilled to be able to watch the indigenous ceremony that involves copal incense, candles and rubbing an egg along the body. BUt more exciting is Pancho's invitation to explore a large cave he has recently discovered on Mt. Tepozteco. The next day they find the cave entrance without too much trouble, but soon things get weird in the huge, dark cavern as they encounter an assortment of odd characters. The friends realize they've accidentally entered Tepozteco's Belly, where the ancient Aztec gods live. Mother figure and goddess of sustenance, Tonantzin, and Xiutecutli, lord of fire, want to help the kids escape, but others, including the fearsome earth mother goddess Coatlicue, want to subject the intruders to a bloody sacrifice. Introducing Mexico's pre-Hispanic culture and religion, this adventure novel blending fantasy and myth races to an exciting conclusion!"--Back cover.

Saldaäna's bilingual memoir in verse for teens charts the development of a reader and writer while honoring his Mexican-American community.

"This sweet bilingual picture book follows a boy and his stay-at-home dad, who takes care of him while his mom goes to work at the port, "where huge cargo ships come and go every day." She oversees the containers that go around the world! The boy recounts his days spending time with his father, from "when the sun starts filling the room with light," to eating breakfast, brushing his teeth and talking to his grandparents who live in a different country. His favorite time of the day is when he gets to play with his dinosaurs and his friend Tato, a stuffed cat who joins him on all his adventures. When Mom comes home, the whole family goes to the park. After dinner, he goes to bed and thinks about the ships from his mom's work, his dinosaurs and his grandparents. Soon he falls asleep, hugging his special kitty. In this bilingual picture book brightly illustrated by Claudia Delgadillo, young children will relate to the family and its daily routines while immigrants will see themselves as they adjust to life far away from relatives. And children will see that the roles of men and women are fluid; dads can be loving fathers in charge of their kids' well-being and moms can go to the office every day--or vice versa." -- publisher's website

Award-winning children's book author René Colato Laínez teams up again with illustrator Fabricio Vanden Broeck to explore the experiences of newcomers in U.S. schools and affirm that yes! They do belong here.

"My name is Earth / but people call me Little Earth." In the fourth installment of their award-winning Madre Tierra / Mother Earth series of trilingual picture books about the natural world, Jorge Argueta and Felipe Ugalde Alcâantara collaborate again to introduce Mother Earth, who is "full of all the colors / and all the flavors." She is the mother of water, fire, wind and earth. Some call her planet, others nature or creation. "I am Mother Earth / a globe spinning around the sun, / creating sunrises, sunsets and nights." She is the song of all the plants and animals, she is "dew, snow, heat," she is life. A Junior Library Guild selection, this book about Mother Earth reflects Argueta's indigenous roots and his appreciation for the natural world. Felipe Ugalde Alcâantara's stunning illustrations depict streams, mountains and wildlife in their habitat. Containing the English and Spanish text on each page, the entire poem appears at the end in Nahuat, the language of Argueta's Pipil-Nahua ancestors. This is an excellent choice to encourage children to write their own poems about nature and to begin conversations about the interconnected web of life.

There's a rumor going around school that Mickey Rangel, detective extraordinaire, has competition! Apparently, Tina has gotten an online license just like Mickey. He can't believe it! Doesn't she know detectives are guys? Look at all the greats: Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Colombo, the Hardy BOYS! But when a pack of baseball cards--a collector's item worth a lot of money--donated to the school's fundraiser is stolen, Principal Abrego wants Mickey and Tina to work together to solve the case. The dynamic duo, she calls them! Mickey is determined to show the girl detective who's who and he expects her to understand that they are not equal partners; she's a rung or two below him. Almost immediately Tina takes charge of the investigation and starts giving him instructions! "Who does this girl think she is?" Mickey wonders. But he isn't counting on the fact that she is extremely smart and well-prepared. And when he lets his biases blind him to the facts of the case, it's Tina who schools Mickey on the fine art of detection! How could he have possibly thought girls can't be private investigators? Will she ever forgive him for his misogyny?

Loud music wakes Vincent up in the middle of the night, and he sees a red pickup truck pull in at the house across the street. A red-headed girl and a man decked out in a sparkly western shirt and cowboy hat get out, and he proceeds to two-step up and down the driveway before they go inside. Through the windows, Vincent can see them dancing in unison, the man downstairs and the girl upstairs. Their movements are virtually identical and they begin spinning faster and faster. Suddenly, he sees what looks like horns begin to sprout from the man's head! It seems there's another monster mystery begging to be solved! The next day at the library, Vincent reads about a border urban legend involving a handsome stranger who is really a dancing devil! He also meets a new student, Lilith del Diablo, who he saw the night before! Soon Vincent and his friends have gained Lily's trust and she tells them her biological father, Luciano del Diablo, is intent on forcing her to become his partner in crime terrorizing girls at dance halls along the US-Mexico border. Meanwhile, Vincent finds his mother's trunk in the garage and is shocked to find it's full of monster-fighting tools--silver coins, a slingshot, wooden stakes--and a journal with information on the various beasts. Why would she have this information? Does he come from a long line of ancestors who fight unnatural demons? Is that why evil creatures are constantly moving in across the street?! With help from his mother's diary, Vincent concocts a plan to save Lily from the dancing devil, but it's going to take all his friends' and cousins' wits to make it work. This bilingual book for intermediate readers, the fifth installment in Garza's Monster Fighter Mystery series, follows the dangerous battle between a seasoned devil and one unsure of her powers, a witch owl and several very determined kids!

