The Quiet Place

In the 1950s, Isabel and her family move from Mexico to the U.S. to begin a new life in an industrial city in the North. Isabel writes letters to her Aunt in Mexico so that she can practice her English. Her father gives her an empty refrigerator box which she calls her “quiet place.” When the box is ruined in the rain, Isabel gathers empty boxes from the birthday parties she attends with her mother, and builds an even more elaborate quiet place. At the end of the story, Isabel celebrates her own birthday and her quiet place is filled with her new friends from the neighborhood. The transformation of her quiet place into a place filled with energy and noise reflects Isabel’s transformation as she adjusts to her new life in America. show more A positive and realistic depiction of one girl’s immigrant experience that features a strong and supportive family dynamic and a focus on the internal metamorphosis of the character rather than external pressures. Because the text is written in letters from Isabel, it can be used to introduce the concept and conventions of letter writing to children. Recommended. Age 5-8. show less

I liked the premise of this story as it followed a young girl moving from Mexico to America. I even liked the idea of the story being told through letters the girl is writing to her aunt. However, the letters were so beautifully written as to be completely unbelievable; no ESL child would write like that. It bothered me so I couldn't enjoy the book more.

I liked reading this story for many reasons. The story is told by a young girl, Isabel, who moves to America from Mexico. She writes her aunt, who still lives in Mexico, letters every few days filling her in on her new life. I like how the story provides hope because at the beginning Isabel is shy and hasn’t made new friends. By the end, she is celebrating her birthday with all the neighborhood kids and she is having a blast. Isabel signs all her letters, missing you, and the last letter she signs it saying, wishing you were here. It was nice to see that by the end, Isabel was happy with her new life and wished her aunt could have been here to celebrate instead of Isabel being back in Mexico. The events that take place are also show more believable. It is possible for a family from Mexico to move to America and begin a new life here. The story can also relate to children who have had a similar experience moving or for children who are about to move. The story is hopeful and shows the reader that moving to a new place can be scary, but can also bring many new and amazing memories. Lastly, the illustrations help a reader understand what’s being said. For example, one pages talks about making a snow angel. The illustration shows a bunch of snow and indented in the snow is an angel. It’s also believable because there are footprints in the snow from where Isabel was walking. The story is about Isabel moving to Mexico and writing letters to her aunt about her new life. At the beginning Isabel is shy and enjoys hiding out in large boxes. She calls these boxes her “quiet place”. In her quiet place, Isabel feels free and does whatever she wants. Throughout the story, she helps her mom bake cakes for parties. By the end of the story, Isabel meets new friends from one of the parties she helped bake a cake for. Isabel’s new friends come over to celebrate her birthday. The ending of the story is positive. Overall, I enjoyed reading this story. show less

The Quiet Place was a great book about a young girl moving to Michigan from Mexico. Isabel is having trouble adjusting to her new country as well as learning the language of English. Isabel writes to her Auntie Lupita to practice her English writing and to find comfort back home in Mexico. She writes to her Auntie Lupita about her daily ups and downs and how she is adjusting to this journey.
This story is a good eye-opener to see how foreign things are when someone moves from a different country, and the trials and tribulations they go through.

Love the illustrations and story. Typical Sarah Stewart where the tale unfolds through letters or diary entries. In this, a young child moves from Mexico to the United States. She sends letters back to her aunt in Mexico telling her of all the things she's learned, is doing, and how the family is getting along in their new settings.

Very interesting format. The girl just moves to America and the story is in letter form back and forth between her and her aunt. It would be a good story to help student understand what its likes to be new in America.

Isabel and her family moved to the United States and she was not to comfortable there. Everything was new and different, she wanted to go back home. The people were different, the schools, and her teacher. Isabel brother helped her create a quiet place. The quiet place was made out of a box. Isabel added little things to her quiet place to make it feel as if it was home. I think this story was cute. When children or people in general move to new places they sometimes have a hard time adjusting. I think this story can teach children to be open to try new things.