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Colibrí
Kidnapped when she was very young by an unscrupulous man who has forced her to lie and beg to get money, a twelve-year-old Mayan girl endures an abusive life, always wishing she could return to the parents she can hardly remember.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
31 people are currently reading
460 people want to read
About the author
Ann Cameron
69 books40 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Ann Cameron grew up in Wisconsin. Today, she and her husband live in Guatemala. From her house she can see a waterfall and three volcanoes. Ann Cameron has been a teacher and an editor as well as a writer.
She says that writing is hardest for her at the beginning of a book. To get started, she follows this important rule for writing: "Apply seat of pants to bottom of chair."
Ann Cameron grew up in Wisconsin. Today, she and her husband live in Guatemala. From her house she can see a waterfall and three volcanoes. Ann Cameron has been a teacher and an editor as well as a writer.
She says that writing is hardest for her at the beginning of a book. To get started, she follows this important rule for writing: "Apply seat of pants to bottom of chair."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
February 19, 2015
Colibri by Ann Cameron presented itself almost like an autobiography given by its main character Tzunun, (nicknamed is Colibri). She is kidnapped at the age of four from her parents and is now about 12 years old. Her caretaker is an individual she calls “uncle”. He told her he found her on the street and changes her name to “Rosa”. Uncle is a con-artist and thief who pretends to be blind to obtain money. When he was a young man he was a government soldier that did some horrible things. It is discovered that he was the one that kidnapped Tzunun/Rosa to sell her to an adoption agency, but she was too old. He ends up keeping her around because a fortune teller told him that she was going to lead him to a treasure. For the next eight years the two travel around Guatemala living on money they beg for.
Tzunun/Rosa is beginning to question “uncle’s” methods and is struggling ethically with it. Their relationship is neutral, uncle is not mean to her, but he is not loving either. It’s almost as if the two have spent so much time together that they don’t know what to do without the other. He uses her as a prop in his cons and she gets food for her help. Be the end of the story,
Tzunun/Rosa finally gains the strength to leave and stand up to “uncle”.
It seems to be an unbelievable story. However, it’s the accurate historical and cultural characteristics of a less development country that brings the story to life. The thought that a church priest would not call the police to stop a thief, but instead call members of the congregation. Or the public transportation would have chickens or other animals on it. There was limited variety of food was available. Colibri being listed as a children book exposes kids to the Mayan cultures, the struggles of the Guatemalan people and individuals hopes. As a child, I believed everyone grow up just like me. It was only when I entered college that I began realizing how sheltered my life was and how ignorant I was about other cultures. This is an excellent book to use to expose children to a different culture and to realize everyone is not like you. However, it does show that we all have the same wants as a child of being loved, supported and be safe. That is something all children and adults in this world have in common.
Tzunun/Rosa is beginning to question “uncle’s” methods and is struggling ethically with it. Their relationship is neutral, uncle is not mean to her, but he is not loving either. It’s almost as if the two have spent so much time together that they don’t know what to do without the other. He uses her as a prop in his cons and she gets food for her help. Be the end of the story,
Tzunun/Rosa finally gains the strength to leave and stand up to “uncle”.
It seems to be an unbelievable story. However, it’s the accurate historical and cultural characteristics of a less development country that brings the story to life. The thought that a church priest would not call the police to stop a thief, but instead call members of the congregation. Or the public transportation would have chickens or other animals on it. There was limited variety of food was available. Colibri being listed as a children book exposes kids to the Mayan cultures, the struggles of the Guatemalan people and individuals hopes. As a child, I believed everyone grow up just like me. It was only when I entered college that I began realizing how sheltered my life was and how ignorant I was about other cultures. This is an excellent book to use to expose children to a different culture and to realize everyone is not like you. However, it does show that we all have the same wants as a child of being loved, supported and be safe. That is something all children and adults in this world have in common.