Holly Hernandez, voted "Miss Bright of '79" and valedictorian at her previous school, is excited to start fresh at Flatbush Technical High School, one of the most competitive public schools in New York City. She'll be one of thousands; anonymous. But her dreams of a normal school life disappear when her mother, a homicide detective, has to investigate the murder of Mr. Friedman, the social studies teacher. One of her classmates, Xander Herrera, quickly becomes the primary suspect. The tall, awkward boy is socially inept, but Holly doesn't think he's a murderer. She is intent on exonerating him"¬‚¬"but he wants nothing to do with her. To Xander, Holly is the overly enthusiastic student who always sits in the front row and answers all the teachers' questions"¬‚¬"correctly. He hates perky people! Eventually cleared of the crime, Xander is determined to find the killer before Holly. As they race to solve the case, their separate investigations lead to a slew of suspects, including another teacher seen arguing with Friedman and a mysterious person named Steve who met with him several times before his death. Could it have been a disgruntled student? Ultimately, a trophy for a disco-dancing contest leads the intrepid young detectives to the Mission Venus nightclub and a murderer intent on killing again!

Young Sofi enters a New York City community garden and finds a half-painted mural. It's full of big, leafy plants in blue and yellow, and a vibrant emerald green color appears where the two colors meet. As Sofi runs her fingers over the image, she is suddenly transported to a beautiful place with plants just like the ones on the wall! Sofi finds herself in the Dominican Republic, where she meets a young boy named Juan Luis. He is writing a song, but he's stuck on the lyrics and needs her help. After they finish the song, the pair flies over the river that separates San Pedro de Macoris from Haiti. There, Juan Luis introduces her to his friend, Guerlande, a young metal artist. She also needs Sofi's help. Can she make just the right shade of purple to paint Guerlande's huge mermaid sculpture? This bilingual picture book about an imaginative girl and an enchanted mural is an engaging exploration of the cultural traditions of the Caribbean. The sequel to Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural / Sofi y el magico mural musical, this story introduces young readers to the art and music of the gorgeous island of Hispaniola. Kids will be encouraged to explore their own artistic talents after reading about internationally acclaimed Dominican musician, Juan Luis Guerra, and Haitian artist, Guerlande Balan.

In this poignant bilingual picture book, a boy remembers his first present, "a little train crossing / the mountain of my pillow / over a valley on my bed." There's even a girl who looks like his sister waving happily from the window! Years later, after his parents have gone far away in search of work and a better future, the boy rides in a real train to join his family. This one is loaded with hundreds of children traveling alone, just like him. There are frightening strangers, others along the way who want to jump on and, scariest of all, a boy who almost falls off the roof because he can't stay awake any longer. When the train finally arrives at its destination, everyone jumps off and the boy begs "the moon to shine, / to light up the border" so he can cross and find his mother. This moving, poetic story by award-winning Salvadoran author Mario Bencastro touches on the difficult journey north many Central American children make in hopes of finding their parents and a better life.

""Julia, they're already warming up. Hurry!" Cheito says to his little sister as they rush to their bomba class. Cheito is a natural on the drums, but Julia isn't as enthusiastic about dancing. Julia tries to imitate the best dancer in the class, but her turns are still too slow, her steps too big. She just can't do anything right! When the instructor announces the younger students will be participating in the bombazo and performing a solo, Julia is terrified. When it's her turn, she takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and focuses on the beat of the drum. As she dances, Julia notices that the drums are actually talking to her. Feeling braver, she stops worrying and trying so hard. Instead, she loses herself in the rhythm of the bomba drums and enjoys herself! Introducing children to the Afro-Latino tradition of bomba music and dancing, author and educator Raquel M. Ortiz shares another story for children ages 5-9 about her rich Puerto Rican heritage. With lively illustrations by Flor de Vita that aptly express Julia's frustration, fear and joy, this book will help children understand that practicing yields results! "

"Jasminne Mendez didn't speak English when she started kindergarten, and her young, white teacher thought the girl was deaf because in Louisiana, you were either Black or white. She had no idea that a Black girl could be a Spanish speaker. In this memoir for teens about growing up Afro Latina in the Deep South, Jasminne writes about feeling torn between her Dominican, Spanish-speaking culture at home and and American, English-speaking one around her. She desperately wanted to fit in, to be seen as American, and she realized early on that language mattered. Learning to read and write English well was the road to acceptance. Mendez shares typical childhood experiences such as having an imaginatry friend, boys and puberty, but she also exposes the anti-Black racism within her own family and the conflict created by her family's conservative traditions. She was not allowed to do things other girls could, like date boys, shave her legs or wear heels. 'I wanted us to find some common ground,' she writes about her parents, 'but it seemed like we were from two different worlds, and our islands kept drifting farther and farther apart.'"