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A Movie in My Pillow/Una pelicula en mi almohada
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Bilingual English/Spanish. Young Jorgito has come to live in the Mission District of San Francisco, but he hasn't forgotten the unique beauty of El Salvador. Young Jorgito has come to live in the Mission District of San Francisco, but he hasn't forgotten the unique beauty of El Salvador.
In his first collection of poems for children, poet Jorge Argueta evokes the wonder of ...more
In his first collection of poems for children, poet Jorge Argueta evokes the wonder of ...more
Paperback, 32 pages
Published
March 1st 2007
by Children's Book Press
(first published 2001)
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A Movie in my Pillow, written by Jorge Argueta and illustrated by Elizabeth Gomez, is an English and Spanish story about a young boy leaving El Salvador and moving to the Neighborhood of Sun, in San Francisco through the genre of multi-culture and poetry This neighborhood is a very multicultural region where there are many different cultures and languages all around the city. The boy would compare experiences from the two different lifestyles; for example, “Here, chickens come in plastic bags. O
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Summary: A young boy with two homelands and a delightful sense of wonder comes to life in Jorge Argueta’s first collection of poems for children. Young Jorgito lives in San Francisco’s Mission District, but he hasn’t forgotten his native El Salvador. He recalls the volcanoes, the tasty cornmeal pupusas, and his grandmother’s stories. As he changes from timid newcomer to seasoned city dweller, Jorgito’s memories and new adventures form a patchwork of dreams — the movie in his pillow — that is per
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A Movie in My Pillow is composed of a series of poems by Jorge Arugeta that tell the story of a young boy who immigrated to the US with his father. He ended up leaving behind the rest of his family along with many friendships when he fled El Salvador because of war. This is the case for many immigrant families that come to the US in search for a better future; they are separated from loved ones. The poems provide insight and memories on what his life was like in El Salvador and how it is living
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A good picture book with colorful illustrations. Tells the story of Jorgito who comes to live in San Francisco by way of El Salvador.As I read the poems of this book I couldn't help but notice Jorgito's constant comparisons of the things in San Francisco to his native country El Salvador. I guess he really missed home. But for everything he encountered in his new home he found some kind of way to connect it to his homeland. Take a look at Papa's Voice (page 15), My Bicycle (page 16) or Playful T
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"A Movie in My Pillow" by Jorge Argueta was an absolute thrill to read; I think that out of all the books I found, it was my favorite. Through its beautiful poems, it gracefully captures the feelings of the little boy who is learning to adjust to a new life in the Untied States.
The story was quite appealing as it is formatted into several small poems about Jorge and his father leaving El Salvador for a new life in San Francisco. The poems range from Jorge's dismay at having to leave the home he ...more
The story was quite appealing as it is formatted into several small poems about Jorge and his father leaving El Salvador for a new life in San Francisco. The poems range from Jorge's dismay at having to leave the home he ...more

Lexile: 500
Age level: Upper Elementary
Genre: Multicultural, picturebook, poetry
Award: America's Award
Unique Feature: written in Spanish and English
Setting: San Francisco
Point of view: from Jorgito
Main characters: Jorgito, his grandmother, his father
This is a book of poetry vignettes written by Jorge Argueta, a native of El Salvador, who moved with his father to San Francisco. The poems are written in language that is age appropriate for 3-5th graders.
In his poems, location, family, traditions ...more
Age level: Upper Elementary
Genre: Multicultural, picturebook, poetry
Award: America's Award
Unique Feature: written in Spanish and English
Setting: San Francisco
Point of view: from Jorgito
Main characters: Jorgito, his grandmother, his father
This is a book of poetry vignettes written by Jorge Argueta, a native of El Salvador, who moved with his father to San Francisco. The poems are written in language that is age appropriate for 3-5th graders.
In his poems, location, family, traditions ...more