February 15, 2020
“He always called me Rosa. My real name, Tzunun, was a secret I had almost forgotten.” (Page 3) Colibri is the story about a girl who was kidnapped when she was four years old from her loving family. This story, although fictional, is based on the frequent kidnappings that occur in Guatemala. Children in Guatemala are kidnapped and sold into adoption. Foreign adoptive parents will pay up to $30,000 to adopt a child. This has influenced a rise in child abductions to 15 kidnappings a month. In this story, Tzunun is kidnapped but can’t be sold because four is too old. Now, she is 12 years old. Her kidnapper, Baltasar, told Tzunun that she was abandoned by her parents and that he found her. Baltasar has held her captive all these years under the allusion that he is helping her. He has done this because he believes that she will bring him fortune. The story is set in a valley high in the mountains of Guatemala. This is a remote and poor region that is predominantly Mayan. The culture of the Mayan people is unique which makes this a very captivating setting. They believe in shamans and day keepers who are spiritual leaders- some practice fortune-telling. These beliefs influence the characters and their fate… Readers, of all ages, will be anxious to learn whether Tzunun faces her fears and gains the strength and power to find freedom. “The seeds in pinecones are lighter than a grain of sand…Yet they had the power deep inside them to split rock. Power silent and invisible, but real as the mountains.” page 4. Colibri by Ann Cameron truly illustrates how an individual, like the seeds in a pinecone, can find power and courage to make a change.
Award winning author Ann Cameron writes the beautifully descriptive and empowering novel Colibri based on her experiences living in Guatemala for 20 years. Ann Cameron takes pride in her accurate portrayal of the Guatemalan culture and the courageous people she created in her story. This is an adventure story that encompasses mystery, ideas about fate, dreams, and magic. Young adult readers will be captivated by Tzunun’s character and her struggle to find her true self.
References
Cameron, A. Ann Cameron and teachers share ideas for teaching children’s book in the
classroom. Retried from: (http://www.anncameronbooks.com/teache...
Award winning author Ann Cameron writes the beautifully descriptive and empowering novel Colibri based on her experiences living in Guatemala for 20 years. Ann Cameron takes pride in her accurate portrayal of the Guatemalan culture and the courageous people she created in her story. This is an adventure story that encompasses mystery, ideas about fate, dreams, and magic. Young adult readers will be captivated by Tzunun’s character and her struggle to find her true self.
References
Cameron, A. Ann Cameron and teachers share ideas for teaching children’s book in the
classroom. Retried from: (http://www.anncameronbooks.com/teache...
March 13, 2018
I first read this book back in fourth grade when it was required by my teacher. I read it again, the theme is: it's hard to earn people's trust, but you can loose their trust in a instant.
April 27, 2011
Weird book, but oddly enough I couldn't put it down. Interesting story.
July 17, 2012
Read the whole review here: http://paperbookworm.blogspot.com/201...
I bought this book for a cheap price at National Bookstore, just planning to list it at Bookmooch but somehow at a later time I got myself to open and read it.
It's about a girl named Tzunún, who was nicknamed Colibrí by her mother. The story begins when at a young age of four she was kidnapped from her parents in Guatemala. Since then she has been with Uncle, an ex-soldier and a vagabond beggar who claimed to adopt her and then changed her name to Rosa. Uncle was determined to keep Rosa in his custody with the belief that she will bring him big fortune as predicted by the fortuneteller from one of the towns they settled in.
I recommend this book to everyone especially for teens aged 10-12 - there are lessons to be told, and values to be picked up. The flow of the story is quite fast-paced and then slow-mo at times. The ending's a bit cliché yet it will manage to get to your understanding how everything comes in full circle.
I bought this book for a cheap price at National Bookstore, just planning to list it at Bookmooch but somehow at a later time I got myself to open and read it.
It's about a girl named Tzunún, who was nicknamed Colibrí by her mother. The story begins when at a young age of four she was kidnapped from her parents in Guatemala. Since then she has been with Uncle, an ex-soldier and a vagabond beggar who claimed to adopt her and then changed her name to Rosa. Uncle was determined to keep Rosa in his custody with the belief that she will bring him big fortune as predicted by the fortuneteller from one of the towns they settled in.
