Today's read... The Island Rescue by Minda Gomez

Today's read is the third in a series, and believe it or not, I have read one of the other books before diving into this one. The series is geared for stronger, chapter book readers and weaves in Spanish (bilingual) as well as animal facts, but there's also a gentle addition of some science fiction tech to the mix. I enjoyed the first book I read from this series and hope that this tale is just as good... if not better. Oh, and it just released a little over a week ago...so, it's almost a happy book birthday (but not quite).

It's time to head off to the islands!

THE ISLAND RESCUE

Martinez Kids Adventures #3

by Minda Gomez

MoGo Multimedia

Chapter Book Science Fiction

131 pages

ages 6 to 10

"Doña Rosa needs our help." Rico straightened his feathered body and looked at them with round golden eyes. "I can do this." Eyeing the smoking hole in the ground, he hesitated, then jumped in.

Bicultural siblings Rico, Diego, and Araceli Martinez had hoped to enjoy their spring break exploring virtual reality. However, the fun abruptly ends when their inventor friend Don Toño begins work on a new adventure.

While he is out of town, his wife Doña Rosa has an accident and finds herself trapped in the mysterious shed. Unsure of the risks of entering an unfinished adventure, the kids bravely venture into virtual reality to track him down.

Arriving in the tropical Galápagos Islands, the kids discover that they are now animals, able to communicate with the local wildlife. Penguins, lava lizards, birds, and iguanas join them in searching for the one person - or animal - who can save Doña Rosa. If only they could fly over the island!

At the top of the volcano, a colony of giant tortoises awaits them. Will the mysterious Don Tortuga be able to help them save their beloved neighbor? Or will a technology glitch halt the mission in its tracks?

Readers young and old will be intrigued by this page-turning journey and colorful illustrations, and won't even realize they are learning Spanish at the same time!

Bonus Features:
- Spanish glossary and pronunciation guide
- Mexican birthday song
- Simple recipe for agua fresca
- Real-life animal facts
- Online family discussion guide

Complete your Martinez Kids Adventures collection with the other books in the series, available in English and Spanish:

The Secret Door / La puerta secreta
The Arctic Quest / La misión ártica

GOODREADS    /   B&N    /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

The three siblings are in for quite the adventure with more than a few facts and surprises.

Rico, Diego and Araceli's adventures are put on pause as their neighbor heads off to South America on a research trip. When the neighbor's wife accidentally locks herself into the high-security shed, the siblings need to find the passcode, or she'll be stuck there for almost a week. Although the latest updates aren't done on their gear, the siblings grab their headsets and head to the Galapagos Islands in search of their neighbor. While taking the form of animals gives the siblings plenty of advantages, finding the neighbor won't be easy...especially since they have no idea what animal form he's using.

First off, this is an exciting adventure. There's plenty of tension, difficult situations, humorous moments, and lots of warmth and heart. The siblings are pretty down-to-earth and do their best to deal with the situations as they come. There's a little back-and-forth as they don't always agree on everything, and this makes them a natural and loveable bunch. They're easy to root for and fun to cheer on. The 'danger' is just right for the age group, making the tale gripping without going over-board.

Then, this is written in a bilingual direction. There are three pages of word explanations (a mini-dictionary) with the Spanish words used in the story and their English translations. This allows readers to expand their Spanish vocabulary, while seeing the words in use during the story. The Spanish is melted right into the English sentences (words just plopping in). Having a bilingual family myself, this made me smile. We toss in words from the other language (visa-versa) like that, too...a very natural habit. 

Lastly, there are animal facts surrounding life on the Galapagos Islands. These come across smoothly during the story, letting readers learn without noticing that it's happening. It covers a wide variety of animals, as well. Add the fun that these animals speak (a side-effect of the high-tech device, which adds the scifi touch), and it's a delight to meet them and their fun personalities.

And lastly-lastly (because this can't be forgotten), there are several helpful editions at the end: a quick summary with illustrations of each animal, the birthday song in Spanish, and an easy drink recipe for kids to make themselves.

Summed up, there's a lot of goodness in these pages. The text is a little longer and suits the medium to high end of chapter book readers nicely. The illustrations break things up well and add more fun to the mix. Plus, they help identify the animals. The tale does start a bit abrupt, and I would highly recommend reading this series as a series because of that. I am looking forward to what adventure this trio will have next.

And here she is...

Minda lives in Minnesota with her husband and three spunky bilingual kids. Their family has created their own brand of "Mexigringo" as they blend their Papi's Mexican culture with their Mami's Minnesotan culture.

Minda is a teacher of English Learners at a local elementary school. She has taught second grade in Mexico and volunteered in Guatemala, Peru, and other parts of Latin America.