A Movie in My Pillow is the story of Jorge Argueta’s journey into America. His story is told through different poems, written in both Spanish and English, throughout the book. Jorge had to leave El Salvador and move to the United States due to a civil war back home. He tells us how even though he lived in a poor village back in El Salvador, everybody was very happy there. When he moves to the city, he goes on to tell us about his new life. He compares things he sees and lives with how they were
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This is the second book that I have read from this author and I like it just as much as I did the last one I read. The author writes this book completely in poetry. Each poem is short and in English but is coupled with the Spanish counterpart on each page, usually beside or underneath the English.
The words are as bold as the colorful pictures. All this describes his thoughts of being a young boy pulled suddenly from his home land of El Salvador. Only he and his Father came to the United States l ...more

A Movie in My Pillow is a collection of poems about a boy named Jorgito who moved from El Salvador to the Mission District of San Francisco. In each of his poems he tells how he felt or what he wanted to feel during these hard times.The author, Jorge Argueta and his family had to move from El Salvador to the U.S. because of the Civil War. He dedicates this book to all of the children from El Salvador. Within each of these poems is a description of what he saw, lived, and his dreams. He writes ab
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This story is about a boy named Jorge and his journey from El Salvador to the United States. Throughout the poems, in this book he recalls different memories from his home in El Salvador. Jorge describes what his father and he learned while being in America. In the poems, you can see the difference between his new culture and his home culture. I really enjoyed this book and like how the poems were in English and Spanish. This book relates to my topic because it gives a child's perspective on his
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Jorge Argueta does a great job telling his immigration story through poems. The poems are intriguing and the illustrations are wonderful. All the poems are written in both English and Spanish. This would be a great book to help represent students from immigration families. This would also be a great book for English language learners. Argueta is immigrated from El Salvador at a young age, this books encapsulates the culture of where he comes from amazingly. In part of the book, Argueta speaks ab
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This awesome tale tells a story of a young boy Jorge, strictly through poems. Each poem is in english and coupled with Spanish translation. As an audience we are able to see the life of a young boy suddenly pulled from his native land of El Salvador because of war. He and his father are the only ones to come to the United States, leaving behind the rest of his family. The movies that the title suggests are the dreams this young boy has of the things he left behind. As time passes, the rest of hi
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"A Movie in My Pillow/Una pelicula en mi almohada" is a poetry book because it is composed of poems. It tells the story of a young boy who is now living in San Francisco but doesn't leave his appreciation for his hometown El Salvador behind. However, when moving to a new country, he had to leave the rest of his family behind with the exception of his dad. This book provides poems who talk about his life in El Salvador and life in the U.S. This book connects to my text set of immigration because
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From the beauty of rural El Salvador to a confusing but delightful new home in San Francisco - complete with family reunification - this story told in lovingly illustrated poems is a must-read for anyone looking for stories about the immigrant youth experience. It is based on the author's life coming to the U.S. from El Salvador during the violent civil war.
My favorite poem is Nido Familiar/Family Nest, towards the end of the book:
"Today my mama
and my little brothers
arrived from El Salvador
I har ...more
My favorite poem is Nido Familiar/Family Nest, towards the end of the book:
"Today my mama
and my little brothers
arrived from El Salvador
I har ...more

1. Culture or group portrayed: Latin-Americans.
2. Summary: Young Jorge comes to the United States from El Salvador, which is in the midst of civil war. He and his father settle in the Mission Hills district of San Francisco; his mother and brothers are able to come later. In English and Spanish, the author’s poetry speaks of being a child straddling two cultures, the one in which he was born and the one in which he lives.
3. Cultural/Multicultural evaluation: A Movie in my Pillow is a dual-langua ...more
2. Summary: Young Jorge comes to the United States from El Salvador, which is in the midst of civil war. He and his father settle in the Mission Hills district of San Francisco; his mother and brothers are able to come later. In English and Spanish, the author’s poetry speaks of being a child straddling two cultures, the one in which he was born and the one in which he lives.
3. Cultural/Multicultural evaluation: A Movie in my Pillow is a dual-langua ...more

