Julia Alvarez

National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist 

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Maryland

Coming of Age in the USA

Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, a “phenomenal, indispensable” (USA Today) exploration of the Latina “sweet fifteen” celebration, by the bestselling author of How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies. The quinceañera, a celebration of a Latina girl’s fifteenth birthday, has become a uniquely American trend. This lavish party with ball gowns, multi-tiered cakes, limousines, and extravagant meals is often as costly as a prom or a wedding. But many Latina girls feel entitled to this rite of passage, marking a girl’s entrance into womanhood, and expect no expense to be spared, even in working-class families. Acclaimed author Julia Alvarez explores the history and cultural significance of the “quince” in the United States, and the consequences of treating teens like princesses. Through her observations of a quince in Queens, interviews with other quince girls, and the memories of her own experience as a young immigrant, Alvarez presents a thoughtful and entertaining portrait of a rapidly growing multicultural phenomenon, and passionately emphasizes the importance of celebrating Latina womanhood.

Once upon a Quinceanera

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I have other books available by this author 

New York

In the early 1960s in the Dominican Republic, twelve-year-old Anita learns that her family is involved in the underground movement to end the bloody rule of the dictator, General Trujillo.

Before We Were Free

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A delightfully entertaining story of family and culture from acclaimed author Julia Alvarez. Moving to Vermont after his parents split, Miguel has plenty to worry about! Tía Lola, his quirky, carismática, and maybe magical aunt makes his life even more unpredictable when she arrives from the Dominican Republic to help out his Mami. Like her stories for adults, Julia Alvarez’s first middle-grade book sparkles with magic as it illuminates a child’s experiences living in two cultures.

How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay

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#paperback #ya #fiction #dominicanrepublic #awardwinner #immigration 

Vermont

Eagerly embracing their new American culture in Miami, the four Garcia women iron their hair, smoke cigarettes, date American men, forget their Spanish, and lose their accents all in their journey toward adulthood. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

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Illinois

The life and death of three revolutionary sisters in the Dominican Republic, told by a surviving fourth. One by one the Mirabal Sisters, as they were known, join the opposition to the Trujillo dictatorship in the 1950s, suffering imprisonment and torture while their men watch powerless. They are released, then one night their jeep is ambushed. A story based on real events by the author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents.

In the Time of the Butterflies

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6 a little beat up, but a good readable copy  see photos

Colorado

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Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

Camila, whose mother, Salome, inspired a Dominican revolution with her poetry, spends most of her life trying to please her father and her brothers, all prominent men, before seeking a place for herself in the days following the Cuban revolution

In the Name of Salomé

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Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

Minnesota

Fifteen-year-old Milly Kaufman is an average American teenager until Pablo, a new student at her school, inspires her to search for her birth family in his native country.

Finding Miracles

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California

With lyric simplicity, A Cafecito Story tells the complex tale of a social beverage that bridges nations and unites people in trade, in words, in birds, and in love.".

A Cafecito Story

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A new paperback edition of Julia Alvarez's beloved Pura Belpr� winner about life in Trujillo's Dominican Republic. "Diary entries written by a child while in hiding will remind readers of Anne Frank's story." --SLJ Anita de la Torre never questioned her freedom living in the Dominican Republic. But by her twelfth birthday in 1960, most of her relatives have immigrated to the United States, her T�o Toni has disappeared without a trace, and the government's secret police terrorize her remaining family because of their suspected opposition to Trujillo's iron-fisted rule. Using the strength and courage of her family, Anita must overcome her fears and fly to freedom, leaving all that she once knew behind. From renowned author Julia Alvarez comes an unforgettable story about adolescence, perseverance, and one girl's struggle to be free. A Miami Herald Best Book of the Year Winner of the Am�ricas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature Winner of the Pura Belpr� Award An ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults An ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book "A stirring work of art." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "A realistic and compelling account of a girl growing up too quickly while coming to terms with the cost of freedom." --The Horn Book, Starred Review "Diary entries written by the child while in hiding will remind readers of Anne Frank's story. . . . Readers will bite their nails as the story moves to its inexorable conclusion." --SLJ "Alvarez's story will spark intense discussion about politics and family." --Booklist

Nebraska

After his family hires migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure, eleven-year-old Tyler befriends the oldest daughter, but when he discovers they may not be in the country legally, he realizes that real friendship knows no borders.

