I know that I am not the only one who speaks Spanglish, but when you are younger, you feel like you are. I am what you would call “middle-aged”, however, the woman staring back at me from the mirror is my mother and not me. As I read How to Speak in Spanglish by Mónica Mancillas, I was transported back to a different time and place. I remembered my mom and dad saying that they sent me to a private school hoping that I would learn to speak “perfect” English, in order to and fit in. This story is a reminder of what growing up in two worlds can be like.
“This story is a reminder of what growing up in two worlds can be like. . .You will fall in love with Sami and his vibrant, Spanglish filled, world. ”
How to Speak in Spanglish is beautifully written, lighthearted, and able to address what it is like to grow up with two languages in your head, while trying to make sense of it all. You will fall in love with Sami and appreciate how he can make the two languages work together. Mixing two worlds is not easy but Sami does an excellent job of it and even conveniences his Abuela to give speaking Spanglish a try. The feel of this book touches you from the very first scene and captivates you with the familiarities of the two worlds that Sami can artfully craft together. Despite the opposition that Sami faces he can convince others to give Spanglish a try. You will love and appreciate this story even if you do not speak Spanish, Spanglish or even English. You will see how being caught between two worlds can be as interesting as you make it.
The illustrations from Olivia de Castro are also beautiful. They add to the color and flare of this heartwarming story. You will fall in love with Sami and his vibrant, Spanglish filled, world.
Mónica Mancillas writes picture books, along with middle-grade nonfiction and fiction, that center on identity, culture, and mental health. She was born in Ensenada, Baja California, and then moved to the United States at the age of two. She is an alumna of the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and has a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Angela “Angie” Ybarra is a senior student enrolled in the Nontraditional Degree Program (NDP) at Northeastern Illinois University. She hopes to work as a grant writer to assist local nonprofit organizations that address the issues of gentrification within Chicago's NorthWest side and help them find funding for their work. Angie loves to give her audience the opportunity to formulate their own views by presenting the facts or points of interest with the hope to move her audience into action.
“Journalism is what maintains democracy. It’s the force for progressive social change.” —Andrew Vachss, Author
