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THEY CALL ME GueERO

David Bowles

A Border Kid's Poems

Bowles beautifully captures the voice of Guero, a 12-year-old boy living on the Mexican-American border and dealing with bullies, girls, school, and being paler-skinned (and a red-head) than most of his Mexican American family. Bowles captures the voice of a modern boy like no one else I've read, with his texting, movies, and search for his place in the world. It's a novel in poems, but there is no rhyming, which should make translation much easier.
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Published 2018-11-01 by Cinco Puntos Press

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ALSC Notable Children's Book Read more...

An achievement of both artistic skill and emotional resonance, Bowles's volume is both a richly rewarding tour through many borderlands, including adolescence itself, and a defiant celebration of identity: 'no wall, no matter how tall, can stop your heritage. -- starred review Read more...

Snapchat, texting, woke teachers, K-pop/hip-hop, hybrid cars, and border troubles tie this story to today's times, but the rich characters who fill Gueero's family, school, and neighborhood - Uncle Joe, Abuela Mimi, Joanna la Fregona, the three Bobbys, Bisabuela Luisa, and a dozen more - are the beating heart of this masterful novel-in poems rooted in generations of culture, geography, and story. - Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong, creators of "The Poetry Friday Anthology" series

With a glossary of Spanish words and phrases in the back, They Call Me Gueero makes itself accessible to all readers without ever moving away from celebrating and directly addressing Spanish-speaking children. (starred review) Read more...

The Claudia Lewis Award, given for the first time in 1998, honors the best poetry book of the year. The award commemorates the late Claudia Lewis, distinguished children's book expert and longtime member of the Bank Street College faculty and Children's Book Committee. She conveyed her love and understanding of poetry with humor and grace. Read more...

Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award Read more...

Pura Belpré Author Honor Book Read more...

Walter Honor for Outstanding Children Literature in the Young Readers. Read more...

A White Ravens Book 2019 Read more...

Jean Flynn Award for Best Middle Grade Book co-winner 2018 Read more...

Vibrant and unforgettable, this is a must-have for all middle grade collections. Pair with both fiction and nonfiction books on immigration, forced cultural assimilation, and stories about contemporary Mexican American life. (starred review) Read more...