Not Far From Here

Not Far From Here starts with Mama telling her children a story that begins when their papa was a child. The story starts in a place not far from here where he hears stories from his grandparents and his father works as a blacksmith. When Papa’s father passes away he takes all those lessons and comes to El Norte to follow his dreams where he works to overcome barriers that many immigrants face.

What I Liked: I instantly fell in love with this book from the first page that I read when I realized how the author managed to include Spanish terms. I appreciated how the Spanish language was included throughout the book and how the terms weren’t common words that non-Spanish speakers would know. This book is one that I can’t wait to share with others who have a similar background or who have Spanish as their first language.

Something that I appreciate about this book is how it transitions to sharing how the children may encounter others who are different and the way those people may be treated because of those differences in skin tone or language. I love that the mother is telling her children how to approach others with love and kindness, and how to share in other cultures and share their own as well.

This book does a great job of capturing the importance of family, and where you come from. This book serves as a reminder that our origins shape our past and present and that we can still dream of more. I love that this book shows how the father dreamed of more for himself and worked to get that for himself and his family.

Final Verdict: Not Far From Here is a warm hug that is full of love, especially for those of us with similar histories. Children ages 4 and up will enjoy learning about another culture, and those who share the plight of the people in those stories will enjoy seeing themselves reflected in literature.