How Tía Lola Learned to Teach (review)

This sequel to How Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay (BCCB 4/01) picks up where the previous story left off, with Tía Lola turning a visit from the Dominican Republic into a permanent change of residence so that she can help out with her great-niece Juanita and great-nephew Miguel. When the kids are at school, however, Tía Lola gets kind of lonely, until the school invites her to come and teach voluntary Spanish lessons. Soon lessons with Tía Lola are everyone's favorite part of the week, and she becomes a local celebrity. When the government insists that Tía Lola must return to the D.R., the entire community turns out to fight for her permanent residency. Alvarez's latest Tía Lola story portrays an unusual family dynamic with great sincerity and depth, and the warm-hearted relationships between the different family members are realistically drawn. The third-person narration changes perspective from chapter to chapter: some chapters follow Tía Lola, some Miguel, some Juanita. While part of a cohesive larger tale, most of the chapters could stand alone as short stories, making this an excellent selection for a daily classroom readaloud. There's a bit of an afterschool-special flavor to the immigration plotline, but the well-crafted characters keep the storyline grounded. Each chapter opens with a Spanish saying (Tía Lola herself being fond of maxims and proverbs) integral to the story that follows, and readers will enjoy seeing how each saying works into the narrative. Fans of the previous story will definitely want to check this out, and those new to the series will have no trouble jumping in and catching up with everyone's favorite aunt.