Summary-
Jorge Argueta writes beautifully in this book a poems. A Movie in My Pillow is intended for readers in grades 4-8. In this collection of poems, each poem is written in both English and Spanish alternating between which is presented first on the page.
Young Jorge and his father leave their home in El Salvador and move to the Mission District in San Francisco. The poems touch on Jorge's move, his family that he misses back home, simple things in life like a bike and truck, and friendships. ...more
Jorge Argueta writes beautifully in this book a poems. A Movie in My Pillow is intended for readers in grades 4-8. In this collection of poems, each poem is written in both English and Spanish alternating between which is presented first on the page.
Young Jorge and his father leave their home in El Salvador and move to the Mission District in San Francisco. The poems touch on Jorge's move, his family that he misses back home, simple things in life like a bike and truck, and friendships. ...more

No leí este libro por el argumento, sino para practicar mi Español. Aunque no me interesó mucho el argumento, no me puedo quejar porque el libro me ayudó tanto mejorar la lectura. Definitivamente, recomendaría este libro a cualquier principiante que quisiera practicar su Inglés o Español.
I didn't read this book because of it's plot, but rather, to practice my Spanish. Even though I didn't find the plot that interesting, I can't complain because the book helped me better my reading comprehension. ...more
I didn't read this book because of it's plot, but rather, to practice my Spanish. Even though I didn't find the plot that interesting, I can't complain because the book helped me better my reading comprehension. ...more

This is a book of short poems that tell the tales of a young boy's transition from El Salvador to San Francisco. His poems tell stories inspired by family. They are filled with his longing for the land he misses as well as his journey through childhood in a new city that becomes his home.
This book won an Amercas Award for Latin American Literature. It is appropriate for all grade levels, especially primary. The illustrator does an excellent job capturing the essence of each poem. ...more
This book won an Amercas Award for Latin American Literature. It is appropriate for all grade levels, especially primary. The illustrator does an excellent job capturing the essence of each poem. ...more

This is a book of short poems that tell the tales of a young boy during his transition from El Salvador to San Francisco. His poems tell stories that are inspired by his family as well as his homeland. They are filled with his longing for the land he misses as well as his journey through childhood in a new city that becomes his home. Great for a short read aloud in your classroom. A teacher could read a poem at the end of the day for students.

This book is about a young boy's adventures as he came from El Salvador to the United States. There are poems in Spanish and English, and this book would be great in an ELL class, a Spanish class, or during a Multicultural unit. This book is appropriate for students grades 3-8. The pictures in this book are very vibrant and lively, and this is a book that sutdents will enjoy.
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The book A Movie in My Pillow by Jorge Argueta is a book of poems, which are written in both English and Spanish. The book describes the experiences of a boy from El Salvador. The book can be used for bilingual students who speak and read both English and Spanish. This book can be used in Kindergarten-5 grade classrooms. Using this book with ELLs will be very benefitual.

This book is a set of short poems that tell the story of a boy who immigrates from El Salvador to America. It is written in both English and Spanish. This book could be used to describe the differences as well as the similarities between the Hispanic culture and the American culture. it could be used to talk about different families and customs. It could be read to students in grades K-5.

As a boy Argueta and his father left war-torn El Salvador for San Francisco. These moving poems are drawn from his own childhood experiences. At night when he dreams, he remembers his homeland -- "as a movie in my pillow."
Very little written about El Salvador. Excellent, authentic source and voice. ...more
Very little written about El Salvador. Excellent, authentic source and voice. ...more

This book of poetry has absolutely beautiful language. I used "Barrio lleno de Sol" for my 7th grade Spanish class since we started a unit on cities and neighborhoods. This book is full of beautiful poems. This book is not only educational, but truely enjoyable.
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Jun 28, 2008
Christina
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review of another edition
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Teachers and Parents of ELL's
This is a book of poems in Spanish/English. They are about the authors adventures/thoughts when he came to the U.S. from El Salvador. The illustrations are bright and lively. This would be a great book to have in a classroom with ELL students.

I love the poetryin both languages enjoying the lack of rhyme in both. it is also fun to learn about El Salvador. Illustrations are a delight. I also read Arroz con Leche, but it doesn't seem to be in goodreads.
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A bilingual children's book that is a compilation of poems from Jorge Argueta's life. He came from El Salvador to San Francisco at a young age and several of the poems touch upon this experience. Some are serious memories of relatives and then there are some silly and fun, like one about a yoyo.
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