Speak English for Us, Marisol!

by Karen English, Enrique O. Sánchez (Illustrator)

Marisol, who is bilingual, is sometimes overwhelmed when her Spanish-speaking family members and neighbors need her to translate for them.

Genres: Picture Books, Cultural, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Karen English is a Coretta Scott King Honor Award-winner and the author of the Nikki and Deja and The Carver Chronicles series. Her novels have been praised for their accessible writing, authentic characters, and satisfying storylines. She is a former elementary school teacher and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[Alma Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marisol is a bilingual young girl that is called on by various family members and neighbors throughout the course of the day to translate for them in a number of different situations. In each instance she is thrust into the role of translator in adult situations dealing with everything from negotiating a price on chickens for her uncle's butcher shop to straightening out mistakenly billed charges at the phone company that threaten her family's phone service being cut off. Marisol translates Spanish to English, but the language really in inconsequential. As a teacher I have seen students bilingual in a variety of languages who have had to translate for their parents in very adult circumstances. This book does a great job of recognizing the children who take on much more responsibility at a very young age than their monolingual peers or counterparts whose parents are bilingual themselves.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

For every good thing we have in life, each of us must pay the price.

As a spiritual teacher (the founder of Energy Spirituality®) sometimes I remind my students of that. Regarding this magnificent book by Karen English, to me, that spiritual fact of life comes through loud and clear.

Constantly, Marisol's life is interrupted by fellow immigrants who don't speak English yet, so they think nothing of using her as a free interpreter --not that different from being a free, public Language Utility.

At least Marisol's mother is learning English. Phew!

In terms of "paying the price" for being an immigrant who speaks English

To this Goodreader, I assume that all the adults in Marisol's life are doing the best they can. Yet they're still taking advantage of this little girl. Constantly! Eventually that mother who's learning English may be able to put her foot down and tell other family members, "Time for you to learn the language of this country."

Whether or not that ever happens, I'd like to supplement this book review by doing something in the title of another book by Karen English. Another picture book that I admire and enjoy so much: Speak to Me (And I Will Listen Between the Lines).

Clearly, it's inconvenient, and hard, and often irksome... being a native speaker of English when the oldsters either struggle to learn the language... or never manage to try.

But what else could be taken into consideration about Marisol's current situation?

How horrible was it in the old country, before her family moved to America?

Very likely, really horrible.

Like me, whose father emigrated from Germany, along with his parents and other relatives... The answer to that "how horrible" question was "really-really horrible." Although my family never told me much about the details, except for a few things that I managed to learn when I was in my forties.

Very often, families hide tragedy and horror from younger members of that family. (For examples, just watch episodes of "Finding Your Roots" with Henry Louis Gates.) Hiding is definitely common among emigrants who try hard to put the scary past behind them.

Meanwhile, maybe knowing precious little about what life would have been like, with no emigration

What does little Marisol gain, in return for serving as translator and public Language Utility?

Doing all that translating for a while when growing up, maybe being taken for granted, how about this? Long term, Marisols is growing up free from the problems that caused her family members to flee a country where they did know the language. Yet there were likely some really-really, scary awful problems.

Where Marisol grows up, speaking English

Sure, there will be ordinary problems. Plus, as a LatinX girl, she'll likely face discrimination. (So sorry about that! If it were up to me, she wouldn't. And I never miss an election, Goodreaders.)

Yet, hopefully, Marisol will be able to learn and work and vote. Having a far better life than she otherwise would have had.

And no, I'm not saying that America is perfect. That it ever was perfect. That our democracy is in good shape right now. Nope.

I'm just bringing up this perspective about paying the price

I can imagine this wonderful, lively girl, this Marisol, having a long life -- enjoying many advantages that her parents never enjoyed in the old country.

