Gretchen Griffith

I like reading this book for many reasons. The story provides hope for the main character, Eduardo. He and his family moved to America. At the beginning, Eduardo struggles calling this his new home. Throughout the story, Eduardo becomes friends with the boys from school that he plays soccer and football with. They teach each other Spanish and English. By the end of the story, Eduardo is happy to call America his home. The story also is relatable to children who are going through similar experiences as Eduardo. For example, moving to a new place or starting something new. Lastly, I liked looking at the illustrations throughout the book. Each page presented a colorful picture to follow along. For example, when Eduardo was at school for the first time, the other boys asked him to play football. To Eduardo the word football was the Spanish word for soccer. He was confused why the ball looked so different. The picture shows a group of kids holding a football and Eduardo’s face looks confused. The picture adds more affect and is more understandable from what’s stated in the sentences. When Eduardo first moved to America, he did not feel like this place would feel like home. His family told him that by Christmas time, America would feel much more like his home. Through the months leading up to Christmas, he was anticipating opening up the box to see what the surprise was. Eduardo learned to play the American version of futbol; soccer. He picked up on English. Soon, he became more comfortable. By Christmas time, Eduardo was allowed to open the box. Inside was the nativity. He now felt like this truly was home. Overall, I liked reading this story and thought it was a good read.… (altro)