SUMMER OF THE MARIPOSAS Teacher’s Guide and Reading Journal In this reimagining of the Odyssey, 15 year-old Odilia and her four sisters rival Odysseus in cleverness and courage as they embark on their own hero’s journey. After finding a drowned man floating in their secret swimming hole along the Rio Grande, the five sisters set out to El Sacrificio in Coahuila, Mexico. Their trek across the border, to return the body of a man they believe to be a loving husband and father to his family, is disappointing. However, their disenchantment is nothing compared to the heartbreak and troubles they endure as they try to get back. Outsmarting as many…

UNDER THE MESQUITE Teacher’s Guide As the oldest of eight siblings, Lupita is used to taking the lead—and staying busy behind the scenes to help keep everyone together. But when she discovers Mami has been diagnosed with cancer, Lupita is terrified by the possibility of losing her mother, the anchor of her close-knit Mexican American family. Suddenly Lupita must face a whole new set of challenges, with new roles to play, and no one is handing her the script. In the midst of juggling life as a high school student, testing her wings as an actress, and dealing with friends who don’t always understand, Lupita desperately wants to support Mami…