Return to Sender

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Oregon

A new paperback edition of Julia Alvarez's beloved story about family, identity, and first love. Milly Kaufman is an ordinary American teenager living in Vermont--and then she meets Pablo, a new student at her high school. His exotic accent, strange fashion sense, and intense interest in Milly force her to confront her identity as an adopted child from Pablo's native country. As their relationship grows, Milly decides to undertake a courageous journey to her homeland and, along the way, discovers the story of her birth is intertwined with the story of a country recovering from a brutal past. Beautifully written by renowned author Julia Alvarez, Finding Miracles examines the emotional complexity of familial relationships and the miracles of everyday life. "An outstanding YA novel." --KLIATT "Complex multicultural characters and skillful depiction of Latino culture raise this readable novel, which is a school story, a family story, and a love story, to far above average." --VOYA "Written with immediacy and charm, there is accessibility to the very American Milly's attitudes and ideas that will help readers accompany her on her journey of discovery and growth." --Kirkus Reviews "This is a deeply moving, but also pleasantly humorous, coming-of-age story with thoughtful infusions about human rights issues." --SLJ

Tennessee

South Carolina

Fifteen-year-old Milly Kaufman is an average American teenager until Pablo, a new student at her school, inspires her to search for her birth family in his native country. Reprint.

Florida

"A joy to read."--The Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
Acclaimed writer Julia Alvarez's beloved first novel gives voice to four sisters as they grow up in two cultures. The García sisters--Carla, Sandra, Yolanda, and Sofía--and their family must flee their home in the Dominican Republic after their father's role in an attempt to overthrow brutal dictator Rafael Trujillo is discovered. They arrive in New York City in 1960 to a life far removed from their existence in the Caribbean. In the wondrous but not always welcoming U.S.A., their parents try to hold on to their old ways as the girls try find new lives: by straightening their hair and wearing American fashions, and by forgetting their Spanish. For them, it is at once liberating and excruciating to be caught between the old world and the new. Here they tell their stories about being at home--and not at home--in America.

Louisiana

A Meditation Story

Already a Butterfly is a gentle picture book tale about self-soothing practices and self-confidence beliefs. With so much to do in so little time, Mari is constantly on the move, flitting from flower to flower, practicing her camouflage poses, and planning for migration. She’s the busiest butterfly around. But does being productive mean she is happy? Mari couldn’t say. The only way she feels like a butterfly is by acting like one. Little does Mari know, the secret to feeling like herself is simply to focus her breath, find her quiet place, and follow her instincts. With the guidance of a thoughtful flower bud, Mari soon learns to meditate and appreciate that she was a butterfly all along. Acclaimed author Julia Alvarez extolls the importance of mindfulness, reflection, and self-care for young children in this gratifying picture book, stunningly illustrated by award-winning artist Raúl Colón. Christy Ottaviano Books

Already a Butterfly

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“To read these poems is to be reminded again and again of our true allegiance to each other.” —from the introduction by Julia Alvarez With a powerful and poignant introduction from Julia Alvarez, Resistencia: Poems of Protest and Revolution is an extraordinary collection, rooted in a strong tradition of protest poetry and voiced by icons of the movement and some of the most exciting writers today. The poets of Resistencia explore feminist, queer, Indigenous, and ecological themes alongside historically prominent protests against imperialism, dictatorships, and economic inequality. Within this momentous collection, poets representing every Latin American country grapple with identity, place, and belonging, resisting easy definitions to render a nuanced and complex portrait of language in rebellion. Included in English translation alongside their original language, the fifty-four poems in Resistencia are a testament to the art of translation as much as the act of resistance. An all-star team of translators, including former US Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera along with young, emerging talent, have made many of the poems available for the first time to an English-speaking audience. Urgent, timely, and absolutely essential, these poems inspire us all to embrace our most fearless selves and unite against all forms of tyranny and oppression.

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Julia Alvarez

Once upon a Quinceanera

Julia Alvarez

Before We Were Free

Julia Alvarez

How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay

Julia Alvarez

Before We Were Free

Julia Alvarez

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

Julia Alvarez

In the Time of the Butterflies

Julia Alvarez

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

Julia Alvarez

In the Name of Salomé

Julia Alvarez

Finding Miracles

Julia Alvarez

In the Time of the Butterflies

Julia Alvarez

A Cafecito Story

Julia Alvarez

Before We Were Free

Julia Alvarez

Return to Sender

Julia Alvarez

Finding Miracles

Julia Alvarez

Return to Sender

Julia Alvarez

How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay

Julia Alvarez

Return to Sender

Julia Alvarez

Finding Miracles

Julia Alvarez

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

Julia Alvarez

In the Time of the Butterflies

Julia Alvarez

Already a Butterfly

Julia Alvarez

Resistencia

Julia Alvarez

Return to Sender

Julia Alvarez

Return to Sender