independent reading level: 3rd grade
Awards: none ( )

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The legend of Lucia Zenteno is part of the oral history of the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico—a region of Mexico renowned for its rich cultural history with roots that go back many centuries before Columbus. Alejandro Cruz Martinez, the Zapotec poet who wrote down the original version of The Woman Who Outshone the Sun, later gave up his life in his struggle to help win back the water rights of the Zapotec people.

Great book! Good for younger children and teaches a great lesson for young children to learn. ( )

A story about a beautiful young woman who becomes the envy of a town. She is exiled, but it happens to be the case that the river, fishes, and otters loved her so much that they would not leave her hair and went with her into exile. The towns people were devastated and forced to try to bring her back. Lucia was not a spiteful person, so she returned to the village, and with her came the river, fishes, and otters. Especially the otters. ( )