Reina Ramos: Tour Guide

Gr 1-3–Reina, her mom, and abuela go to the airport to pick up her cousin Andrés, who has flown into New York from “the island.” Reina welcomes Andrés with a large bienvenido sign, but when Andrés and Abuela talk about people and places back on the island who Reina knows nothing about, she begins to feel left out. Artwork of the island hangs on the dining room wall, illustrating how two cultures live in Reina’s home: New York City culture and island culture. When Andrés accidentally slams into Reina on the subway the next day, she voices her frustration with him and the two talk to each other about what’s bothering them. And when they exit the subway and see buskers who play island music, Andrés discovers that not only is his abuela’s home a place of two cultures, but so is New York City. This Level 2 reader has mostly simple sentences, but the sentence development also includes introductory clauses and compound sentences. A glossary provides translations for words like bienvenido, lo siento, nunca, and primo.