Ghosts, by Reina Tegelmeier

NOT RECOMMENDED

A lot of folks love Reina Tegelmeier's graphic novels, but this is the first one I encountered and it's a flat out Do Not Recommend.   Many activist book reviewers have already done the legwork for me so it's very easy for me to articulate why this book is not a good choice, and I thank Debbie Reese, Laura Jimenez, Amy Cheney, and Beverly Slapin for all of their hard work that I am sourcing. Even the image above comes from American Indians In Children's Literature.  

1. In this book Tegelmeier appropriates and distorts what she sees as Mexican/Latinx culture, including using names that wouldn't be used, presenting distorted portrayals of rituals and myths, and building upon a distressing lack of research. Here are three reviews more fully addressing and articulating these concerns from Debbie Reese, Laura Jimenez, and Beverly Slapin. 
2. Furthermore, when Ms. Tegelmeier has been asked to address these concerns, she has doubled down, as Amy Cheney has meticulously documented, and insisted on her right to create this book in this way, even when it marginalizes and injures the community she is trying to "celebrate."  

Don't waste your time on this one. There are books and graphic novels with strong Latina girls; there are books about Dia De Los Muertos and/or the murderous California Missions that are appropriate and accurate; there are lively and fun adventure stories that do not step on marginalized cultures in building the plot. De Colores: La Raza Experience in Books For Children is an excellent place to find all of these themes and more. 

*Please note that my son states that there is one good thing about this book, and I concur: it centers his favorite drink, Jarritos. 

Welcome, my friends, to In This Otherwise Lovely Book! 

In this blog I will attempt to share any wisdom I may have, or to which I have been happily adjacent, about social justice themes in the media, especially as it relates to parenting. 

I will be sharing my reviews and impressions of books, movies, tv series, etc. I will also link to other great resources like other websites that aggregate diverse media, or that review it.  

I will be tagging all of my entries by title of work as well as themes addressed, and by the ages of kids for whom the book/movie etc. discussed is appropriate. Please feel free to let me know any other search tools that would be helpful. 

I welcome comments, contributions, and additions. Please note that I will firmly delete any comments that derail this conversation. If you need to debate whether this blog needs to exist, Chad, you can do that somewhere else. :) 

Finally, this blog has been inspired and deeply influenced by the tireless and amazing work of Debbie Reese on her brilliant website, American Indians In Children's Literature. Honestly, if you only have time to follow one blog about Children's literature, follow hers; mine can only ever be a shadow in comparison. 

I thank you, Ms. Reese, from the bottom of my heart for: your amazing creation; your endless hard work; your kind responses to my questions every time I reached out to you; and for the inspiration that you gave me that helped me dream of, and bring to fruition, this page of my own. 

Thank you also to my children, who have endlessly put up with my meddling in their development and my obsession that they be able to see and critique problematic media; to my long-suffering partner, who has allowed me to criticize his favorite movies (#yourfaveisproblematic) at great personal cost :) ; to my dad, who is always happy to read what I write; and to my mom, who teaches me every day me to leave the world better, and more beautiful, than I found it.  

- toreyanna