Tía Isa Wants a Car is a 2011 illustrated children's book by Cuban-American author Meg Medina. It was first published on 14 June 2011 through Candlewick Press and has won the 2012 Ezra Jack Keats New Writers Award.[1] The book focuses on the title character of Isa, a young woman that wants to save money towards a new car while also thinking of family in other countries that could also use the money.
 | |
| Author | Meg Medina |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Claudio Muñoz |
| Cover artist | Claudio Muñoz |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's fiction |
| Published | 2011, Candlewick Press |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 32 pages |
| Awards | Ezra Jack Keats New Writers Award |
| ISBN | 0763641561 |
| Preceded by | Milagros: Girl from Away |
| Followed by | The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind |
Synopsis
editThe book follows the character of Tía (Aunt) Isa, a young immigrant woman that works in a bakery, and is narrated through the viewpoint of her niece, to whom Tía Isa tells tales of her former home and her desire for their family members to join them. Tía Isa is saving her money towards purchasing a beautiful green car that she can use to drive herself and her niece to the beach, but this is difficult to do when she has to send much of her money home to help her family reach North America. Try as hard as she might, both goals seem like they will take an extremely long amount of time to come to fruition and Tía Isa's niece begins to secretly raise funds by taking on several jobs throughout the neighborhood.
Reception
editCritical reception for Tía Isa Wants a Car has been positive,[2][3] and the Chicago Tribune commented that the desired car "represents a dream achieved".[4] A reviewer for the Daily Herald praised the book for showing how saving money can make a difference as well as focusing on the message of familial love.[5]
Awards
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "2012 Winners". Ezra Jack Keats.org. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
- ^ Stevenson, Deborah (2011). "Tía Isa Wants a Car (review)". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 65 (1): 30. doi:10.1353/bcc.2011.0624. S2CID 144577584. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
- ^ Carter, Betty (July–August 2011). "Tia Isa Wants a Car (review)". The Horn Book Magazine. 87 (4): 132. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
- ^ Harris Russell, Mary (17 June 2011). "'Tia Isa Wants a Car' by Meg Medina (review)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
- ^ Schlichenmeyer, Terri (September 7, 2011). "Girl Learns Pennies Pave Road to Dreams Come True". Daily Herald (subscription required). Retrieved 8 October 2014.
- ^ "The Best, Notable, and Recommended, 2012". Teacher Librarian (subscription required). April 1, 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
- ^ "Tia Isa Wants A Car". American Library Association. Retrieved 28 February 2020.