Collection Overview
About Alma Flor Ada
Alma Flor Ada is a renowned Cuban-American author, educator, and advocate for bilingual and multicultural education. She joined the University of San Francisco (USF) in 1976 as one of the early faculty members of the newly established International and Multicultural Education (IME) program, which had been founded just a year earlier, in 1975. She played a key role in shaping the program during its formative years. The IME program reflects her core belief that education should honor students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds while empowering them as agents of change.
Over her distinguished career, Alma Flor Ada has written extensively for both children and adults, with a strong focus on celebrating Latino culture, promoting literacy, and empowering marginalized communities through education. Her literary and academic work emphasizes the importance of cultural identity and social justice.
Her work has had a lasting impact, fostering generations of educators who continue to advocate for bilingual and multicultural education in schools across the United States and beyond.
This guide is a collection of children's books and teacher education titles by Alma Flor Ada available at the USF Gleeson Library.
Books
Print and electronic books available at Gleeson Library
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Alma Flor Ada and YOU
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Playing on the phrase, the author and you--a common reading comprehension strategy that teaches the learner how to look at the words of an author and make inferences about what is being said--this series helps the teacher and teacher-librarian understand the underlying purposes of an author as they prepare learning activities for their students. -
Authors in the Classroom
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In addition to offering a plethora of inspiring examples of works authored by classroom teachers, parents, and students, this book also includes practical, step-by-step activities and a solid grounding in theory. -
Becoming a teacher : a lifelong journey
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In this book she shares her lifelong journey pursuing the goal of learning from her students, and from her own four children, who showed her the path to become a better teacher and mother each day. -
Encaje de piedra
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This suspense-filled mystery is set in the Middle Ages, during the construction of the Cathedral of Burgos. Three young friends succeed in capturing some thieves in this award-winning story that includes themes of friendship and trust, discrimination and prejudice, and bilingualism/biculturalism. -
I Love Saturdays y Domingos
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While we follow our narrator to the circus and the pier, share stories from her grandparents' pasts, and celebrate her birthday, the depth and joy of both cultures are conveyed in Spanish and English. This affirmation of both heritages will speak to all children who want to know more about their own families and ethnic backgrounds. -
Imagenes del Pasado
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A book designed to awaken interest in the history, art, traditions, and contributions of the Spanish-speaking world. Various chapters explore the indigenous cultures of Mexico, Central, and South America, as well as the gifts of these cultures to the world. -
Jordi's Star
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Alma Flor Ada has created a moving tale of faith and the beauty that unfurls with love. Although Jordi's Star reads as a folktale, it is an original story. The author's love forfolktales has lent the story its flavor of a traditional tale. -
The Lizard and the Sun / la Lagartija y el Sol
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This is the story of a brave little lizard who would not give up until she had brought back light and warmth to everyone. -
Con Cariño, Amalia (Love, Amalia)
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Martha, la mejor amiga de Amalia, va a mudarse muy lejos. Y Amalia se siente triste y enojada. Sin embargo, aunque la vida parece injusta, las sabias palabras cariñosas de su abuelita la ayudan a sentirse un poco mejor. -
Love, Amalia
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Amalia deals with loss while learning about love and her cultural heritage in this tender tale from acclaimed authors Alma Flor Ada and Gabriel M. Zubizarreta. -
A Magical Encounter (2nd edition)
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A Magical Encounter: Latino Children's Literature in the Classroom, 2nd edition offers suggestions for the uses of literature in the classroom and its application to any classroom and with any other books the teacher may prefer. -
The Malachite Palace
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Master storyteller Alma Flor Ada weaves a charming original fairy tale that celebrates the innocence of youth. -
Me Llamo Maria Isabel (My Name Is Maria Isabel)
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Para María Isabel Salazar López lo más difícil de ser la alumna recién llegada a una nueva escuela es que la maestra no la llama por su nombre. -
Nacer Bailando (Dancing Home)
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Siguiendo la tradición de Me llamo María Isabel, Alma Flor Ada y su hijo Gabriel M. Zubizarreta ofrecen un relato honesto de los valores de la familia, y de la amistad y de la experiencia que debe atravesar el inmigrante: volverse parte de algo nuevo y, a la vez, conservar la propia identidad. -
Palabra Amiga
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A must-have tool for Spanish teachers and students to write clearly in Spanish. Palabra Amiga will help individuals looking to understand Spanish spelling rules, accent marks, verb tenses, and proper word usage, as well as boost their confidence in writing. -
A pesar del amor
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This novel by US Latino author, Alma Flor Ada, tells the story of a family, the Salvatierras, in its fourth generation between 1868 and 1936 in the island of Cuba. With the setting and the racial diversity of the Caribbean, it has a combination of personal destiny interwoven with historical destiny. -
Pio Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes
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This groundbreaking bilingual collection of traditional rhymes celebrates childhood and Latin American heritage--a perfect book for those learning Spanish and fluent speakers alike! -
Serafina's Birthday byHaving forgotten his present for his best friend Serafina's birthday party, Sebastian the rabbit goes to great lengths to find a replacement for it but thinks he is unsuccessful.
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Sigue la Palabra
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An in-depth presentation of the history of the Spanish language, written as a clear and engaging narrative. Illustrations bring to life the historical events that shaped the evolution of the Spanish-language, the third most-spoken language in the world today. -
Under the Royal Palms
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In this companion volume to Alma Flor Ada's Where the Flame Trees Bloom, the author offers young readers another inspiring collection of stories and reminiscences drawn from her childhood on the island of Cuba. -
The Unicorn of the West
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In this evocative tale of friendship and self-discovery, a young unicorn undertakes a magical journey in order to find his purpose. Excellent for discussing themes of identity and solidarity. -
Volamos : libro de lecturas
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The book builds on the previous knowledge of the direct syllable combinations to introduce the letters Ch and X and blends formed by consonants B, C, D, F, G, P and L or R. -
Where the Flame Trees Bloom
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Includes eleven stories about the relatives and friends that were part of the author's childhood in Cuba. -
With Love, Little Red Hen
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Following the highly acclaimed Dear Peter Rabbit and Yours Truly, Goldilocks, Alma Flor Ada and Leslie Tryon offer young readers another peek into the world of their favorite storybook characters, revealed through the charming letters they write to one another. -
Yes! We Are Latinos
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Free-verse fictional narratives from the perspective of each youth provide specific stories and circumstances for the reader to better understand the Latino people's quest for identity. Each profile is followed by nonfiction prose that further clarifies the character's background and history, touching upon important events in the history of the Latino American people, such as the Spanish Civil War, immigration to the US, and the internment of Latinos with Japanese ancestry during World War II. -
Yours Truly, Goldilocks
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In this wonderfully creative sequel to Dear Peter Rabbit, Alma Flor Ada imagines what it would be like if a few beloved fairy-tale characters were pen pals. Leslie Tryon's intricate and colorful illustrations make the unique epistolary format fun for young readers.
