SIPAPA Reads! Best Spanish Books for Kids

Despereaux

Title: Despereaux
Author: Kate DiCamillo
ISBN: 8427932588
Reading Level: Ages 9-12

We love love love Despereaux.  My 3rd grader had a slow start but once he got into the story, it was a race to the finish.  This is the first real novel he's read and his enthusiasm to tell me what just happened in each chapter was tremendous.

Of course my son was motivated to read the book because of the movie trailer:

Need a new series for your 3rd-5th Grader? Geronimo Stilton to the Rescue

We've recently discovered the wonderful world of Geronimo Stilton.  Always on the look out for a good long series (having exhausted Casa de Arbol and Capitan Calzoncillos), the Geronimo Stilton series of books (up to 33 with more coming out next year) is a funny, punny, fast paced set of chapter books with great illustrations and playful typography. 
The Spanish is accessible and the vocabulary is rich but not obscure so kids will be able to easily figure out the words within the context of the sentence.  There's a little bit of of the vosotros  (-ais/-eis) but not enough to be inpenetrable. 

Who is Geronimo Stilton?

Geronimo Stilton is the international bestselling author of the Geronimo Stilton chapter book series --- and he's a mouse! His United States publishing company, Scholastic, calls him a VIR (Very Important Rodent) and hails him as a big cheese.

Spiderman en Español

Ultimate Spiderman: Doble Problema
ISBN: 9871215010

The story focuses a lot on how Peter Parker became Spiderman. the story is also told in how someone, like Peter Parker would act in our century. Instead of working as a photographer at the Daily Bugle, he works as a web designer. Usually, in the older comics, the story on how Spiderman got his powers would be explained in one or two 20 page comics. Now, as a graphic novel, they can do more. Definitely a read for Spiderman fans.

Available through: Amazon

Summer Reading: After 4th Grade

Summer Reading List for after 4th grade (incoming 5th graders)

Kike
Perera
ISBN-10: 8434812886

Grade 4-8 A fascinating novel of the Hispanic immigrant experience in the United States. While this is a historical story of Cuban immigrants, it could be the story of any Latin American immigrant child. The difficulties and misunderstandings and the challenges of adjustment and sheer survival in the United States are told with humor and empathy in this first-person narrative. The style is idiomatic, often very funny, and down-to-earth, and will capture the attention of young readers.

Available through: Amazon    Palo Alto Library    Mountain View Library