How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay (The Tia Lola Stories) - Hardcover

Alvarez, Julia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375802150 ISBN 13: 9780375802157

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2001

Synopsis

A delightfully entertaining story of family and culture from acclaimed author Julia Alvarez.

Moving to Vermont after his parents split, Miguel has plenty to worry about! Tía Lola, his quirky, carismática, and maybe magical aunt makes his life even more unpredictable when she arrives from the Dominican Republic to help out his Mami. Like her stories for adults, Julia Alvarez’s first middle-grade book sparkles with magic as it illuminates a child’s experiences living in two cultures.

About this title

Review

With her brilliantly hued flower-print dresses, her maracas and tambor, and the migrating beauty mark over her lipsticked mouth, Tia Lola stands out in Vermont like a tropical bird in a snowstorm. Her nephew, 10-year-old Miguel, just wants to fit in to his new home. He and his mother and sister have just moved here from New York following his parents' divorce. With his black hair and brown skin, it's hard enough already without the flamboyant antics of his friendly, nutty aunt, visiting from the Dominican Republic. But even while she is dancing her merengues in front of his new friends and painting the white farmhouse purple, Tia Lola is also weaving a magical spell of love and support that Miguel and his wounded family sorely need. Miguel's growing appreciation for his crazy aunt's ways, and the entire town's admiration and respect for an outsider who, without even speaking the same language, wins the hearts of all, is a funny, uplifting story.

Julia Alvarez is the author of many award-winning novels, including How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies, and the picture book The Secret Footprints. She writes with a warmth and humor that crosses all boundaries. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

From the Back Cover

As Miguel and his sister walk out of the office, they hear a tremendous shout. It isn't a shout in Spanish, and it isn't a shout in English. It is a shout anyone anywhere would understand.

Someone is mighty pleased to see them.

On the other side of the counter stands their aunt Lola. You can't miss her! Her skin is the same soft brown color as theirs. Her black hair is piled up in a bun on her head with a pink hibiscus on top. She wears bright red lipstick, and above her lips she has a big black beauty mark. On her colorful summer dress, parrots fly toward palm trees, and flowers look ready to burst from the fabric if they can only figure out how.

Behind their aunt, their mother is approaching in her hiking boots and navy blue parka, her red hat and mittens. "Tia Lola!" she cries out. They hug and kiss and hug again. When Tia Lola pulls away, the beauty mark above her upper lip is gone!

-- from How Tia Lola Came to Stay

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0375802150
• ISBN 13: 9780375802157
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160