Commemorating Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month@DE

September 15 - October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. 

Before we delve into how DE is commemorating the month this year, it's worth reading this article that breaks down what the terms "Hispanic", "Latino", and "Spanish" mean...(Thanks to Dr. Easley-Houser for sharing). 

On October 6th, the Imperatore Library and the Latinx Affinity group are co-hosting an intergenerational zoom discussion and documentary screening of "Latinos Beyond Reel."  The film explores some of the stereotypes of Latinx, Hispanic and Spanish peoples in our news and entertainment media and how these representations affect youth. Contact Dr. Buggs to participate in this event. 

Here's a quick preview of the documentary:

In order to get this important conversation started, we asked DE Faculty and Staff to share some of their favorite books by Latinx/Hispanic/Spanish authors that were turned into movies. The books and films challenge some of the stereotypical media representations of this very diverse group of people. 

Below is a sampling of their responses. (No spoilers! Links to e-books included at the bottom of this post). 

Dr. Ericka Collado, LS Spanish teacher:

Recommendation for a movie based on a book: "'In the Time of the Butterflies' by Julia Alvarez, based on a true story. The book is one of my favorites. When I read it, I couldn't put it down. I laughed, cried, and cheered for the Mirabal sisters."

Favorite scene/quote:  "Both in the book and in the movie, the scene that I always remember is the one where Minerva Mirabal graduates from law school. At the time, women were not allowed to attend law school yet she was granted permission by President Trujillo. On the day of the graduation, she does not get the diploma from Trujillo as he states that he allowed her to attend law school but that did not mean she could practice law." 

Why it's a must read/must watch: "As a Latina woman who earned a doctorate in education, I can relate to the struggle of Minerva Mirabal to earn a higher education degree. Although, we are fortunate enough not to live in a dictatorship, educated Latinas are often faced with a similar predicament. We may be part of a group of professionals considered the elite in education, yet, we are underprivileged within that elite and as result marginalized for being women and Latinas."

Check out the movie trailer here.

             Dr. Collado's suggestions for other books by Latinx/Hispanic authors:

               

Janet García-Levitas, LS Spanish Teacher:

Recommendation for a book: "'La casa de los Espíritus (The House of Spirits)' by Isabel Allende. I strongly recommend the novel and strongly discourage watching the movie, as the movie is pretty bad and does not reflect the novel well. 

Favorite quote: "No se puede encontrar a quien no quiere ser encontrado (You can't find someone who doesn't want to be found)."

Why it's a must read/must watch: "The book tells the story of the Trueba family through four generations, while interweaving the history of Chile throughout their story. It is beautifully written, very interesting and a definite page turner."

 

Señora García-Levitas' suggestions for other books by Latinx/Hispanic authors: 

               

                                   

Maria Sanchez-Gardner '71, Director of Alumni Relations:

Recommendation for movie based on a book: "Almost a Woman" based on the book "When I was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago.

Favorite quote: "In the 21 years that I lived with my mother, we moved 23 times. Each time I packed my belongings, I left a little of myself in the rooms that sheltered me, never home, always just the places I lived. I congratulated myself on how easy it was to leave them, how well I packed everything I owned into a couple of boxes and suitcases.”

Why it's a must read/must watch: "It's an excellent coming of age memoir. The story reached me." 

Check out the trailer here. 

Maria Sanchez-Gardner's suggestions for books by Latinx/Hispanic authors:

                

    

Daniel Carragher, Chair, Human Development Department:  

Recommendation for a book: "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. 

Favorite part: "Too many favorite parts of the book... and don't want to spoil anything... but I did like how the boys learn to talk about themselves to each other and then with their families... and how their honesty about each other (and their love) allows other members of their family to share certain truths." 

Why it's a must read: "It's a sweet love story about two Latinx teenage boys. Unlike other queer novels, here, the couple's story isn't implied, but deeply explored."

Dr. Carragher's suggestions for other books by Latinx/Hispanic authors:

         

Jose Miguel Moracho, MS Spanish teacher

Recommendation for movie based on a book: "Man of La Mancha" based on the book "The Adventures of Don Quixote de la Mancha" by Miguel de Cervantes. 

Favorite quote: "Ladran, luego cabalgamos. (They are barking, -complaining- so we are in the right direction)."

Why it's a must read: "(The book) is based on the most famous book of Spanish literature."

Check out the trailer here. 