I recommend this book to everyone especially for teens aged 10-12 - there are lessons to be told, and values to be picked up. The flow of the story is quite fast-paced and then slow-mo at times. The ending's a bit cliché yet it will manage to get to your understanding how everything comes in full circle.
December 5, 2016
I read the book “ Colibri “ by Ann Cameron. When i first picked this book the cover page grabbed my attention. I remembered seeing this book before and i believe i even intended to read it but never did. My favorite character would be Tzunún, spanish meaning for “ hummingbird “. The reason she is my favorite character is because she is very observant, she always look at her surroundings; which is kind of the way i am. My favorite part would be when a man came and have her 100 pesos and said it was just for her and the joy she had made me feel happy.
January 8, 2020
En general la historia de colibri es muy buena, siento que es una historia que tenia mucho potencial, pero por la cantidad de relleno le otrogue esta puntuacion.
Aun asi yo recomendaria este libro porque tiene buenas enseñanzas.
En un principio la novela te atrapa pero luego cuando llegas casi a la mitad desciende, para nuevamente ponerse interesante, luego descender otra vez y ascender una vez mas.
Por otra parte me encanto que puedes aprender un poquito sobre la cultura de guatemala, sus idiomas, algunas creencias, describe la forma en que se visten las personas etc.
Aun asi yo recomendaria este libro porque tiene buenas enseñanzas.
En un principio la novela te atrapa pero luego cuando llegas casi a la mitad desciende, para nuevamente ponerse interesante, luego descender otra vez y ascender una vez mas.
Por otra parte me encanto que puedes aprender un poquito sobre la cultura de guatemala, sus idiomas, algunas creencias, describe la forma en que se visten las personas etc.
December 13, 2011
This book is awesome! I can understand Spanish but I can't speak it. I loved being able to know the spanish words in the story.
April 20, 2020
Colibrí es un libro de Ann Cameron que cuenta la historia de Tzunún, una jovencita que desde muy pequeña se la ha pasado mendigando de pueblo en pueblo junto a un señor al cual llama Tío. Gracias a este señor, Tzunún pasa por una serie de situaciones que ponen a prueba su honestidad y dignidad. Dentro de un entorno muy espiritual, se ve inmersa en la necesidad de encontrarse a sí misma y dejar atrás sus miedos para conectar con su ser y vivir la vida que realmente merece.
Este libro llegó a mis manos cuando estaba en 7mo u 8vo de básica como regalo de cumpleaños de una amiga y no la había leído hasta ahora, en tiempos de cuarentena cuando ya casi me gradúo de la universidad. Sigo preguntándome cómo hubiera marcado mi filosofía de vida si lo hubiese leído antes. Pero una gran amiga me dijo que si lo leí ahora es porque este era el momento para hacerlo. Me agrada esta idea, ya que es muy probable que antes no hubiese entendido muchas cosas que he podido interpretar en la lectura.
Está escrito en primera persona, desde la perspectiva de Tzunún. Tiene una estructura lineal, pese a algunos momentos, en sueños o recuerdos, donde te transporta al pasado o posible futuro, pero resulta fácil discernir la realidad en la ficción. No es un lectura pesada en lo absoluto. Es una narrativa fluida, interesante y emocionante en muchos momentos.
Cameron (2005) describe aspectos la etnia Ixil, como su lenguaje y vestimenta y el pueblo de Nebaj, así como también sus creencias y espiritualidades. No conocía mucho de las subculturas guatemaltecas y esta lectura me situó bastante en dichos pueblo y la Guatemala rural. Palabras como patoja o perraje, entre otras, resultaban completamente desconocidas para mí hasta ahora.
