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Courageous History Makers: 11 Women from Latin America Who Changed the World



Last updated Sunday, February 6, 2022

Author: Naibe Reynoso
Illustrator: Jone Leal
Date of Publication: 2021
ISBN: 1736274430
Grade Level: 2nd    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Feb. 2022

Synopsis: Courageous History Makers: 11 Women from Latin America who changed the World highlights 11 women from Latin America who excelled in science, sports, the arts, journalism, politics and more. Some notable women featured include Mexican painter Frida Khalo, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Rigoberta Menchu, Grammy-winning musical icon Celia Cruz, and renowned pilot Hermelinda Urvina. By presenting the true biographical stories of these outstanding women in rhyming verses, young readers will follow their journey to success.

Note to readers:
•  If you don’t speak Spanish, it may be a good idea to review and practice the pronunciation of the women’s names (and other words throughout the book).
•  There are more detailed bios in the back of the book. If you familiarize yourself with each woman, you can add some additional information about each one as you read. (It’s a short book.)

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Explain that the book is about famous people from Latin America. Define the region as basically where Spanish is the primary language, which includes Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Use a globe or map to show them.
•  There’s a wonderful page of illustrated flags in the beginning. Ask if the kids can identify any of them. Do they have family from any of these countries?

Vocabulary:

•  barriers – obstacles or limits to overcome (This comes up a lot, so you may want to talk about people/women who are faced with extra challenges.)
•  self-portrait – an image of yourself. Kahlo used herself as a painting subject.
•  tenacity – determination, persistence
•  scaling – climbing
•  indigenous – native people born in a certain place, like Mayans in Guatemala or Aztecs in Mexico
•  Afro-Cuban – Cuban with origins in Africa
•  salsa – popular Latin American music style, blending Cuban rhythms with jazz, rock and soul
•  prodigy – a person with extraordinary talent, especially when young
•  engineer – (not on a train), an engineer solves problems using science and technology
•  STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
•  trailblazer – someone who may be the first to do something and shows others the way
•  diplomat – a person appointed by the government to negotiate and maintain relationships with other countries

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  What do you want to be when you grow up? Do any of these careers sound interesting? (artist, athlete, pilot, politician, musician, astronaut, writer). Name some other occupations.
•  Why do you think women sometimes have to work harder to be successful?
•  How would you describe yourself to someone else? What are your talents?

Craft ideas:
•  Make a flag from another country.
•  Draw a self-portrait of yourself doing something you imagine being as an adult.
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/february-2022-people-places-around-the-world/
•  Check this website for more suggestions: http://readingtokids.org/ReadingClubs/CraftTips.php

Special activities:
•  Show some of these women in real life, for example:
•  Frida Kahlo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfbLR15Bh74 2 minute 20 second video
•  Viridiana Alvarez: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/hall-of-fame/viridiana-alvarez-chavez-fastest-ascent-of-the-top-three-highest-mountains-with-supplementary-oxygen This is a 3 minute video (link is about 2/3 of the page down).
•  Caterine Ibarguen: a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2915637372012444 This is a 2 minute 14 second video.
•  Rigoberta Menchu: https://www.microsoft.com/it-it/p/rigoberta-menchu-daughter-of-the-maya/8d6kgx0nncjd?activetab=pivot%3aoverviewtab This is a 1 h 1 min documentary.
•  Celia Cruz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIiJE8f3D6k This is a 1 minute 32 second documentary.

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!