Welcome to Litsy!

“It‘s fun to be a border kid, to wake up early Saturdays and cross the bridge to Mexico with my dadâ€�

In They Call Me Güero, we meet a Mexican American boy named Güero who shares his unique life through poetry. With his light skin and red hair, Güero sometimes feels different, but he celebrates who he is through his love for reading, video games, and hanging out with his “misfit squad� of friends. Inspired by Güero, try writing your poem about something important to you—you might find that, like Güero.

They call me Güero invites you into the world of a pale-skinned, nerdy boy with a rich Latino heritage. Güero is a reader, a gamer, and a budding musician who rolls with a tight-knit crew of misfits. Through his sharp, heartfelt poetry, he brings everyday experiences to life—making poetry cool along the way. Dive into Güero‘s journey as he navigates life, friendship, and identity, one verse at a time.

“You're a border kid, a foot on either bank. Your ancestors crossed this river a thousand times.“

I felt neutral toward this book however felt as though other poetry books would be more suited toward working with younger grades.

Poetry. Twelve-year-old Güero is Mexican American, at home with Spanish or English and on both sides of the river. He's starting 7th grade with a woke English teacher who knows how to make poetry cool.
“Güero“ is a nickname for guys with pale skin, Latino or Anglo. But make no mistake: our hero is puro mexicano, like Canelo �lvarez, the Mexican boxer. Güero is also a nerd reader gamer and musician who runs with a squad of misfits

“You're a border kid, a foot on either bank. Your ancestors crossed this river a thousand times.

I felt neutral toward this book however felt as though other poetry books would be more suited toward working with younger grades.

Twelve-year-old Güero is Mexican American. Starting 7th grade he fell in love with poetry and this was all thanks to his English teacher. He considers himself a nerd, book lover, and big gamer. He spreads his passion throughout all he does.

In the poem Gift it is a simple but meaningful. This poem many teenagers can relate to and wanting their first phone. This poem gives a great description of what a teenager is thinking and feeling. I personally can relate to this poem and wanting my first phone and seeing all my friends with one. This poem is appropriate for early teenagers/ high schoolers because the language and message relates to their lives.

The poem in this book 'Food for each season' is cute and simple. This is a great poem for any age to read. It didn't rhyme but it had a good simple theme of describing a food with the type of season it went with.

In this book the poem called 'Neighborhoods' is cute and simple. The description of the words make it easy to paint a picture of what the author is writing about. The poem would best interest any age of students. The description of the houses and who lives there and who has come so far and worked hard over the years to pay for nice housing is worded amazing.

The poem 'Checkpoint' is informational and gives an inside look an a real family traveling from the US to Mexico. This is a great poem for older readers that would understand the whole crossing the boarder process. This is a great book for students to read about what other students and families have to go through when traveling from country to country. This poem does not rhyme as much but gives a lot of information in a short amount of words.

“In my family, I have the lightest skin. My big sister Teresa is toasty brown and little Arturo's the color of honey.“

These poems would be best for more experienced readers. I think this book would be great to have in a classroom for students to learn about transnational migration between the U.S. and Mexico.

They Call Me Guero is a series of poems written by David Bowles published in 2018. The poems are about a boy who navigates the start of seventh grade and life growing up on the border. Migration is a key theme throughout the poems. The poems made me feel like I was apart of the experiences Guero had to go through. The rhythm of each poem differs.

“In my family, I have the lightest skin. My big sister Teresa is toasty brown and little Arturo's the color of honey.“

These poems would be best for more experienced readers. I think this book would be great to have in a classroom for students to learn about transnational migration between the U.S. and Mexico.

They Call Me Guero is a series of poems written by David Bowles published in 2018. The poems are about a boy who navigates the start of seventh grade and life growing up on the border. Migration is a key theme throughout the poems. The poems made me feel like I was apart of the experiences Guero had to go through. The rhythm of each poem differs.

Today‘s theme is apparently books in verse.

Another MG novel in verse! Just what I needed today. Well done Mr. Bowles ����

Day 5: #Sharreadathon @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
#Pantone2023 @Clwojick

This middle grade novel in verse shares the everyday life of a “border kid� living in Texas with his family from Mexico. From celebratory family gatherings, everyday friendships, struggles with racism and more, this is a glimpse inside his world. Would be a good classroom addition.

I wouldn‘t RA all the poems to the class. I would recommend this book as an IR if a student is interested in the book. But there are a few poems that could be beneficial in the classroom that could teach about migration, diversity, and cultural traditions. laii.unm.edu/info/k-12-educators/assets/documents/literature-guides/they-call-me-guero.pdf

Great book. Another powerful read. It‘s amazing how simple poetry can be but the meaning still comes across just as strong as a “normalâ€� book. Going to recommend this book to my 4th and 5th graders. SCRIBD ebook

When the book's author likes your review 😳😯🤯😬🤔😄🤓�😃🥳

All the emojis!

Your girl does not claim to be a professional reviewer nor very good about putting thoughts and emotions about a reading experience into something logical... or something that'll encourage someone else to pick up this book... but I strive to be genuine and this poetry collection will always have a little spot in my border kid heart.

#ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks

�����

For me, this was an exceptional book. I saw myself and my husband... my very own Güero... in many of its poems. I saw my familia (family) and our traditions and our costumbres (customs) and even the dichos (traditional sayings) my Mom is so fond of imparting on us. I saw fragments of my hometown in México and the border city in Texas that embraced us when we first moved to the United States.

(Continued in comments below ⬇�)

A souvenir from our recent Mother's Day holiday trip to Texas - a #Starbucks #travelmug �

Hubby and I got to meet our sweet little niece for the very first time and she was just as perfect as I knew she'd be!

Now that we're back in the Pacific Northwest, I'm diving into a book of poems that reminds me of my youth and of our little border town of El Paso 🇺🇸�🇲🇽

#poetry #PuraBelpreAward #CincoPuntosPress

https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=diverse-novels-in-verse

Up next. Getting an early start on my Poetry Month Reading.
#mgnovelinverse

Reading this, I find myself wishing I could have had a comparable book about a Japanese American kid when I was young. I really do think that it‘s a great time for literature, especially children‘s and middle-grade lit.

#hubchallenge19 book 3 is a volume of poems depicting slice-of-life stories from a boy growing up on the border between Texas and Mexico. Güero is a nerdy 7th grader who navigates bullies, his first relationship, family vacations across the border, and homework through his poetry. The vignettes are touching but I wanted more of a plot arc than it delivered.

Next

The final poem in the book:

The Refuge on the Ranch

It‘s quiet here except for the hushed flow of the river
and the hum of bugs answered by the sharp trill of birds.
Somewhere, an ocelot growls.

I know poetry when I hear it.

Another for the #childrenspoetry award committee.

A wonderful set of culturally and socially relevant poems told from the perspective of an RGV border kid. Moving and personal, the poems give insight to living on the SouthTexas-Mexico border.

Fun fact: David Bowles was my UG and MA literature instructor, as well as chaired my MA thesis committee! (My personal connection to the author did not affect my thoughts or review of the book) 😊

Güero is a border kid- one foot in each culture, and living on the Texas- Mexico border. As a light-skinned, red-headed Mexican American he‘s told by bullies that he doesn‘t belong, but poetry helps Güero find his voice and be his own person.

#novelinverse
94 of 100 #crossculturalstories read