Additional Information:
- Non-English author
- Softcover, 262 pages
Synopsis: Six year old Tony Marez comes of age in this Chicano novel set in the American Southwest. When Tony is young, Ultima comes to stay with his family in New Mexico. She is a curandera, one who heals with herbs and magic. With Ultima's guidance and wisdom, Tony makes life decisions about family, faith, and friends over the years. Most importantly, Ultima teaches Tony to consider his own identity and values that he will carry with him into adulthood.
Book Notes: I read this book in high school as a multicultural coming of age novel. It is a great resource to bring Hispanic literature and culture into the classroom, especially to teach students about the mythological values associated with it. Bless Me, Ultima winds a coming of age tale within Latin American beliefs and mythological elements. The writing is intended toward upper elementary or middle school age. It can even be used at the high school level. This may direct it more toward a read aloud rather than an individually read novel.
Critique: Bless Me, Ultima is a great tale that everyone can relate to, even if they are not necessarily Latin American. It discusses the struggles of identity, satisfying one's parents, and discovering one's own values. I often related to the book because many children struggle with the same difficulties that Tony struggles with. There are elements of humor throughout the story, making it an entertaining read for children and young adults.
Classroom Activities: This book contains numerous literary elements that can be analyzed and discussed in a language arts class. Bless Me, Ultima can be read aloud to young students or used as a novel study for older students. It yields itself to literature circles and whole class Socratic seminars. The book has also been adapted into a film, so students can watch the movie after reading the book to practice comparing and contrasting between the two. Below are more ideas of classroom application.
- Suggested teaching schedule: http://www.neabigread.org/books/blessmeultima/teachers-guide/schedule-lesson-plans/
- Teaching figurative language: http://media.pps.k12.or.us/doc/n00016_tg.pdf
- Literature Unit: https://www.prestwickhouse.com/samples/304422.pdf
Additional Resources:
- Activities: https://sites.google.com/site/alisonmanchester11/activities
- About the author: http://www.biography.com/people/rudolfo-a-anaya-39694
- Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5osqxpquYk
- Movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZigUok02nw
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