Here are the books I shared this month on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6. Two books for young readers to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and a cookbook I’ll be using for holiday cooking.
by Julia Alvarez
This is a favorite book among teachers of young readers in grades 4-7. It’s a contemporary immigration story told from the perspectives of two young people in Vermont. When Tyler’s father is injured in a tractor accident, his family hires migrant Mexican workers to help save their farm from foreclosure. A trailer on the property soon becomes home to the Cruz family—sixth-grader Mari, her two younger sisters, father, and two uncles, all needing work to survive and living with fear of deportation. Mari’s mother is missing; she’s being held by “coyotes” wanting more money. Third-person chapters about Tyler alternate with Mari’s unmailed letters to her mother and her diary entries. When the “coyotes” contact Mr. Cruz about securing his wife’s freedom, Tyler secretly loans the man his savings, then renegotiates a promised birthday trip in order to accompany Mari to North Carolina to help rescue her abused mother. This is a timely novel about compassion and understanding. There’s hope here but few easy answers. There’s also lots to think about long after the book is finished.
Living Beyond Borders: Growing up Mexican in America
By Margarita Longoria
This mix-media anthology of short stories, essays and even comics relies upon dozens of voices to explore the Mexican American experience for young adult readers. The authors—including Francisco X. Stork, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, David Bowles, Diana López, Xavier Garza, Trinidad Gonzales, Alex Temblador and more—share the borders they have crossed, the struggles they have overcome and the two cultures they continue to navigate as Mexican Americans. The collection is eye-opening and heart-wrenching.
By Jessie Sheehan
Salty. Cheesy. Herby. Crispy. That about covers it. This brand-new cookbook dedicated to savory baking (my favorite kind of baking actually) features more than 100 simple, scrumptious recipes that are perfect for entertaining or just enjoying on your own. Jessie Sheehan, beloved by millions on social media, also is the author of Snackable Bakes, a New York Times best cookbook of 2022. The recipes in this new book (out last week) range from miso garlic butter Chex mix (take that to your next tailgate) to deep dish cacio e Pepe quiche (hello, easy weeknight dinner!). There are olive cheese puffs, pear gorgonzola toasted walnut muffins, smash burger hand pies with cheese, a tomato zaatar galette and hot honey-glazed cornbread. Sheehan’s MO calls for assembly in minutes with everyday ingredients. Easy-peasy and delicious.
I link to Amazon to show you exactly what book I’m talking about, but I love to shop locally at Church Street Coffee and Books, The Alabama Booksmith, Little Professor, and Thank You Books in Crestwood. And I visit my local library often in person and online!
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