Rise Home Stories Project Tag

Read Aloud of Alejandria Fights Back/ La Lucha de Alejandria

Skip to 7 min mark to hear the story.

This is a book about an Afro Latina elementary student who’s facing eviction. Her mom doesnt want them to rock the boat, her abuela meanwhile wants to fight. Alejandria has to decide. I illustrated this book during the pandemic and wanted to share it again today because it reminds me that whether some parents want to hear it or not, children like Alejandria exist and are either houseless or facing housing insecurity!

Synopsis: For nine-year-old Alejandria, home isn’t just the apartment she shares with Mami and her abuela, Tita, but rather the whole neighborhood. Home is the bakery where Ms. Beatrice makes yummy picos; the sidewalk where Ms. Alicia sells flowers with her little dog, Duende; and the corner store with friendly Mr. Amir.

But lately the city has been changing, and rent prices are going up. Many people in el barrio are leaving because they can no longer afford their homes, and “For Sale” signs are popping up everywhere. Then the worst thing happens: Mami receives a letter saying they’ll have to move out too.

Alejandria knows it isn’t fair, but she’s not about to give up and leave. Join Alejandria as she brings her community together to fight and save their neighborhood!

Publisher link cop it or request it at your local library.

Dig this? A bit of process for the cover for this book.

Steal Estate trailer

 

This is the last of the projects from the Rise Home Stories Project. My book Alejandria Fights Back was one of the 5. Each project, the book, video game, animated short, podcast, and now interactive website are creative projects with a theme. Check out this trailer about “Steal Estate”. It will be an interactive website.
Dig this? Check out this post featuring podcasts about housing discrimination

Alejandria Fights Back read en Español

 

Hey fam, if you have seen the reading of Alejandria Fights Back in Español by the books translator Dr Carla España please watch it here. This book came out last summer and his been making the rounds via reviews and classrooms. If you know of any educators who would dig hearing or sharing a Spanish reading of the book please share this with them.
Want a reading in English? watch elementary school teacher Mr Limata read it here
Skip to the 11:45 min mark for the reading.
And if you haven’t seen the trailer please check it out:

School visit: Alejandria Fights back

 

This is an image from a school visit to a school in Oakland. Organizer Heather Appel (masked and standing in the rear) and myself read to this huge group of students wearing our masks and it is never not fun to share stories like Alejandria Fights Back with kids. 
If you haven’t seen the book trailer , check it out here:
If you are a school teacher who would like to get a copy of the book or some resources for it check out the website: www.alejandriafightsback.com/

Video: Book trailer – Alejandria Fights back!

 

If you missed it this is the book trailer for Alejandria Fights Back/ La Lucha de Alejandria which came out last summer. This is a book published by Feminist Press in NYC and written by Leticia Hernandez-Linares and the Rise Home Stories Project; and illustrated by me. 
Please watch the trailer and check out the other projects from this team such as a video game, animated short, podcast, and more HERE
If you’re an educator and you’d like to get a copy of the book there are limited free copies here.

Latinxs In Kid Lit Interview

 

Recently me and Leticia got on Latinxs in Kid Lit to interview each other and talk a bit about the making of this picture book. Its an audio piece so go to the blog and give it a listen! Shout out to Cindy from the blog for giving us a space to talk.
A few years back some of my work was featured on Latinxs in Kid Lit:
Pura Belpre illustration
Furqan’s First bilingual picture book

Book review: At Home Librarian

Yo, we got a review by Tibby Wroten who runs the “At Home Librarian” blog where she reviews a diverse array of kid lit so parents, librarians, booksellers, and book lovers can learn about cool new books. Check it out HERE.
Here’s a quote from the review:

“the book is a roadmap of sorts or how kids and adults can take steps to protect their communities. While this story is particular to gentrification, the ideas behind organizing community are the same no matter what issue you take on. I also really appreciate the ideas presented here around organizing the people around you to show up to City Hall to speak at council meetings and also getting plugged into organizations working specifically on the issue at hand. Most books for kids that talk about “activism” are about making signs and showing up at marches they didn’t organize.”

And if you check out this link, you can see some other books of mine that she’s reviewed.

 

Reading at Greenlight Books

 

Coming up later on August 28th, I’ll be reading with Leticia Hernandez-Linares and organizer/Rise Home Stories team member Heather Appel. We’ll be doing a virtual reading for Brooklyn’s Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene and Prospect Lefferts Garden. Wanna tune in? Register HERE.
Stay tuned to Brookline Smith Bookstore’s YouTube to see the reading we did with them.

Alejandria Fights Back is OUT TODAY!

 

TODAY is the day fam, please check out my video introducing “Alejandria Fights Back” written by Leticia Hernandez & The Rise Home Stories Project, translated by Profesora Dr Carla España , and pub by Feminist Press in NYC.

This project “Alejandria Fights Back” was a collaborative one for the books. Got to work with filmmakers and organizers in the Bay Area, Michigan, North Carolina, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Georgia, and the publisher is in NYC. It has been a ride and there are some videos, posts, etc to come.
Its hella different doing a virtual book release y’all. So I appreciate any and all support. Shout out to Josh Healey who said “I think you should apply to this” He was right! Here’s the synopsis:

Here is the book trailer:
Please watch and share it!

If you missed it, check out the features on Social Justice Books and Rethinking Schools.