Narrative writing with latinx teens: testimonios, texts, and teaching

I’m thrilled to share the book of my heart, where I weave together my experience teaching writing, ethnic studies, and Latinx youth literature. Chapters have lesson sequences with a multimedia introduction, poetry immersion, middle-grade literature, and young adult literature.

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Multimodal Text Sets for Creative Writing Inspiration

Chapters two through six in Narrative Writing with Latinx Teens: Testimonios, Texts, and Teaching feature multimodal texts across the lessons. Lesson one grounds us in the topic at hand with multimedia, lesson two with poetry, lesson three with middle-grade literature, and lesson four with young adult literature. All sources are linked below. Please contact me here if any of the links are down.

Lesson 1:

• We Still Here documentary trailer

• Investigative journalist Bianca Graulau’s documentary Aquí Vive Gente on Bad Bunny’s “El Apagón” music video [begins at 4:35 minutes].

• Sí, Se Puede: The Latino Heroes Who Changed the United States graphic novel by Julio Anta, illustrated by Yasmín Flores Montañez

Lesson 2:

• Ariana Brown’s “23” spoken word poetry performance

• “Afro-Mexican Poetics” conversation and poetry readings with Alan Pelaez Lopez and Ariana Brown

• Darrel Alejandro Holnes’ “Amending Wall” poem on the Poetry Unbound podcast

Lesson 3:

• “Crane Poem Gallery” and “Sanctuary Breakfast” by Aida Salazar in Land of the Cranes

• Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera (poem, picture book, or video)

• Hear My Voice/ Escucha mi voz: The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States (booktrailer)

Lesson 4:

• The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante

• Latinx KidLit Book Festival “Fantastical y Más Fuerte: Contemporary Takes on Immigration” video

Lesson 1:

• “The Kids Are Not Alright: The Mental Health Crisis Affecting Latina Teens” Vice video.

• GLSEN National School Climate Survey and State Snapshot

Lesson 2:

• The Carrying and The Hurting Kind by Ada Limón

• “To Be Made Whole” On Being podcast episode (features poems from The Carrying and The Hurting Kind)

• The Pain We Carry: Healing from Complex PTSD for People of Color by Natalie Y. Gutiérrez

Lesson 3:

• Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango

• The Horn Book Magazine “Publishers’ Preview: Debut Authors: Five Questions for Andrea Beatriz Arango”

• Latinx KidLit Book Festival “How Do Writers Use Poetry to Tell a Story with Andrea Beatriz Arango” video

• Follet Learning “First Chapter Friday: Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango” video

Lesson 4:

• The Making of Yolanda La Bruja by Lorraine Avila

• “Lorraine Avila Talks Being an Author and Using Her Voice to Stand Up for Issues in Her Community” Growing Up Latina podcast episode video

• “Lorraine Avila’s Debut Novel Explores Brujería, Afro-Latina Girlhood, and Community” by Sofia Aguilar for Hip Latina website

Chaper Four: Learning a New Language, Learning a New Me

Lesson 1:

• “Translanguaging in 15 Minutes” by Dr. Mike Mena on The Social Life of Language YouTube channel

Lesson 2:

• “Translation” by Yesika Salgado (spoken word performance)

• “Translation for Mamá” and “My Father in English” poems by Richard Blanco in Homeland of My Body: New and Selected Poems

Lesson 3:

• The Year I Flew Away by Marie Arnold

• We Need Diverse Books blog “Marie Arnold Writes So Immigrant Readers Feel Seen” by Karis Rogerson

Lesson 4:

• “Karla Sánchez and Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil” from Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women edited by Sandra Guzmán