Lori Marie Carlson

Summary: The book contains bilingual poems about the life's of Latino's growing up in the United States. It talks about schooling, home and homeland, memories, hard times, parties, and a promising future. In one of the poems about schooling, it talks about a young girl who is held back a grade because of a name mistake. In another poem about schooling, a student is afraid that if they learn English they are going to lose themselves. For the poems in the memories section, someone talks about show more an orange tree that they see in the United States. It reminds them of an orange tree they had planted in their homeland. There is a poem in the hard time section that is really sad. It talks about how a two brothers go to area where it is not safe for them. They end up getting jumped and beat up because of their skin color. Then they are sent back to where they came from. In the promising future section there is a good poem that explains to readers that Latinos are not all the same.

Critique: I really enjoyed these poems. But I enjoyed the introduction by Oscar Hijuelos the most. It was a well insight on the life of a Latino. He was very open about his life. I like this quote from him, "I even now think of that strange term "Hispanic" as meaning His-Panic," (pg. xix). For those Hispanic people who either are not born here or has family who were not born here, they are in consist panic about being told they have to leave. Which this quote fits perfect for them. I also really like the poem that tells how Latinos are not all the same. Just because they are Latinos doesn't give others the right to judge them for other Latinos action.

Prompt: Have a Spanish dictionary nearby, and white paper to write Spanish words on to help students translate it so they know what is being read to them.

Craft Element:
Reading- Teach Students Spanish words (Poems are translated in English and Spanish.
Reading- Teachers can use this book when they are discussing the different cultures around the world with their students.
Writing- Have students created a poem about their life (Good/Bad events) show less

To be young and Latino. To be young and American. How do you keep your identity when you are torn between two or more cultures? As Raquel Valle Senties put it: “My heart has no room for two countries as [my heart] has no room for two lovers.”

These are the stories of Mexican and Latin American teens, trying to figure out who they are. Told from the mouths of 28 influential Latino and Mexican American poets, whose poems were especially picked in a struggle to portray every aspect of show more bilingual life. Poems appear in both English and Spanish. In her translations, Carlson fuses the romance and passion of the Spanish language with the candidness of English. The result is vibrant flow of words, colored by well-known Spanish phrases and cognates. The poems are centered around five themes: language and identity, home, love, family, and victory. The resounding idea is the freedom that comes from a sense of cultural belonging. show less

Cool Salsa is a great addition to any YA library (great read for adults as well). The poems offer a place for all who grew up Latinx in the US to see themselves and have their lives acknowledged. No matter the struggle, these poems reaffirm that we are enough.

This book of Spanish and english translated poems tell short stories about what it is like to live in the United States as a young person growing up. There are funny stories about language barrier, sad stories about racism and bullying, finding identity, family dynamics and more. I really liked this because it gave me good insight as to what it is like growing up somewhere so unfamiliar to what you already know. I think this is a great read for highschool students because there is some show more graphic stuff but also very valuable lessons. Many students can either relate or use this book as a window into a new experience. show less