Candida Book

MORELL. Scarlatina!--rubbish, German measles. I brought it into the house myself from the Pycroft Street School. A parson is like a doctor, my boy: he must face infection as a soldier must face bullets. (He rises and claps Lexy on the shoulder.) Catch the measles if you can, Lexy: she'll nurse you; and what a piece of luck that will be for you!--eh?

María Otero-Boisvert, "Críticas" - Criticas

Grade 3-5 Cándida is an 11-year-old girl from Caracas who is spending her summer vacation with her grandmother in the village of Maturín. In the three chapters of this book, readers get to know a typical middle schooler, her surprisingly mischievous Venezuelan grandmother, and the village itself, filled with interesting people. Cándida is at first embarrassed by her grandmother's countrified habits, but she soon discovers that there's logic behind her grandmother's odd behavior. The girl learns not to be overly concerned about what people think of her, not to be afraid of ghosts and things that go bump in the night, how to treat a crabby neighbor, and how to deal with her first love. Peli's illustrations are delightfully hip, showing Cándida in a midriff-baring shirt and baggy pants playing on her grandmother's patio, walking to town, and strolling through the town's main plaza. He takes pains with his pen-and-ink sketches to detail the life of the village, as well as the grandmother's shapeless flowery dresses and sparse hair. This delightful book is written in very accessible language and will appeal to reluctant readers. Especially recommended for school libraries.
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