BUY What happens when reality overcomes fiction? Then you have a story like ALMA DE LOBO. This novella is the true story of Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja. His is the only documented case in Spain of a feral child. SUMMARY: At the age of seven, Marcos was sold by his father to work as a shepherd in a remote valley of the Sierra Morena. The older shepherd, who was teaching him the ropes, suddenly died, leaving Marcos on his own. He had a hard time staying alive until a pack of wolves adopted him. ALMA DE LOBO describes how Marcos manages to survive in the mountains living a carefree life surrounded by the animals he befriended. Then, the painful process to adapt to the world of humans after his capture, when he was 19 years old. Hardly anyone believed his childhood stories, but when he was in his 60s an event changed his life… ALMA DE LOBO is a page-turner. This book is an easy reader Spanish novella for second level students. It’s written in the past tense. With about 305 unique words and plenty of repetition, it tells a 4,190-word story. Illustrations and a full glossary for each of the ten chapters are included. AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is one of the most fascinating stories I’ve ever researched and written about. I based this novella on the books, articles, interviews and documentaries about Marcos’ life. Most importantly, I was able to interview Marcos himself, for which I am really grateful.

BUY EL PEQUEÑO ÁNGEL DE COLOMBIA is the extraordinary true story of Albeiro Vargas, a Colombian boy famous for his magnificent humanitarian work. SUMMARY: Albeiro is only six when he starts playing and taking care of his ill grandfather. After his death, Albeiro befriends some elderly neighbors in Ciudad Norte, an impoverished area of Bucaramanga, Colombia, where he lives. Albeiro soon finds out that many of his elderly friends are in desperate need for help. He recruits a group of children to help with the care of the continually growing group of seniors in need. His dedication to protect vulnerable elders grows over the years. This novella tells the story of Albeiro’s compassionate work, and each chapter of this book shows a different stage of his childhood and achievements. When Albeiro comes of age, he has fulfilled his dreams. His life is a lesson in humanity and perseverance.  EL PEQUEÑO ÁNGEL DE COLOMBIA This book is an easy reader Spanish novella for second level students. It’s almost entirely in the past tense. With about 290 unique words and plenty of repetition, it tells a 2,980-word story. A special feature of this novella is that usted is used a lot. This is the way everyone speaks in Bucaramanga, Colombia, where this story takes place. A full glossary for each of the nine chapters is included, and photos document this inspiring true story in each chapter. The story is based on interviews, videos, books, and the testimony of Albeiro Vargas himself. Part of every purchase of this book will support FAVAC (Fundación Albeiro Vargas y Ángeles Custodios).

BUY SOÑADORES gives a face to the millions of children that live as undocumented immigrants and brings to light the challenges they face to live a normal life in the United States. This story is ideal for Spanish Level 3 Learners. The story is written in conversational Spanish, using simple grammatical structures in various forms of the past, and plenty of repetition. It’s meant for Level 3 and/or Level 4 students. SUMMARY Sofía, Rosa, and Antonio are high school seniors who are very different from one another. But they form a special bond when they discover that all three are undocumented minors. Their friendship gets them through when their lives take unexpected turns and together they accept who they are, join the DREAMers movement, and start fighting for their rights.

BUY SUMMARY After experiencing the Day of the Dead in Mexico, Aleja, a Mexican-American teen, plans to throw a big Día de los Muertos party at her home in California. The tricky thing is that her best friend plans to throw a big Halloween party on the same day.  Aleja narrates this light-hearted story mostly in the present tense and with some past tense. It is an easy reader for high beginners and low-intermediate students. Ideal for level two Spanish Learners.  HALLOWEEN VS DIA DE LOS MUERTOS can be used to start a conversation about Day of the Dead and the similarities and differences with Halloween. With about 270 unique words and plenty of repetition, it tells a 3,400-word story. A full glossary for each of the seven chapters is included, plus illustrations for every chapter and photos of the Day of the Dead celebration.  Other resources: Inside this book there is a list of short videos and documentaries available online that can show how colorful, meaningful, and heart-felt the Day of the Dead celebration is in Mexico. 

BUY This compelling novella, told from a dog’s point of view, is based on the true events that turned Arthur, an Ecuadorian stray dog, into a global celebrity.  SUMMARY Arthur’s journey began when he attached himself to the captain of an extreme sports team who was competing in the 2014 Adventure Racing World Championship. It wasn’t easy but, in the end, Arthur was able to win exactly what he wanted…   The novella is told mostly in the present tense. With about 400 unique words and plenty of repetition, it tells a 4,120-word story about the bond between a dog and a human. A full glossary for each of the seven chapters is included plus illustrations.  Other resources: • The book includes the link to one of the documentaries about Arthur.  • Audio Book MP3 download is available.  

BUY Olivia y los monos is an easy low-level Spanish novella for true beginners. It is almost entirely in the present tense with a smattering of past tense and no subjunctive. With about 285 unique words (not including obvious cognates) and plenty of repetition, it tells a 2,700-word story. A full glossary for each of the seven chapters is included. Ecuadorian Verónica Moscoso, the author of this novella, visited Misahuallí to make a documentary. There she met the famous monkeys. This book is based on events that she witnessed and filmed and on stories that the town’s people told her. Summary Olivia is a very curious 16-year-old girl who likes to travel and who loves animals. She travels with her parents to Misahuallí, a town in the Amazon region of Ecuador. She is fascinated with the group of monkeys that live in the town. The monkeys approach and interact with tourists and the town’s people. She spends a week in Misahuallí with her parents. In Olivia y los monos one after another amusing situation occurs with the monkeys. Olivia narrates the story.

BUY A novella for 3rd-year high school Spanish students.  SUMMARY Daniel, a 16-year-old American boy wants to enter a photography contest. He goes to Ecuador to visit his Ecuadorian-American relatives. While there, he must deal with various culturally challenging situations. On a day trip he meets Carmen, a girl with exceptional eyes. He wants to photograph her, but…    The story is told from Daniel’s point of view. This novella is filled with cultural substance and significant facts about Ecuador. Third year students will find it accessible and engaging. With about 950 unique words and plenty of repetition, it tells a 7,450-word story. A full glossary is included at the end of the book.

BUY Historias con sabor a sueño (Dream-Flavored Stories) is the name of Verónica’s first book, published by Letramía in Quito, Ecuador in 2001. This book is a compilation of five fantasy stories. Each one is like a metaphor of some of the author’s life experiences and the teachings they left her. The result are stories similar to fairy tales for grown ups.   “While I was developing the plot I felt so involved in my imagination and had so much pleasure, that I lost the notion of time. I enjoyed every second that I worked on the creation of the stories, re-rewriting and editing.”