Delfino's Journey begins in an Aztec village in southern Mexico. After he and his slow-witted but intuitive cousin Salvador almost drown crossing the Rio Grande and are tricked into a slave camp in Texas, they eventually escape and make their way to Houston where they find jobs, solve a murder, and help bring about the closing of the slave labor camp. Finally, Delfino is able to send money to his pregnant sister in Mexico and faces a brighter future. The author incorporates Aztec mythology with realistic situations that illegal immigrants often face into a believable story that can be read on several levels and offers much food for thought about intelligence, languages, exploitation of immigrant workers, and Aztec philosophy and mythology.

A new title about the im migrant experience, Delfino's Journey (Texas Tech University Press...) by Jo Harper, tells the contemporary story of a 14-year- old Indian boy's desperate excursion across the Rio Grande to earn money so his weak, pregnant sister in Mexico can get medical help. Delfino's impatience contributes to his becoming the victim of a slave-camp operation in Texas. Although the slavery issue seems to stretch reality, this exciting and suspenseful novel weaves Aztec legend and values with current issues of illegal entry into the United States. Young readers will love the tension.

--Barbara Samuels is co-director of the Greater Houston Area Writing Project and a consultant with the Rice School Writing Project.

A good friend's fourth grader selected this book as a gift from me while visiting my new home. She was completely absorbed by it and stimulated to remember and relate to me the Texas history she'd studied in the past year. I read it, too, and found it a good tale, well told and well illustrated.

My five year old loves this book. We have read it many times and it is still funny. He often refers to Hal and loves to sing the song. I recommend JALAPENO HAL to young and old alike.

Mexicatl captures his mother's heart and the readers as well. Jo Harper has caught the beauty of a boy's entrance into manhood. The telling of the story is like holding a candle up for children to see the way that common people have become heroes. A story told with symplicity of word and action that makes the reader and listener use their imagination. The illustrations by Robert Casilla are quite beautiful.

Ollie Jolly has always been happy but today he's sad. His teacher as assigned an essay to make him think about his future career - and he has no idea what to write until a rodeo comes to town. Good reading skills will lend an appreciation of Ollie's adventures with the rodeo, which solve his assignment dilemma.

It was a rare moment with my daughter, nestled under the covers. "Praire Dog Pioneers" was not a mere story--it was an adventure that soothed us after a full day. It was so relaxing and interesting. My daughter, a five year old, was truly delighted with the characters and tale. We went back through time to join a family relocating. My daughter immediately identified with the youngest character, and was so caught up with her character and feelings, that she rooted for her all along. In quite a natural way, this book emphasizes the importance of integrity, acceptance, love, and family values. It also deals with some realities we all face. It is educational, colorful, historical, and positively inspiring. The text and illustrations are both truly a work of Art. The story encouraged us to sing a folk song together afterwards, which was the perfect bond for parent and child right before bedtime. This is a must for every family!

My children and I really enjoy this book. It's quite funny, very original, and written like a true Texan might speak. Boliver Boggs tells stories that are outrageous. My kids enjoy the pictures as much as the text and ask me to read it over and over.