Tia Lola has a heart of gold, and an amazing ability to change the world around her. Heartwarming.
SPL Global Reading Challenge 2015 ( )

Miguel and Juanita’s irrepressible Tía Lola returns in this sequel to “How Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay.” Miguel is horrified when his aunt agrees to teach Spanish at their school but as is Tía Lola’s way, she charms the teachers and students and becomes an integral part of the school community. But all is not light and happiness: Juanita’s habit of daydreaming gets her in trouble at school, and Miguel is uncertain about his father’s new girlfriend becoming his stepmother. Then a letter arrives from immigration stating that Tía Lola’s visa is about to expire and she must leave the country. Lola’s wise sayings, which in Spanish and English serve as the titles and themes of each chapter, guide the family, reminding them of what’s important. Readers originally charmed by Tía Lola will welcome her return with open abrazos. ( )

Love this book! Tia Lola just moved for the Dominican Republic. TIa Lola is asked to be the Spanish teacher at Bridgeport Elementary where Miguel and Juanita go to school.
The chapters alternate between brother and sister. Tia Lola loves Dichos (Spanish sayings). All the chapter's are dichos, written in Spanish and English. Alvarez easily blends in the dichos and the lessons learned by Miguel and Juanita into the story. The dicho I liked the most was: “with patience and calm, even a donkey can climb a palm” This book has a lot of good lessons for their reader. The prose of this book is far from dull or an ordinary style. It is very engaging and enjoyable. ( )

I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved how clear the language was; the author makes it very easy to comprehend. Each chapter was based on a mini moral. For example, one chapter was based solely on how impatient Miguel is. The message was very clear and the writing flowed very well. I also really enjoyed the characters in this book. Tia Lola was portrayed as a fun, wise, enthusiastic woman who would do anything for her family! Miguel was declared a "genius", and Juanita was declared an "angel". The family dynamic in this book is incredible, and I love the personalities of each character. The overall message of this book is the importance of family and unity. ( )

The main message of the story Tia Lola was to remain grateful, humble, and positive in all situations. Everything may not always go as you hope, but your attitude towards a situation can change the outcome. I really liked this book, and I think it’s wonderful for children. I thought the characters were very well developed. Throughout the story you are able to see the ins and outs of each character to where readers are able to relate to them. For example children could relate to how Juanita was not paying attention in school, or how Miguel was embarrassed to have his aunt come with him to school. The book also does a great job getting students to think about tough issues. One issue the book touches on is deportation. It’s a real thing that breaks families apart every day that many children in the United States may not quite understand. The book does a great job of making the reader really like the main character Tia Lola to then threaten her stay. It really touches on the readers emotions, so that they can understand the experience. ( )