América Is Her Name

América Is Her Name by Luis J. Rodríguez. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781880684405.

Set in the Pilsen barrio of Chicago, this childrens picture book gives a heartwarming message of hope. The heroine, América, is a primary school student who is unhappy in school until a poet visits the class and inspires the students to express themselves creatively-in Spanish or English. América Is Her Name emphasizes the power of individual creativity in overcoming a difficult environment and establishing self-worth and identity through the young girl Américas desire and determination to be a writer. This story deals realistically with the problems in urban neighborhoods and has an upbeat theme: you can succeed in spite of the odds against you. Carlos Vázquezs inspired four-color illustrations give a vivid sense of the barrio, as well as the beauty and strength of the young girl América.