|
Lotería
Last updated Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Author: Karla Arenas Valenti
Illustrator: Dana Sanmar
Date of Publication: 2021
ISBN: 0593176979
Grade Level: 5th (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Feb. 2026
Synopsis:
In the hottest hour of the hottest day of the year, a fateful wind blows into Oaxaca City. It whistles down cobbled streets and rustles the jacaranda trees before slipping into the window of an eleven-year-old girl named Clara. Unbeknownst to her, Clara has been marked for la Lotería.
Life and Death deal the Lotería cards but once a year, and the stakes could not be higher. Every card reveals a new twist in Clara’s fate - a scorpion, an arrow, a blood-red rose. If Life wins, Clara will live to a ripe old age. If Death prevails, she'll flicker out like a candle.
But Clara knows none of this. All she knows is that her young cousin Esteban has vanished, and she'll do whatever it takes to save him, traveling to the mythical Kingdom of Las Pozas, where every action has a price, and every choice has consequences. And though it seems her fate is sealed, Clara just might have what it takes to shatter the game and choose a new path.
| Note to readers: |
| • |
The discussion of our lives being controlled by fate or free choice appears throughout this book. Clara's unexpected decisions lead to the story's heart: “Even when you have no choice about what has happened to you, you can still decide what you're going to do about it.” There are many Spanish words in the book, but they are translated or explained.
|
| Discussion topics for before reading: |
| • |
Do you have a favorite card game?
|
| • |
This story takes place in Oaxaca, Mexico. Have you ever been to Oaxaca or know anyone from there?
|
| • |
This story is filled with magic. If you could do something magical, what would you do?
Vocabulary:
|
| • |
Perilous: Something is extremely dangerous, risky, or hazardous.
|
| • |
Sauntered: To walk in a slow, relaxed, and casual way, often without a specific goal or hurry. For example, instead of running, someone might have "sauntered" into the room to show they are calm or unbothered.
|
| • |
Destiny: The idea that certain events in a person's life are meant to happen, almost as if they were written down in advance. While some think everything is fixed (fate), others believe that you can shape your own destiny through the choices, hard work, and actions you take every day.
|
| • |
Incessantly: Doing something over and over again without stopping or taking a break- usually annoying.
|
| • |
Lethargic: Feeling extremely tired, slow, and having little energy or motivation to move or do anything.
|
| • |
Jacaranda: A tropical tree known for large clusters of purple or blue, trumpet-shaped flowers in spring.
|
| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
| • |
Have you ever played a game of Lotería? Why do you think the author chose to organize her story around this game?
|
| • |
Clara has bad feelings about not being good enough at cooking or singing or other things her family members are good at. What does it take to be good at something? What do you want to be good at?
|
| • |
Do you believe there is free will and we have control over our own lives, or do you think that everything is predetermined?
|
| Craft ideas: |
| • |
Make your own Lotería card game or another card game.
|
| • |
Draw Oaxaca or your favorite town.
|
| Special activities: |
| • |
Complete the provided word search
|
*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!
|
