(Week 6, Hispanic/Latino Historical Fiction Children's Book) Waiting for the Biblioburro, by Monica Brown

 

    This is a beautiful story of a young girl named Ana who loves to read. She loves the stories and the places they take her. She was gifted a book by her teacher before the teacher moved away. This is her only book, so she has read it so many times that she knows it by heart. She even tells her baby brother the cuentos from the book and stories that she makes up on her own. She longs for more books, but they have no access to buy more or visit a library where she lives. One day, she hears the baying of donkeys carrying what seems to be a heavy load. She sees a man with a sign reading "Biblioburro". The man tells her that he is a librarian, "a bibliotecario". He spreads his books out for all the children in the village to look at while he reads to them. Before he leaves, he tells the kids that they can take books home to keep until he returns in a few weeks. The Ana is so excited, "'Me too?' asks Ana. 'Especially you,' says the librarian with a smile." 

    When Ana tells the librarian that someone write a story about his burros, he pretty much says that she should. She runs home with her books and reads and waits for the librarian to come back. She is constantly asking when he will come back her mother simply smiles and replies, "Go read, Ana; Go draw, Ana; Go write, Ana, Go to bed, Ana!" She dreams so many fantastic dreams of bringing stories to everyone she meets and everywhere she goes. She then begins to write the book for the Biblioburro, the librarian, and the burros. When The Biblioburro finally returns, Ana gives the librarian the book and he reads it to the rest of the children. He takes it with him on the Biblioburro to share it with other children who are waiting for their turn at the Biblioburro!

Discussion and Classroom Application

This story was written for children age 5 to 8. This was based on the real-life Biblioburro created by Luis Soriano in the late 90s. Now, I wouldn't necessarily call the late 90s a "historic time", but it is in the past and this serves as a pretty significant event in the lives of the children that Luis' travelling library has helped to change. This is a great way for children to see how important books are and they are to be treasured because not every child has access to books, or new stories (cuentos) to fill their days with wonder and fuel for their imaginations.