The Girl from Chimel
Rigoberta Menchú is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist who has been a critical voice for the Mayan people in Guatemala. But Menchu’s focus here is on anecdotes from her childhood in the village of Chimel. “I remember it was a life of peace and harmony. We lived in tune with nature. The river bathed and entertained us. The birds filled our mornings with song.” Her engaging stories of growing up paint a vivid picture of the place, the people, and a way of life now lost to her and many others. Menchú occasionally alludes to but never directly references the bitter, brutal events in Guatemala that tore that life apart. Her focus is on happier times: humorous anecdotes, family lore, and traditional tales told by her grandfather. They are memories from a childhood of safety and security and delight. Mexican artist Domi has created vibrant oil paintings imbedded with symbols of Mayan life. ©2005 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by
Domi
Translated by
David Unger.
Translated from the Spanish
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 8-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Formats:
Biography, Autobiography and Memoir
Substantial Narrative Non-Fiction
Subjects:
20th Century
Activism and Resistance
Autobiography/Memoir
Guatemalans and Guatemalan Americans
History (Nonfiction)
Mayan People
Memory
Stories and Storytelling
Diversity subjects:
Indigenous
Latine
Publishers:
Groundwood, House of Anansi
Publish Year: 2005
Pages: 54
ISBN: 0888996667
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 920 Menchu