About book How Tia Lola Came To (Visit) Stay (2002)
“Había una vez…” Tía Lola begins. Once upon a time....And Miguel feels a secret self, different from his normal everyday self, rising up like steam from a boiling kettle into the air and disappearing inside Tía Lola’s stories. (18)Tía Lola has a wonderful ability to transport those around her into an other world; one filled with vibrant color, foreign languages, and hope. For the Reader, Julia Alvarez does the same. In the terribly familiar landscapes of divorce, moving homes, rental agreements, new schools, cultural/racial differences, grieving, and heartache, Alvarez does not shy away from the difficulties these things create for her characters. What she does bring is compassion, a different perspective, and some creative solutions. She does this in the form of Tía Lola.Tía Lola is a bit of a Mary Poppins Nanny McPhee character, but for a few very important distinctions. She appears more vulnerable; she experiences homesickness, she doesn’t want to be a source of embarrassment, she wants to be needed and wanted, and she gets lost. She doesn’t translate effortlessly into situations, not in the way we’ve come to expect anyway. Two, while magical, Tía Lola seems possible. And lastly, she is here to stay. We do not need characters or people like Tía Lola for only a little while, we want and need them around forever.Tía Lola’s (great)nephew Miguel is the primary interest of the 3rd person narrative. Unlike the following books, which move fluidly and fairly frequently through other characters’ consciousness, How Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay very rarely moves away from Miguel. He is a great character to follow, for plenty of reasons, but I like it because he should appeal to male readers, especially those boys who love sports, their dad, and their mom, is an elder brother (or brother at all), and wants to belong while also wanting to be proud of where he comes from.Miguel is having a very hard time with his parents’ divorce. He loves his dad and enjoys his dad’s company. His mother moved them away from family and friends for work in a rural town where they are the only brown people at school. He looks and feels like an oddity. He is helpless in witnessing his mom’s grieving of her own lost relationship. He isn’t all that sure of what to do with a sister who wants their dad at family events, too. Now this strange Aunt who is kind of embarrassing and who doesn’t want to learn English comes to visit. And the visit keeps going.Miguel soon finds that Tía Lola’s presence is a balm, and not just her stories which allow him to escape the harsh realities of his life. She isn’t about running away, but confronting hurts and fears–and finding ways to do this. Tía Lola is also an opportunity for Miguel to discover himself, both individually and culturally. Alvarez finesses some beautiful and inspiring development in her characters, whether they are a protagonist or other. She does this within a single novel, and continues this over the course of the series. Like Tía Lola, reality and its pains are acknowledged, but there is a sincere sense of optimism, a true offering of hope. When are world is very small, our solutions to problems are sure to be. Miguel and his family are gifted more tools with which to work, more venues for expression, and a more vibrant place to inhabit. Julia Alvarez and her character Tía Lola do not just bring charm and sweet humor to the communities where they would visit stay, but possibility as well.***************note: I read these Stories out of order (as the Library obtained them). You can, too, but they are most successful, I believe, in order. Still, Alvarez does not limit herself to formula in this series, each have their own creative aspects that hold them apart from the others. Read them all, read them with your grade-schooler, and don’t just revel in the cultural education aspects, but talk about the familial and social issues, too. Alvarez writes entertaining and informative and socially conscious really well. Enjoy.~L @ omphaloskepsishttp://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
Tia Lola is visiting her family in Vermont--Mami, Miguel and Juanita and quickly captures your heart! She will make you wish that she was your aunt. We take a journey with the young boy, Miguel trying to cope with his parents lingering divorce as well as coping with moving from the hustle and bustle of New York to the quieter, slower paced life of Vermont. The author, Julia Alvarez, does a great job documenting Miguel's growing comfort with his aunt.I love how the book was written in English and had Spanish phrases mixed in. Alvarez would have the Spanish phrase and then the English directly following it. I believe this way of writing added to the authenticity of the plot and made Tia Lola's character more realistic. I love hoe Alvarez also incorporated real life issues into the text--divorce, moving, making new friends, feeling "different", etc. She did so in a beautiful manner that did not harp on the negative issues facing Miguel and Juanita. I love how the text ends on such a positive note and Miguel grows comfortable with his identity as a young Latin American man. I won't spoil the ending, but I love seeing the intersectionality his identities--being American as well as Dominican!This would be a great book to use as a read aloud in upper elementary grades. I could even see this text being used to start discussion or starters for writing prompts. Some key messages that teachers could emphasize or turn into further lessons are how Miguel became more comfortable and less embarrassed of his aunt, how it feels when you have to move to a different environment or cope with a divorce. This book could also spark conversation about being comfortable in our own skin and being proud of our stories and the things we go through to make us who we are.
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Student Name: Chris MaynardPurpose: Multicultural Literature (Wide Reading Project)Genre: Realistic FictionFormat: NovelGrade level: Intermediate (ages 9-12, grades 4-5) Subjects/Themes: See above bookshelvesSchool use: If I owned this book, I would have it in my classroom library and refer it to Latino students whose parents may be going through divorce, as it offers much relevance in terms of the feelings that children experience when their parents suddenly split. As described in my review, this book also has some applications for ELL learners, specifically the parts about the children teaching Tia Lola the difference between figurative and literal language. This book is best used on an individual or small group basis and does not merit a whole-class read or examination. Review: I was pleasantly surprised with How Tia Lola Came to Stay, specifically its combination of humor and sensitivity when dealing with some complicated subjects like divorce, language barriers, moving to a new state and yearning for acceptance in school all the while trying to avoid the embarrassment of an adult (in this story, the wild and wacky Tia Lola) who may shatter any chances of being accepted as cool, etc. This book also teaches about the importance of being sensitive to ELL learners, and while some of the situations that result in the story, such as Tia Lola getting lost at the airport were handled creatively, they show how it is important not to assume even the slightest language to be easy for all people, as doing so can lead to some quite uncomfortable and scary outcomes. This book address a lot of different questions about what family and love mean, encourages acceptance of others (including their quirks) and slowly comes to a resolution at the end without sacrificing quality for a happy ending, which I found quite respectable.
—Chris Maynard
This was a book I related to completely. I quickly got attached to all the characters. In this book, Tia Lola comes to visit from Dominican Republic. Miguel isn't as excited as his younger sister about this since he isn't proud of his culture. While in Vermont, Tia Lola teaches Miguel and his sister about their Dominican culture. Many of the minor characters in the book are affected by Tia Lola's way of expressing her culture. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about Dominican History.
—Perla
This was a very sweet book about the meaning of home and family. When Miguel's aunt "Tia Lola" comes from the Dominican Republic to stay with his mom, sister, and him in their new house in Vermont, Miguel is embarrassed by her poor English skills and extroverted nature. His parents have also just gotten separated and Miguel misses his Dad, who is still living in New York. Of course, as the story goes on, Miguel warms up to his aunt and decides that he really doesn't want her to go back to the Dominican. A good story for 3rd/4th graders that could lead to many discussions about home and family. I took a star off because Tia Lola's character did seem somewhat stereotyped off an image that all people from the D.R. are colorful, outgoing, and friendly. I would be interested to hear what people from the D.R. think of this book.
—Megan Flaherty
