How does an award winning Colombian bilingual children’s book author get inspired to write her books? How is this author honoring her heritage and experience of Año Viejo, being an immigrant child with limited English, and the leyendas of her native Colombia like the Madre Monte? In this episode, Latina mom, teacher, children’s book author, and buñuelos lover, Alessandra Alesandri share’s her journey as a writer.
Join us as we talk about what inspired her to become a writer and take a closer look at 3 of her children’s books that are paving the way for other Latinx writers. Plus, we’ll talk about the struggles in raising a bilingual teenage son, life in Miami, and her words of wisdom for Latina moms, asi que no te lo pierdas!
About Alexandra Alessandri
The daughter of Colombian immigrants, she is also a former associate professor of English, a writer for Curriculum Associates, and a poet, with some of her work appearing in The Acentos Review, Rio Grande Review, Atlanta Review, and Young Adult Review Network. She received her BA and MA degrees in English from Florida International University and a Certificate in Fiction Writing from UCLA Extension. When not writing or teaching, Alexandra spends her time daydreaming of Colombia, relearning the piano, and planning the next great adventure with her family. She lives in Florida with her husband, son, and hairless pup. For more about Alexandra, visit http://alexandraalessandri.com.
Awards
- Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela! won the bronze medal in the 2021 International Latino Book Awards,The Mariposa Book Awards Best First Book, Children & Youth
- Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela! won the Silver Medal in Young Children’s Literature in the 2020 Florida Book Awards
- The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía won Honorable Mention in SCBWI Florida’s 2021 Rising Kite Awards Middle Grade Fiction category
- “Inheritance” was a finalist in the 2017 Atlanta Review International Poetry Competition
- “Where I’m From” was the winner of the 2017 Finding Home poetry contest, YARN
Books
Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela!
Ava’s excited to say goodbye to el Año Viejo–but will her shyness keep her from joining in the celebration?
Ava Gabriela is visiting her extended family in Colombia for the holidays. She’s excited to take part in family traditions such as making buñuelos, but being around all her loud relatives in an unfamiliar place makes Ava shy and quiet. How will Ava find her voice before she misses out on all the New Year’s fun?
Written by Alexandra Alessandri
Illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda
Isabel and Her Colores Go to School
English, with its blustery blues and whites, just feels wrong to Isabel. She prefers the warm oranges and pinks of Spanish. As she prepares for class at a new school, she knows she’s going to have to learn–and she would rather not! Her first day is uncomfortable, until she discovers there’s more than one way to communicate with friends. This is a universal story about feeling new and making new friends.
Written by Alexandra Alessandri
Illustrated by Courtney Dawson
Sleeping Bear Press, July 2021
978-1534110632
Bilingual English/Spanish edition
Alexandra Alessandri Recommendations:
When I was Puerto Rican
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