El verano de las mariposas

By Guadalupe García McCall, David Bowles

Now in Spanish, this award-winning title from Pura Belpré Award-winning author Guadalupe Garcia McCall’s magical retelling of The Odyssey stars fifteen-year-old Odilia, the reluctant leader of her four younger sisters as they set off on a fantastical road trip.

Front cover for Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe García McCall
This book is also available in English
Summer of the Mariposas
By Guadalupe García McCall

Description

Cuando Odilia y sus cuatro hermanas encuentran un cadáver en un pozo de río, se embarcan en un viaje heroico para devolver al muerto a su familia en México. Pero su regreso a Texas se convierte en una odisea que compite con la epopeya original de Homero.

Con la ayuda sobrenatural de la Llorona mediante un arete mágico, Odilia y sus hermanas menores atraviesan un camino de tribulaciones a la casa de su abuela, a quien no han visto en años. Para llegar, deben ser más astutas que una bruja y su malvada trinidad: un engañoso hechicero, un clan de lechuzas medio humanas y un chupacabras sanguinario. ¿Pueden estas fantásticas pruebas preparar a Odilia y a sus hermanas para lo que sucederá cuando se enfrentan a su prueba final, volver a casa en el mundo real, donde las diosas y los fantasmas ya no les pueden ayudar?

El verano de las mariposas no es sólo una mágica adaptación mexicano-americana de La odisea, sino una celebración de hermandad y amor maternal.

About the Creators

Guadalupe García McCall
Guadalupe García McCall

Guadalupe García McCall is the best-selling author of Summer of the Mariposas and won the Pura Belpré Award for her first novel, Under the Mesquite. She was born in Mexico and moved to Texas as a young girl, keeping close ties with family on both sides of the border. She is a full-time author and abuelita and lives with her husband in South Texas. Find her online at ggmccall.com.

David Bowles

David Bowles is a Mexican American author and translator from South Texas, where he teaches literature and Nahuatl at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. Among his forty published books are the multiple-award-winning They Call Me Güero, The Prince & the Coyote, and Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico, as well as the series Garza Twins, 13th Street, and Clockwork Curandera. He is the current president of the Texas Institute of Letters.

Awards

  • Best Children's Books of the Year

    Bank Street College of Education

  • Best Books of the Year

    School Library Journal

  • Amelia Bloomer Book List

    American Library Association (ALA)

  • Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Finalist

    Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

  • Westchester Fiction Award

    Westchester Fiction Award Committee

  • Lone Star Reading List

    Texas Library Association (TLA)

  • Spirit of Texas Reading List

    Texas Library Association (TLA)

Reviews

  • * "Written in the style of magic realism, this is an enchanting look at Mexican mysticism, coupled with the realistic celebration of the true meaning of family."

    - School Library Journal
  • "The mix of fantasy, folklore, and cultural markers like La Llorona and la Loteria reveal Garcia McCall's talent for words, and Bowles' Spanish translation of Summer of the Mariposas (2012) truly captures Garcia McCall's voice and lyrical storytelling."

    - Booklist
  • "Loosely based on The Odyssey, the journey adds interest by moving the girls through elements of Mexican folklore, and McCall's revision of both la Llorona and the chupacabras as victims in need of sympathy and compassion is particularly compelling. . . The story remains powerful to the end."

    - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
  • "In a witty voice, fifteen-year-old Odilia Garza recounts how she and her four younger sisters discover a corpse in a river near their Texas home and return him to his Mexican family across the border. Magical realism is introduced through several Mexican mythological characters who both challenge and help the girls on their Odyssey-like journey in this story of sisterly love."

    - The Horn Book
  • "A series of adventures that hover somewhere on the border between fantasy and magical realism as the sisters are helped and hindered by supernatural forces including Latin American legends La Llorona, lechuzas and chupacabras. . . Originality and vibrancy shine through to make it a worthwhile read."

    - Kirkus Reviews

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781620147863
  • Price $16.95
  • Publication Date Mar 27, 2018
  • Trim Size 8.25 × 5.5 in
  • Weight 0.9375 lbs
  • Page Count 384
  • Word Count 82230
  • Interests

  • Imprint Tu Books
  • Audience Young Adult
  • BISAC Category 1 YAF / Magical Realism
  • BISAC Category 2 YAF / Fantasy / General
  • BISAC Category 3 YAF / Family / Siblings
  • Themes Families, Fiction, Folktale / Folklore / Traditional Literature, Immigration, Latinx / Latino / Hispanic, Overcoming Obstacles, Responsibility, Siblings, Spanish, YA interest
  • Languages Spanish
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 12 - 18
  • Grade Range Grades 6 - 12
  • Guided Reading Z
  • Spanish Guided Reading Z
  • DRA 80
  • Interest Level Grades 7 - 12
  • Lexile Level 770
  • Lexile Measurement 770L
  • Reading Level Grades 7 - 12
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections: