|
Areli Is a Dreamer: A True Story by Areli Morales
Last updated Sunday, April 6, 2025
Author: Areli Morales
Illustrator: Luisa Uribe
Date of Publication: 2021
ISBN: 1984893998
Grade Level: 2nd (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Apr. 2025
Synopsis:
When Areli was just a baby, her mama and papa moved from Mexico to New York with her brother, Alex, to make a better life for the family - and when she was in kindergarten, they sent for her, too.
Everything in New York was different. Gone were the Saturdays at Abuela's house, filled with cousins and sunshine. Instead, things were busy and fast and noisy. Areli's limited English came out wrong, and schoolmates accused her of being illegal. But with time, America became her home. And she saw it as a land of opportunity, where millions of immigrants who came before her paved their own paths. She knew she would, too.
| Note to readers: |
| • |
continued from synopsis, above: This is a story that resonates with millions of people who are immigrants—about one girl living in two worlds, a girl whose DACA application was eventually approved and who is now living her American dream. During this climate, the book can be extremely sensitive to the children.
There is a positive ending so highlight that before starting the book.
|
| Discussion topics for before reading: |
| • |
Show the children the cover of the book and see if they notice the two different countries illustrated. Ask them if they can share the different between the two. Ask them have they move to another place? What was it like? Ask them have they ever play a game called al escondite (Spanish for Hide and Seek). Finally, introduce or review the word "immigrant" in a respectful manner.
|
| • |
See what perceptions students may already have. Read the story and discuss it.
Vocabulary
|
| • |
DACA: n. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an immigration policy that has provided relief to
thousands of undocumented children, referred to as “Dreamers,” who came to the United States as children and
call this country home.
|
| • |
Dreamers: n. (for this book) who came to the United States as children and call this country home.
|
| • |
Abuela (Spanish): n. grandmother / Primas (Spanish): n. female cousins
|
| • |
No te preocupes: (Spanish) Don’t worry / No pueden hacerte daño (Spanish) They cannot harm you.
|
| • |
Immigrant: n. someone who moves from their home country to live in a new country, often to make it their
permanent home
|
| • |
Citizen: n. means someone who belongs to a country or community and has rights and responsibilities, like
following rules and being respectful.
|
| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
| • |
See if anyone has traveled to another city for vacation. Like has anyone gone to New York before. How is it different from being on vacation versus being at home? What did they like, what did they miss?
|
| • |
Was Areli afraid of her new home in America? What grade did Areli feel like America was her home?
|
| • |
What are some of the fun things she did from the book?
|
| • |
What did Areli dream?
|
| Craft ideas: |
| • |
Have the children draw a butterfly, fireworks or a rainbow (or make a 3-D butterfly, use cotton
balls for the rainbow to glue on their sheet of construction paper) and answer one of two questions: “What
makes you a dreamer?” Or “How are you similar to Areli?”
|
| • |
In the book, the children were not nice to Areli at her American school, have them do a storyboard (with
construction paper) on showing kindness to a new student at school.
|
| • |
Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22. Make an Earth Day poster or flyer.
|
| • |
Easter Sunday is April 20. Make an Easter card for someone.
|
| Special activities: |
| • |
During craft time, there are additional vocabulary words and definitions in the back of the book that you can share.
|
*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!
|
