In My Family

Garza, C., & Schecter, D. (1996). In my family. San Francisco, Calif.:

Children's Book Press.

The author takes the reader to her home town in Texas where she shares memories of her traditional Mexican American community. The story is told from the main character’s point of view, Carmen, who grew up in Kingsville, Texas and uses 13 illustrations that were painted by the author herself. Each painting gives the book the look of a photo album with short, independent stories for each. Painting topics are sharing a night in their local restaurant, a cousin’s wedding day and a visit to abuela Elisa’s house. This book is ideal to expose your kids to topics such as family, history and culture. In My Family has received numerous awards including the Tomás Rivera Children’s Book Award and the Américas Picture Book Award. It also includes a section where the author answers question from her young readers.