Julia+Alvarez

The reading I use to teach narrative is a short story called //Names, Nombres// by [|Julia Alvarez]. Traditional literature still needs to be a focus of instruction. It is a short story about a Hispanic girl who is ridiculed by her classmates for her different sounding name. I always use the author's web site to preview the book. This is a strategy to show students that authors are just like them. They have a life and some authors have endured tragedies and hardships just like them. I teach students that we are all authors and we can only write about what we know. Julia Alvarez's site is filled with links, text and images that enhance her books.