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Reviews
Dreams from Many Rivers: A Hispanic History of the United States Told in Poems by Margarita Engle
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
”Rivers Are Borders
Teresita
Wyoming, 1822
Quilts.
Beautiful patches.
Warmth.
The strength
of stitches.
Threads.
My skillful
hands.
Here on the northern border
of Mexico, my daughters and I
keep ourselves comforted by telling stories
about summer, while hoping my husband and sons
stay safe, never crossing the Yellowstone River
north into dangerous territory
ruled by foreigners.
This is a beautiful book. The poems are wonderful, the illustrations are gorgeous, and the history is so fascinating. How can we continue to hide all these incredible stories from our children and ourselves? We are doing our country and the countries south of us, such a disservice with our abbreviated records. Life is and was so much more than a bunch of white men conquering the world.
I know that here in Virginia, the education system revolves around our Standard of Learning. Most teachers must concentrate on those requirements and everything else gets left out. I hope there are a few middle school librarians and teachers who figure out a way to get this into the hands of children who will enjoy the poetry and the new (to them) stories.
Teresita
Wyoming, 1822
Quilts.
Beautiful patches.
Warmth.
The strength
of stitches.
Threads.
My skillful
hands.
Here on the northern border
of Mexico, my daughters and I
keep ourselves comforted by telling stories
about summer, while hoping my husband and sons
stay safe, never crossing the Yellowstone River
north into dangerous territory
ruled by foreigners.
This is a beautiful book. The poems are wonderful, the illustrations are gorgeous, and the history is so fascinating. How can we continue to hide all these incredible stories from our children and ourselves? We are doing our country and the countries south of us, such a disservice with our abbreviated records. Life is and was so much more than a bunch of white men conquering the world.
I know that here in Virginia, the education system revolves around our Standard of Learning. Most teachers must concentrate on those requirements and everything else gets left out. I hope there are a few middle school librarians and teachers who figure out a way to get this into the hands of children who will enjoy the poetry and the new (to them) stories.
beccamcostello's review against another edition
4.0
Picked this up from a library display. I LOVE the idea of history told through poetry. A couple things: I thought it was written by many authors instead of just one, and I felt like most of the poems are just paragraphs with more frequent line breaks. I was looking for more artistry, I guess. Still good!
moonpie's review against another edition
4.0
Dreams from Many Rivers offers only a bite-sized summary of each included event or subject, which makes sense since the book covers such a huge swath of time/history. I liked Engle's poetry, but her subjects were so interesting that I wanted more info.
My ideal book would be these poems set up as introductions to essays that cover each subject in more depth. I think this is one of those middle-grade books that is best suited for that age group—it works well to sow the seeds of interest in the subject.
(three and a half stars)
My ideal book would be these poems set up as introductions to essays that cover each subject in more depth. I think this is one of those middle-grade books that is best suited for that age group—it works well to sow the seeds of interest in the subject.
(three and a half stars)
jennifermreads's review against another edition
5.0
Poetry tells the stories of Indigenous and Latinx people and their march through time (as they were marched over by Spaniards and other Europeans). This small volume moves quickly through time, 1491 to 2018, using a combination of fictional and biographical voices. An introductory note talks about what the author hoped to (and did) accomplish: “portray a few glimpses of a vast and complicated past.” It was beautiful in its depiction of the vicious history and left readers on a note of hope: “We have to be leaders, not followers, so that we’ll never again be herded like sheep toward a helpless slaughter. We are the hopeful future, triumphing over this country’s troubled past.”
kealex02's review against another edition
5.0
What a beautiful history of the United States. I don’t typically read poetry, but I was mesmerized by the images and ideas in Engle’s poems. I also liked how the organization moved from the past to the present. As a Texan, I found myself reconciling my education to these stories. I really enjoyed this book of poetry and highly recommend it, even for those new-ish to poetry.
maymun's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
kiperoo's review against another edition
5.0
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book, and there is so much packed into this volume of beautiful poetry--it reflects the centuries of Hispanic history in the US that simply isn't taught from these voices. Heartbreaking and uplifting at once. I hope this is read in homes and schools across the country.
jenlabrador's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. The poems were beautiful. The collection gave such a continuity of land and people that I had never thought about before. When Americans talk about Mexicans in the states, they are always referred to as immigrants or people that come to this land and don't belong here. This book and the way the poems are arranged really illustrates how of course Mexicans belong here. They are the indigenous voices of America and everyone else are foreign. The book does an excellent job of showing how political lines have separated people from their land and history, and as the book progresses to modern day times, the reader continues to follow these same voices as they demand to be heard and treated equally.
ccwingreads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0