And when she looks back on the five years (or however long) when she had to do all that darned work as public Language Utility, that wonderful, lively woman might be so grateful for all the good things she has received. Once we humans finish paying the price, that price remains paid. We can move on.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about a fictional girl, Marisol, who is trying to rush back to her house to see her cat give birth to kittens after school. However throughout her way back home, she is asked by neighbors and family members to translate for them in daily activities because they do not speak English. She is very rushed but stops overtime and is happy to help anyone who needs it. In the end, her mother commemorates her, tells her how proud of her she is for helping everyone and how grateful she is to have her as a daughter. Her family is Hispanic and aside from the language, there are other cultural aspects represented, such as food. An interesting thing that caught my eye was the dedication the author gives to her son saying “for my son, Issa, who has spoken Spanish for me when I needed it.” It shows that you can tell a story from a different perspective based off of something similar that you have experienced. That, combined with a Latin American illustrator, are able to represent the Hispanic community fairly well. This scenario in the book is pretty common in a first generation American children because the parents have moved from a foreign country, in this case, a hispanic one and the parents and/or older adults do not speak English. The children grow up speaking English when they go to school and have to translate for them as the parents try to learn the new language by listening to others. Furthermore I like the sense of community presented and how every time Marisol helps someone, they show gratitude by sending her home with something.

[Tiffany Brown]

Great book to introduce readers to different types of culture. The girl in this fictional story wants to see her cat, however she has to stop to teach English. This keeps her from getting home when she would like. The pictures have a somewhat pastel color. Not dull but not as brightly colored as many children's books. This is a great book to use with students that are English language learners. This is also good for younger students with dealing with diversity.

[Macy Shelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It acted as a window for me to view Spanish and bilingual culture. In the book it was about a young Spanish girl Marisol. As she is trying to get home she gets stopped in the neighborhood by her family and friends to help translate important things. One has to do with getting food, ordering furniture, college applications, and even paying bills. These are all important things, yet it seems like a lot of weight on a young girl’s shoulders.

[Kiana Davee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to show how important the use of language is!

[Ashley Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very relatable book. I have my Spanish speaking students translate all of the time. Marisol translates English for her family members in the book.

[Manypagesago · Rating 5 out of 5]

This depicts the reality of a bilingual child needing to act as interpreter for parents and other members of the community. It shows her frustration with how much of her day is interrupted by that role, but the book shows both Marisol and the adults in a positive light. Mama is working hard to learn English, and practices how to tell Marisol how grateful she is that she has such a helpful daughter, and how much she loves her.

I don't think it's a complex enough book for older students, but I think it's a good one for elementary. It's good that it shows the mixed feelings that come with a child learning the language faster than her parents. I think older students might think the ending is too simple, but for elementary, this is a good book for understanding that this is a normal part of growing up bilingually.

[Armanda Campbell]

Marisol is a bilingual little girl who is trying so hard to get home to see if her cat has had kittens, but everyone needs her to help them speak English for them. Marisol has somewhere that she is trying to go, but she never says no. She assists everyone that asks her and because of this, she gets something in return from each individual to take to her mom. When she finally gets home, her cat has not had her kittens, but she does before the end of the night.

I really enjoyed this book and I am sure that ELLs would as well. This book is one that some of them could probably relate to seeing that their parents may or may not speak English and need them to translate for them. There is a bit of repetition in the book as well, becuase each time a new individual requires Marisol's help, they say, "Maarisol, I need you."

[Whitney Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speak English for Us, Marisol! is about a young girl from Mexico living and going to school in the United States. Although Marisol has learned English, many of her friends and family members have not. This means that they will need her help regularly and at times Marisol has to give up what she may want to do, in order to assist people who need her as a translator. After reading the story I was extremely happy to know that there are books like this that other children like Marisol can read and find comfort in. In addition Marisol is a great example of a kind hearted child that sacrifices her own time to help others. This story has a great message and I hope that many people stumble across this book.

[Gladys Sosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a perfect example of the expression of immigration and how people may struggle dealing with a new culture in a new contry. This book contrasts two cultures and the difficulty that this merge can generate. However, this book also shows that there is always a way to solve problems through education and a positive attitude. I liked the illustrations and how in the pictures, the author is showing the merge of two cultures and customs in a vivid visual manner.

[Megan MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marisol is a young girl who speaks English and Spanish. Some of her family and friends still need her help for everyday tasks such as shopping, talking, and paying bills. In the end, she sees how rewarding it is to help others. This is a good book for students that may also may be a little timid about speaking a different language, however the moral is important.

[Tyrone Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about an incredibly helpful latina named Marisol. In the story she translates for family member, friends, and neighbors about different things that they need to take care of. Marisol patiently helps other, while putting off the things she wants to do. This is a great book about teaching any young person about the value of being patient.

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would be a great book to read in an ESOL classroom. I believe that this book could give these students encouragement to learn English and to see the benefits of it and how it could help them.

[Roxy · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS STORY WAS AMAZING