Sr. Moracho's suggestions for other books by Latinx/Hispanic authors: "I mostly read new Spanish authors: Arturo Perez Reverte, Javier Marias, Rosa Montero."

Here's a sampling of a few books:

You can access the books mentioned in the post by downloading the Sora or Overdrive app to your phone, tablet, or e-reader.  Access the collection through a web browser here. Don't see what you like? Send us an email and we'll pull the book for you. 

If you have recommendations for must watch movies or great books that commemorate the spirit of this month, email us and let us know! 

If You Enjoyed Station Eleven...

The entire upper school read the same book this summer, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Here are some readalikes based on various aspects of the book.

If you enjoyed the social dynamics of the dystopian world, you might want to check out:

        

Wool by Hugh Howly
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Landscape With Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson

If you enjoyed the environmental aspects, you might want to check out:

      

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Dry by Neal Shusterman
The Road by Cormac McCarthy

If you enjoyed the flu aspects, you might want to check out:

        

Wilder Girls by Rory Power
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
Severance by Ling Ma

All of these books are available for checkout in our school library.

Author Sayantani DasGupta Visits 6th Graders

The sixth graders were fortunate to have author Sayantani DasGupta visit them last week in the Imperatore library. Her book series, Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond, is a fantasy adventure story that is based on Bengali folktales.

When talking about her motivation for writing the first book in the series, The Serpent's Secret, Dr. DasGupta referenced the lack of diverse representation in middle grade fantasy books. This quote from Toni Morrison, "If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it" is something that has driven and inspired Dr. DasGupta. She brought up the importance of books that are windows (a glimpse into a new experience), mirrors (a reflection of your own experience), and sliding glass doors (a gateway to enter a new world) for readers.

The sixth graders greatly enjoyed Dr. DasGupta's interactive presentation. Library copies of her first book were all immediately snatched up! Look out for the second book in the series, Game of Stars, which comes out in February and read more on Sayantani DasGupta's website.

The National Book Award Longlists have been announced! The books are broken out into five separate categories: Young People's Literature, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Translated Literature. See how many of the books you can read from this list before the winners are announced on November 14. Many of these books on this list are in our library so come check one or two out!

                  

Best Fiction for Young Adults

Looking for a good new book to read? Check out the newly released Best Fiction for Young Adults list. This list was created by Mrs. Shaurette and 14 other librarians across the country who got together to nominate and discuss titles with strong literary merit that would appeal to teens. If you don't want to sort through the whole list of 78 titles, check out the Top Ten, or stop by the library to ask Mrs. Shaurette for some of her favorites.

If You Liked 1984...

Over the summer, the upper school students and faculty all read George Orwell's classic dystopian, 1984. Here are some next reads for anyone that enjoyed this summer reading and wants to read something similar. 

If you want to read about potential dangers of technology, try The Circle by Dave Eggers, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, or Feed by M.T. Anderson.

  

If you want to read something more about mistreatment of women in a dystopian society, and enjoyed the bleak nature of 1984, try The Handmaid's Tale, or for a slightly less bleak outlook, try Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King or When She Woke by Hilary Jordan.

  

If you want to read another classic dystopian work that also deals with brainwashing, try Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, or Animal Farm by George Orwell.

  

If you want to ponder more ethical societal questions, try Scythe by Neal Shusterman, The Giver by Lois Lowry, or Starters by Lissa Price.

  

If you enjoy plot twists, try Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, or Willful Machines by Tim Floreen.

  

For more titles, check out the bulletin boards in Leggett or come to the library and get additional recommendations. 

Pulitzer Prize Winners 2017

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction this year "for a smart melding of realism and allegory that combines the violence of slavery and the drama of escape in a myth that speaks to contemporary America." 

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond was the general nonfiction winner, recognized "for a deeply researched expose that showed how mass evictions after the 2008 economic crash were less a consequence than a cause of poverty."

The Pulitzer Prize website features the full list of winners including prizes for excellence in journalism, drama, history, poetry, and music.

Stop by the library to check out one of these award winning books or if you can't make it here, check out the ebook from home.

Come and Play Reading Bingo

As a way to share books that students and faculty read over the summer, the library has created an interactive bingo board. Readers have been sharing titles that fit into categories like A Book That Made You Laugh, A Work of Historical Fiction, or A Book About Inequality.

What did you read this summer? Stop by the library and add a book you read to the board. There are still a few spaces left and we are handing out free books to all participants (while supplies last.) Or come in and see what other teachers and students read over the summer and get some book recommendations!