(4) K-3 Translated by Gabriela Baeza Ventura. Illustrated by Robert Casilla. In a pre-Mexico indigenous village, Mamá Alma talks to Bella about how she's growing old. They share memories and plan how Bella can remember the grandmother when she's gone. The book is text-heavy, a fault visually magnified by the accompanying Spanish translations; while stiff, the illustrations contribute setting details. A valuable author's note discusses the now-"misunderstood" tradition of the Day of the Dead.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Casilla. Dolores "asks each boss to pay the workers enough money for shoes and books and medicine." Warren uses straightforward sentences to explain labor leader Huerta's efforts to help farm workers and their families get a better life. Casilla's watercolor and pastel illustrations are thoughtful--sometimes to a fault, given the over-dramatization of emotion in the characters' faces. Reading list, timeline, websites.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Casilla. A straightforward text describes Pinchot's conservation efforts: introducing healthy forestry practices to American loggers, establishing the U.S. Forest Service, and, with the help of President Theodore Roosevelt, designating millions of acres of land as national forests before lumber, water, and mining companies could acquire them. Occasionally stiff illustrations accompany the story. Reading list.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Casilla. Sixth grader Blanca, who lives with her immigrant family in the barrio, yearns for a better life. These poems reveal Blanca's hopes, dreams, and frustrations with both humor and poignancy; Medina's free verse lends itself well to treatment in both English and Spanish. The poems are accompanied by realistic black-and-white illustrations. Glos.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Robert Casilla. Gloria must go with her mother to her job at a fancy hotel on Christmas day, where she realizes how different her life is from those of the wealthy guests. It's not until evening at her nana's across the border in Mexico that Gloria's confusion and hurt feelings dissolve in the simple comforts of being with the family who loves her. Gloria is likable, and the short chapter book, with black-and-white drawings, is warm but unsentimental.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Casilla. Because his papá is a migrant farm worker, Chico has attended numerous California schools, and he finds it difficult to be a new kid so often. However, on his first day in third grade, he uses his mathematical expertise to face down two fourth-grade bullies, and things begin to look up. A number of the illustrations are stiff, but Chico's victory is heartwarming.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Casilla. These poems by authors such as Deborah Chandra, Donald Graves, and Nikki Grimes, as well as several by selector Micklos, celebrate the relationship between fathers and their children. The fathers point out the wonders of nature, splurge on baseball gloves, or help with bath time. Although the illustrations often look muddy, they feature realistic families from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley