Gringo : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

Abstract

This children's book is written for students in the third to the fifth grades. The ideas for this book took two years to develop and are the product of my learning at the collegiate level and from elementary classroom experience. In the field of children's literature, there is very little literature featuring Hispanic students. What literature there is containing Hispanic characters typically focuses on a few types of Hispanics, such as those from Mexico or Spain, and disregards others. One Hispanic group often left out of literature is the Puerto Rican. I decided to feature two types of Puerto Ricans in my book: 1) Puerto Ricans residing in their homeland, and 2) Puerto Ricans who have recently moved to the United States in an attempt to make a better life for themselves. I also chose to highlight the city of San Juan-its customs and its attractions. The book is fictional, and is intended to develop the reader's appreciation for the Puerto Rican culture.