INTRODUCTION
This reading guide is designed to accompany Mitali Perkins and Sara Palacios’ picture book Between Us and Abuela. Reading Is Resistance sees reading as an opportunity to seed deeper conversations and possibilities for action around racial justice in our communities.
Lesson content was written by Zoe Hernandez-Macdonald and was designed to start and deepen anti-bias/anti-racist conversations in families and other learning communities. Editors were Vanessa Eppley and Soledad Valencia.
BOOK THEMES
IMMIGRATION, GROWING UP MEXICAN-AMERICAN, MEXICAN-AMERICAN IDENTITY, FAMILY BONDS, GRANDPARENTS, BORDER POLICY/STRUGGLES
THE READ ALOUD
Click here to access a video read aloud of Between Us and Abuela
BOOK SUMMARY
This book follows Maria and Juan as they travel with their mom to the US-Mexican border to see their abuela for the first time in 5 years; however, they can only see her through the massive fence in the sand. They bring gifts for abuela but run into trouble when they cannot push them through the fence. Using their creativity and the encouragement from both sides of the fence, Maria and Juan are able to delight abuela with their gifts.
DOWNLOAD THE FULL CURRICULUM HERE ⇩
The full curriculum contains discussion questions, resources, and books to read next!