Mónica Mancillas

ALatine child speaks both Spanish and English.

Sometimes, Sami speaks both at the same time! Sami uses Spanglish—a blend of English and Spanish—at home and at school. The child runs into trouble, however, when Abuela voices her disapproval of combining the two languages—she thinks that Spanish should be reserved for home and English for la escuela; otherwise, Sami will get confused. After being misunderstood by others and then being marked down for using Spanglish on a school assignment, Sami starts to think Abuela might be right. Though the teacher should know better than to criticize a multilingual student for not using “proper English,” Sami decides to listen to Abuela. But this new, self-imposed one-language-at-a-time rule makes Sami unhappy. A chat with brown-skinned neighbor Mrs. Bell reminds Sami that two languages can be more expressive than one. Suddenly, Sami is teaching Mrs. Bell and other community members how to speak in Spanglish, and, just like that, Sami’s confidence returns. Sami is instantly likable; this depiction of the challenges of feeling understood will resonate with many children, particularly those who speak two languages. Bold, lively illustrations bring to life Sami’s uncertainties and eventual triumph. Sami’s family is brown-skinned; the cast is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A celebration of a bilingual childhood. (author’s note, glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)

-Kirkus Review… (meer)

I know I am not the only one who speaks Spanglish but when you are young you do feel like you are. I am what you would call a person who is middle-aged, however to me I am still able to stay up late and eat whatever I want, and the woman staring back at me in the mirror is my mother, not me. But it is me. As I read Mancillas's book I was transported back in time. I remember my mom and dad saying that they sent me to a private Catholic school so that I would learn to speak perfect English and fit in. "How to Speak in Spanglish" reminded me of what growing up in two worlds was like.

This book is beautifully written, lighthearted but able to address what it is like to grow up with two languages in your head and trying to make sense of it all. The illustrations also add to the color and flare of this heartwarming story. I believe you will fall in love with Sami and his use of the English and Spanish languages that he uses to create words in "Spanglish" that represent him and his world of two languages. I hope you are able to pick up this wonderful book and share it with many in the hopes that the two worlds continue to come together and make learning "How to Speak in Spanglish" even more accepted.… (meer)