The Girl from Chimel by Rigoberta Menchú

Description

Menchu's retelling of the stories her grandparents and parents told presents a rich, humorous and engaging picture of the past. Stories like her grandfather swepting her grandmother off her feet, picking blackberries and secretly eating them with chunks of brown sugar, playing with her siblings in the river and her mother's knowledge of the healing powers of the forest plants.

Recommendations

The Honey Jar by Rigoberta Menchú

The Honey Jar

Rigoberta Menchú

The Secret Legacy by Rigoberta Menchú

The Secret Legacy

Rigoberta Menchú

Counting Coup: Becoming a Crow Chief on the Reservation and Beyond by Joseph Medicine Crow

Counting Coup: Becoming a Crow Chief on the Reservation and Beyond

Joseph Medicine Crow

Letters to My Mother by Teresa Cardenas

Letters to My Mother

Teresa Cardenas

The Mzungu Boy by Meja Mwangi

The Mzungu Boy

Meja Mwangi

Talking with Mother Earth/Hablando con madre tierra: Poems/Poemas by Jorge Argueta

Talking with Mother Earth/Hablando con madre tierra: Poems/Poemas

Jorge Argueta

Colibri by Ann Cameron

Colibri

Ann Cameron

Popol Vuh: A Sacred Book of the Maya by Victor Montejo

Popol Vuh: A Sacred Book of the Maya

Victor Montejo

Crossing Borders by Rigoberta Menchú

Crossing Borders

Rigoberta Menchú

I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman In Guatemala by Rigoberta Menchú

I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman In Guatemala

Rigoberta Menchú

To Go Singing Through the World: The Childhood of Pablo Neruda by Deborah Kogan Ray

To Go Singing Through the World: The Childhood of Pablo Neruda

Deborah Kogan Ray

Home to Medicine Mountain by Chiori Santiago

Home to Medicine Mountain

Chiori Santiago

Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico! Americas' Sproutings by Pat Mora

Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico! Americas' Sproutings

Pat Mora

The Book of Changes by Tim Wynne-Jones

The Book of Changes

Tim Wynne-Jones

The Vacation by Polly Horvath

The Vacation

Polly Horvath

Thanks a Million: Poems by Nikki Grimes

Thanks a Million: Poems

Nikki Grimes

Shaka: King of the Zulus by Diane Stanley

Shaka: King of the Zulus

Diane Stanley

The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano by Margarita Engle

The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano

Margarita Engle

The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin by Susan Goldman Rubin

The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin

Susan Goldman Rubin

The Hummingbird King: A Guatemalan Legend by Argentina Palacios

The Hummingbird King: A Guatemalan Legend

Argentina Palacios

Odd Man Out by Sarah Ellis

Odd Man Out

Sarah Ellis

Zap: A Play by Paul Fleischman

Zap: A Play

Paul Fleischman

Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak by Deborah Ellis

Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak

Deborah Ellis

B for Buster by Iain Lawrence

B for Buster

Iain Lawrence

Fourteen Rats and a Rat-catcher (Picture Puffin) by Tamasin Cole

Fourteen Rats and a Rat-catcher (Picture Puffin)

Tamasin Cole

You and Me Together: Moms, Dads, and Kids Around the World (Barbara Kerley Photo Inspirations) by Barbara Kerley

You and Me Together: Moms, Dads, and Kids Around the World (Barbara Kerley Photo Inspirations)

Barbara Kerley

When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton

When I Was Eight

Christy Jordan-Fenton

Me in the Middle by Ana Maria Machado

Me in the Middle

Ana Maria Machado

Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement by Ann Bausum

Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement

Ann Bausum

How It Feels to Be Adopted by Jill Krementz

How It Feels to Be Adopted

Jill Krementz

Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams

Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan

Mary Williams

Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children by Joseph Bruchac

Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children

Joseph Bruchac

Rain Player by David Wisniewski

Rain Player

David Wisniewski

The Grave by James Heneghan

The Grave

James Heneghan

The Rabbit's Judgment by Suzanne Crowder Han

The Rabbit's Judgment

Suzanne Crowder Han

This Child, Every Child: A Book about the World’s Children by David J. Smith

This Child, Every Child: A Book about the World’s Children

David J. Smith

Aztec, Inca & Maya (Eyewitness Books) by Elizabeth Baquedano

Aztec, Inca & Maya (Eyewitness Books)

Elizabeth Baquedano

Out of Bounds: Seven Stories of Conflict and Hope by Beverley Naidoo

Out of Bounds: Seven Stories of Conflict and Hope

Beverley Naidoo

Makeovers by Marcia by Claudia Mills

Makeovers by Marcia

Claudia Mills

Abuela's Weave by Omar S. Castañeda

Abuela's Weave

Omar S. Castañeda

The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter

The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq

Jeanette Winter

A stone in my hand by Cathryn Clinton

A stone in my hand

Cathryn Clinton

American Indian Myths and Legends by Richard Erdoes

American Indian Myths and Legends

Richard Erdoes

With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman's Right to Vote by Ann Bausum

With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman's Right to Vote

Ann Bausum

The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomie dePaola

The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush

Tomie dePaola

A Pen Pal for Max by Gloria Rand

A Pen Pal for Max

Gloria Rand

One Good Punch by Rich Wallace

One Good Punch

Rich Wallace

Storm Boy by Owen Paul Lewis

Storm Boy

Owen Paul Lewis

Who Am I Without Him? by Sharon G. Flake

Who Am I Without Him?

Sharon G. Flake

Popol Vuh by Quiché Maya

Popol Vuh

Quiché Maya

Complete Recommendations

Member Reviews

Featured Recent Thumbs

All Ratings
1
3
½1
1
No Rating

3 reviews

UWC_PYP 714 reviews

Short memoir for children by Nobel Peace Prize winner and Maya activist Regoberta Menchu Tum. Stories about her grandparents, the story of her name, the story of her birth, when I was a little girl, etc.

Reminds me of the Vietnamese memoir, Water Buffalo Days. Of an idyllic time before a horrific one.

One story -- talks about how Mayans believe when we are born, a little creature is born with us -- which is just like us -- called our nahual. When a baby is born, the parents have to petition to find out the name of their baby's nahual from the spiritual leaders. The creature could be a coyote or a bear or a puma or wild boar, etc. Reminded me of Philip Pullman's daemons...

Feb 13, 2008

alexcirasuolo 37 reviews

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book..The author does a nice job of bringing the reader into the story.

Oct 11, 2012

ginaruiz 171 reviews

http://ginasblogging.blogspot.com/2006/12/girl-from-chimel.html

Dec 26, 2006

Ratings

MarthaJeanne 2,120 reviews

½

Nov 21, 2014

nicolettagandolfi