Joey Gonzalez, Great American
Tony Robles, author
Jim Pryor, illustrator
Kids Ahead Books/WND Books
c/o Midpoint Trade Books (distributor)
27 West 20th Street, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10011
9780976726937, $15.95 www.worldahead.com
Joey Gonzalez, Great American is a bilingual English/Spanish book
for young readers with an important message about good citizenship, and
what it really means to be a great American. Young Joey Gonzalez dreams
of growing up to become a great American, and to fulfill that dream he
studies hard in school. But one day in class, his teacher Mrs. Glass
tells him that Gonzalez isn't an "American name", and
that because he is a "minority", he needs to rely on something
called "affirmative action" to make his dream come true. Mrs.
Glass' words have Joey and his friends questioning each other and
even getting into arguments over something they've heard of called
the "race card". "'This is awful,' Joey said to
Andy. 'We got along fine before old Mrs. Glass told us we're
different. Now Leon and Sandy are fighting over some stupid card and
some uncle named Tom.'" Joey talks to his mother at home; she
explains to him what being a great American is really all about: the
determination to work hard, stand up, and speak the truth. Joey and his
friends confront his teacher with a renewed sense of pride in themselves
and their willingness to succeed: "I want to be a great American.
And I don't need affirmative action or any of that stuff like race
cards. I can succeed on my own like my ancestors." The soft color
illustrations on every other page bring to life this simple yet
culturally relevant moral tale, highly recommended for public, school,
and children's libraries.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Midwest Book
Review Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
Copyright 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights
reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.