Minda is passionate about teaching children to be proud of their bilingual superpowers. She is hopeful that her readers and her own kids will identify with the Martinez family, and remember that speaking more than one language is one of the many things that can make a kid special. (from Goodreads)

https://www.mindagomez.com

Review: The Secret Door by Minda Gomez

Today's read is geared toward chapter book readers—those who are pretty solid with reading but not quite ready for a full-fledged, middle grade novel. I'm not really sure about the plot on this one except that it contains three stories, teaches Spanish along the way, and keeps certain themes in mind. Oh, and there should be a wonderful splash of fantasy.

So, ready to take a peek and see where this one goes? 

THE SECRET DOOR

Martinez Kids Adventures, Book One

by Minda Gomez

115 pages

ages 0 to 12 

Immerse yourself in the world of the Martinez Kids, three spunky bilingual children who have some exciting adventures!

Their elderly Mexican neighbor Don Toño invites their family to join him in his virtual reality invention (hidden in an inconspicuous garden shed), which allows them to experience life as animals. Join the kids as they scamper through the trees as squirrels, swim through the oceans as dolphins, whales, and sharks, and swing through a Mexican rainforest as spider monkeys.

This colorful, illustrated chapter book will capture the imaginations of your children. It is great for kids to read on their own, and is also a wonderful family read-aloud that will spark great conversations about important themes. As the kids navigate situations like peer pressure and the temptation to steal, their experiences in real life and in the animal world will lead them to draw their own conclusions. Go to www.mindagomez.com for discussion questions that can guide your family's conversations after you read each adventure.

In addition, this book offers a fascinating glimpse into a bicultural Mexican-American family where English and Spanish blend naturally. Their Papi and neighbors Don Toño and Doña Rosa are positive examples of Mexicans living in the United States. The book comes with a glossary to help with pronunciations and meanings. At the end, find an easy recipe for quesadillas that you can make together!

Children and adults alike will be intrigued by this unique take on animals, culture, values, and imagination!

Join the Martinez kids for three exciting stories in one book!

1. The Treetop Adventure (Contentment)
2. The Undersea Adventure (Honesty)
3. The Rainforest Adventure (Wisdom)

Themes:
Social-Emotional Learning
Values - Contentment, Honesty, Wisdom (Peer pressure)
Mexican Culture and Foods
Spanish Language
Bicultural families
Bilingualism

GOODREADS   /   AMAZON   /   INDIEBOUND    /   B&N

MY TIDBITS

With a bit of adventure, animal fun, and a trio, who are ready to discover whatever they can, this is a read to enjoy...and so much more.

Set for those readers, who have a good grip on words but aren't quite ready for middle grade novels, this is a collection of three, short stories. Each one is broken down into four or five chapters and rotates around a theme: contentment, honesty, wisdom. For me, this already sets the alarm bells for preachy, but this definitely isn't the case. While each story does hold a message pertaining to the theme, by no means does the author allow themselves to get overly rooted in this idea and forget the tale. 

Each one centers around the Martinez siblings, two boys and a younger sister. They are an energetic trio and act just like brothers and sisters would. They argue, tease, whine, and stick together no matter what. They act very much their age and will have the reader wishing to go on the adventures right with them. And these are fun adventures.

The tales swim around a magical door in the neighbor couples garage. When the trio goes through this door, they are taken to a different landscape and transformed into animals before they dive into an adventure. These adventures are exciting and very age appropriate. The writing is at the level for those almost ready to head into larger reads. It flows mostly well and keeps the pacing high. There are just enough descriptions to make the world sit, but this never is over done. As an extra touch, colorful illustrations appear every few pages. These are especially nice when the animals are involved.

To add even more goodness, the author has included some Spanish words and phrases. At the beginning of the book, there is a list of the words, which are in the book, along with a definition and pronunciation. I found this nice, since it allows readers to already familiarize themselves with the words and see what they remember when they finally reach the words in the stories. A glimpse at the Mexican culture and foods is also presented as the siblings naturally interact with their family and neighbors. So, there is tons of things going on in these pages, and it all flows together well.

And here she is...

Minda lives in Minnesota with her husband Moisés and their three spunky bilingual kids. Their family has created their own brand of "Mexigringo" as they blend their Papi's Mexican culture with their Mami's Minnesotan culture.

She is a teacher of English Learners at a local elementary school. She has taught second grade in Mexico and volunteered in Guatemala, Peru, and other parts of Latin America.

Minda's passionate about teaching children to be proud of their bilingual superpowers. She is hopeful that her readers and her own kids will identify with the Martinez family, and remember that speaking more than one language is one of the many things that can make a kid special.

Website: www.mindagomez.com

Instagram: @martinezkidsadventures 

Facebook: @martinezkidsadventures