Reviews

Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics by Rafael López, Margarita Engle

vm8's review against another edition

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informative inspiring

4.25

hulahoopes's review against another edition

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5.0

Love!

lizaroo71's review against another edition

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4.0

I love that Engle gives us people in the Latinx community that represent all aspects of art, the sciences and beyond. Many of these people I was completely unfamiliar with before reading the book. I am happy that my daughter can see representation of herself in the humanities and the sciences.

Some highlights for me: Pura Bulpe - the first Puertorriqueña to work for the New York Public Libary system. She advocated for bilingual children to have books available in English and Spanish.

Aida de Acosta - the first woman to fly a dirigible across a polo field in Paris six months before the Wright brothers took flight (I have NEVER heard about her). Her parents found it unseemly that she flew and so made her keep it quiet in fear she wouldn't find a husband.

George Melendez Wright - a park ranger that is one of the biggest advocates for conversation in the United States. But I have never read about him in the many books I've read about the environment.

All in all, I'm glad this book was highlighted on a shelf waiting for us.

beths0103's review against another edition

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5.0

Margarita Engle's poetry always manages to be simple, lyrical, and profound all at the same time.

artemisiaday's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring relaxing medium-paced

4.5

hereisenough's review against another edition

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4.0

Bravo! does not read like poetry. Yes, the format is poetry, but I’d probably use this as a biographical text, rather than a study of poetry. That being said, the poem aspect makes biography feel very accessible; the reader receives glimpses into entire lives, synthesizing lifetimes into short and easy to read and retain descriptions. Bravo! is both valuable and beautiful, though. The art fills whole pages with vibrant, warm, and lively depictions of people. It reminds me of stained glass windows: realistic, but warm, friendly, but awe inspiring. In terms of content, this book covers so many incredible and different people I have never heard of, working in art, science, politics, and more. One can not only learn about people and untold moments in history, but also learn that “Hispanic” is a broad word, covering many areas, and not restricted to a certain skin tone. Representation is important, and in such a white washed American history, I was pleasantly shocked that so many Hispanic people have been actively involved and valued in American politics and organizations. This book opens the ranges of possibility for readers to envision themselves in many realms.

readinginthe_pnw's review against another edition

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5.0

I couldn't help but think about how much my students who love this book! There are so many people included in the book, not all of them famous, but all of them important and from different geographic locations.

jbojkov's review against another edition

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3.0

2018 Bluebonnet. Collection of poems introducing "Amazing Hispanics" Interesting read. Could be a good place for kids to start if they are interested in reading about Hispanic people who have had a positive impact on the world.

heisereads's review against another edition

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4.0

Though I loved the concept and how much I learned from this book, the individual poems themselves didn't speak to me as much as I thought they would. They read more biographical than poetic to me, but that would not stop me from using this fantastic collection in a classroom for sure. The poems pair fabulously with the additional "Notes About the Lives" at the end - don't miss the back matter.

choirqueer's review against another edition

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5.0

As the introduction states, "This is not a book about the most famous Hispanics." The people in this book may not all be well-known, but this book will let you know why they should be! I loved how each person's story was illuminated in free verse and the lovingly-rendered illustrations of each one. I think many young readers (and older ones too!) would read this book and find themselves wanting to do some research to learn more about some of the people they find most interesting!