My Name Is Jorge: On Both Sides of the River (Poems in Spanish and English)

By Jane Medina

Book Overview

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book
A NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts

The moving poems in this timely, bilingual book for young readers are written in both Spanish and English and are told from the point of view of Jorge, a young immigrant from Mexico who struggles to make a new life in a new country. Poignant and powerful, this award-winning title is a thought-provoking choice to share with children at home or in the classroom, and is an ideal book for children who are learning a new language or navigating between languages.

Jorge is trying to learn the ways of his new country on the other side of the river from his home in Mexico. He wants to fit in at school, but he doesn't want to forget his homeland. His family is still doing things as if they're in their old country, but Jorge is curious to find out everything he can about his new country. Learning a new language, getting a library card, taking tests, and making friends are challenges for Jorge. And just when Jorge finds a new friend in Tim, his life changes once again. Author Jane Medina and illustrator Fabricio Vanden Broeck bring Jorge to life in this timeless, accessible tale.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1563978423
• ISBN13: 9781563978425
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: Wordsong
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 8.3" x 10.8"
• Age Range: 7 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 5

Customer Reviews

Great

Uses to teach the importantance of names, and how important it is to pronounce names correctly (especially foreign). Through the book, her Mexican-American students come to realize that their names are special. Great book.

A poetic narrative of the immigrant child's experience

This book presents a fabulous bilingual presentation of a Mexican child's experience in school in the United States. The poems tell of both the kindnesses and cruelties that the Mexican immigrant child faces in school. The translations are well done, and the poems can be read singly or as a narrative. I highly recommend this book as a staple of every bilingual classroom.