El español es la lengua de mi familia

K-Gr 3--Little Michael signs up for the annual Spanish spelling bee offered at his school, and he is excited about entering because Spanish is the language that his family speaks. He practices various words with the help of his family members, especially his grandmother. As they practice, his abuela tells stories about how she and her friends were only allowed to speak English at school or they would be punished, sent home, or hit with a paddle. As Michael wins the spelling bee, he knows that he and his family win more than just a ribbon, but they also win healing and love. Parra's art is impeccable, offering rich conversations even within the illustrations. VERDICT A beautifully designed read-aloud that celebrates the importance of knowing more than one language, while also shedding light on what first-generation immigrants went through to make that possible today.--Melanie Ortega