Las Ninas: A Collection of Childhood Memories

What a wonderful collection of anecdotes! Reading this made me feel like I was chatting with an old friend, reminiscing about back in the day. The humor and honesty in the stories reminded me of my own childhood with my own sisters...

Great book by a talented writer!Each memory reads like a short story. It navigates the experience from a child's perspective but carries the reflection of an adult. The book was very well-written and it explored the issues that many immigrant families assimilating in America go through everyday. Like most childhood memories, there were good times, bad times, and sometimes confusing moments. My favorite part was when the girls were fighting each other over the bathroom due to diarrhea they got from peanut butter. They called it "peeing from the butt." I laughed at that part. I also liked that each story foretold a life lesson the author acquired from growing up. Like when the Viatnamese family wanted to buy her dog, Twinkie, just so they could eat it. Her father explained that every culture has different traditions and they should not be judged by it. Just like Mexicans eat cow's head.This book was a great example of growing up Mexican-American. It definitely made me question my cultural issues and reflect back on my family. I would have to say: "Move over Sandra Cisneros! There's a new girl in town, and her name is Sarah. " I totally see this book replacing "Caramelo" in many socialogy or Chicano Studies classes in colleges and universities nation wide.

Reviewed by: Sandra Lopez, author of[...] and [...]Member of Livin' la vida Latina[...]Review: I was so impressed by this writer's amazing talent.La Niñas is a short autobiography about three young girls growing up as a first-generation Mexican-American family in the U.S. Each memory reads like a short story. It navigates the experience from a child's perspective but carries an adult philosophy with compelling revelation. This book explored the daily issues that many immigrant families go through when assimilating to a new, unfamiliar country. Like most childhood memories, there were good times, bad times, and most often confusing times (especially for a little girl.) In "Chair, Chair, Chair," little Sarah has to give a speech in front of her entire school. The thing is her primary language was Spanish, and when she said "chair" for the very first time, her teacher made fun of her. Of course, the rest of the Spanish-speaking students were afraid to step up and speak--a common sight among our public school system.One of my favorite parts was when the girls were fighting each other over the bathroom due to diarrhea they got from peanut butter. They called it "peeing from the butt." I laughed at that part. I also liked that each story foretold a life lesson the author acquired from growing up. Like when the Vietnamese family wanted to buy her dog, Twinkie, just so they could eat it. Ewe! Who wouldn't find that disgusting? But then her father explained that every culture has different traditions and they should not be judged by it. Just like Mexicans eat cow's head. Very true!This book was a great example of growing up Latina. It definitely made me question my cultural issues and reflect back on my family. Write down the name Sarah Rafael Garcia--she's about to be the next Sandra Cisneros.

The stories in this book will make you remember your own childhood and the memories you shared with family and friends. The book will make you laugh, cry, and smile all in one sitting. It truly portrays how life experiences make us stronger people.