My Two Worlds CL

This book provides a great depiction of immigrant life in the United States, especially latin culture in New York City. Furthermore, it describes it in a way that is easily understood by children in lower grades. It is an excellent resource for educating about diversity, multiculturalism, and/or immigration.

I would like to point out that, in fact, the word is "MERENGUE" and it is pronounced "Mer-ren-GAY". Furthermore, it is the national Dominican music. It is not Haitian at all, since Haitian music is called "Compas". Please verify your information before you put it out there for others to read. Thank you.

Oh! What a multicultural merengue*! Seven-year-old Kirsy Rodriguez takes us inside her two worlds, traveling from a snowy New York winter to the balmy Dominican Republic. We meet Kirsy's family, experience the sights and sounds of Puerto Plata, and see the contrasts and similarities between city life and life in the tropics. Martha Cooper's gorgeous photos colorfully capture the flavor and fun of Kirsy's adventures, documenting the lifestyle of Kirsy's extended family candidly and unobtrusively. Despite the exotic location, Kirsy's holiday festivities, day at the beach, and birthday party contain elements familiar to most. Short, simple sentences read as if our friend Kirsy were describing snapshots of her vacation. Unfortunately, the conversational tone assumes shared knowledge of the Spanish terms sprinkled throughout the text. Though this adds spice, the lack of a map or glossary make this a good, rather than a great resource. Nevertheless, My Two Worlds has much value as a tool to explore cultural or familial issues, is lots of fun as a read-aloud for younger children, and is likely to be enjoyed also by upper-elementary independent readers. *Marengue: (ma-ren-GAY) A Haitian or Dominican ballroom dance or music