CLAS K-12 Book Box 3: Indigenous populations in Latin America

Jorge Tetl Argueta is an award-winning Salvadoran poet and writer who has written numerous bi-lingual children's books. Growing up in El Salvador, Argueta's family owned a restaurant that was in front of a bus stop where he would hear stories from people coming from different places which would later influence his writing. In 1980, fearing for his life, he left his country due to the dangerous political climate. In 2001, he published his first children's book titled Una Pelicula En Mi Almohada / A Movie in My Pillow. He is currently working on his memoir on growing in El Salvador and continues to write children's books. He also gives presentations on creative writing at schools, libraries, and colleges.   http://jorgetetlargueta.weebly.com/

Additional Readings:

Carl Angel is a visual artist who enjoys creating and participating in narrative and storytelling in various forms - be it commercial illustration, children's books, design or a series of paintings exploring personal themes. He is a Filipino American who grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii before attending California College of the Arts and Academy of Art University. http://www.carlangel.com/

Additional Illustrations:

Summary

• Xochitl and the Flowers/Xochitl, la nina de las flores is a real life story about a girl named Xochitl and her family who recently moved to the U.S. and how they miss their home in El Salvador where they would sell flowers in the neighborhood. They try to sell flowers in their new neighborhood in San Francisco but not everyone is happy about it.

Groups Represented

• Salvadorian Americans
• Families
• Immigrants
• Indigenous communities

Suggested Age and Reading Level

• Suggest ages 6-9 years and reading level is Kindergarden-2nd grade.

Prevalent Themes

• Neighborhood
• Overcoming Obstacles
• Immigration
• Flowers

Poetry is an instrument of peace, among children and adults alike. I believe that poetry should be taught in the schools as a necessary class. Every head of the government should know poetry. 
- Jorge Argueta (January 2014 Book Links Interview with Jorge Argueta)

http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-links-interview-with-jorge-argueta.html

An interactive story time in the children's area of a public library or an elementray school library where the speaker reads the story to the group and the group can make their own flowers at the end. Items needed: 

• pipe cleaners
• ruler
• pencil
• scissors
• tissue paper