Dentro de las frases que me llevaré conmigo siempre, están las siguientes:
1. “El tuyo es el problema de los inteligentes: quieres hablar, pero tienes miedo de las cosas que necesitas decir. Tienes miedo de las consecuencias de decir esas cosas. ¿No es así?”. Me identifico mucho con este planteamiento, solía ser muy tímida antes, y creo que tenía mucho que ver con esto. El hecho de solo decir lo necesario cuando lo fuese. Porque si una palabra no iba a aportar no tenía sentido decirla para mí. Sin embargo, esto me cohibía de muchas cosas. He tenido que aprender que debo decir lo que pienso siempre que pueda y de la forma más adecuada posible, sin herir o dañar a nadie en el camino.
2. “No te olvides de las cosas que tienen significado para ti. Son más valiosas que el oro”. Me encantó cuando Doña Celestina le dice esto a Tzunún, le estaba dando una de las claves, desde mi pensar, al empoderamiento de su alma para que se conectara con su cuerpo. Mantenernos al tanto constantemente de eso que nos hace feliz o nos aporta de alguna manera nos ayudará a enfrentar las situaciones de la vida con más fuerza.
3. “Cuídate mucho. Piensa en lo que quieres. Defiéndete en este mundo”. Marcos le dice esto a Tzunún luego de darle una de las lecciones más importante de su vida. Le enseña a ser tiguera (en buen dominicano) y para que no la cojan de pendeja. Habilidad crucial y elemental para sobrevivir en este mundo. Algo con lo que me identifico mucho con Tzunún en principio, porque lo tuve que aprender pasando trabajo por mi ingenuidad e inocencia.
4. “Recuerda: en ti hay resplandor”. Esto me llena, porque me recuerda a todas esas personas que han creído en mí y me lo han dicho, incluso antes de descubrir para qué soy buena. Sentirse especial es importante. El apoyo es importante.
5. “Si tengo que enfrentarme a la muerte no será escondiéndome aquí en mi casa, sino en el camino”. Amalia le demuestra Tzunún la responsabilidad de vivir y lo imprescindible que es levantarse y seguir adelante a pesar de lo que suceda en el camino. Enfrentar lo que venga como venga, de pie.
6. “Una vida es algo grande”. Bajo el contexto en que estaba Tzunún en ese momento, le recuerda y a mí también que lo esencial de la vida está en las pequeñas, bonitas y buenas cosas. En el amor y la solidaridad con los demás. En ser humano y desinteresado. En hacer verdadero bien, porque te llena el alma y al otro también.
Ann Cameron, muchas gracias por el arduo trabajo realizado al escribir este libro. Se nota que hubo una investigación exhaustiva detrás y sobre todo, una gran intención y mensaje, que te aseguro llegó.
Este libro llegó a mis manos cuando estaba en 7mo u 8vo de básica como regalo de cumpleaños de una amiga y no la había leído hasta ahora, en tiempos de cuarentena cuando ya casi me gradúo de la universidad. Sigo preguntándome cómo hubiera marcado mi filosofía de vida si lo hubiese leído antes. Pero una gran amiga me dijo que si lo leí ahora es porque este era el momento para hacerlo. Me agrada esta idea, ya que es muy probable que antes no hubiese entendido muchas cosas que he podido interpretar en la lectura.
Está escrito en primera persona, desde la perspectiva de Tzunún. Tiene una estructura lineal, pese a algunos momentos, en sueños o recuerdos, donde te transporta al pasado o posible futuro, pero resulta fácil discernir la realidad en la ficción. No es un lectura pesada en lo absoluto. Es una narrativa fluida, interesante y emocionante en muchos momentos.
Cameron (2005) describe aspectos la etnia Ixil, como su lenguaje y vestimenta y el pueblo de Nebaj, así como también sus creencias y espiritualidades. No conocía mucho de las subculturas guatemaltecas y esta lectura me situó bastante en dichos pueblo y la Guatemala rural. Palabras como patoja o perraje, entre otras, resultaban completamente desconocidas para mí hasta ahora.
Dentro de las frases que me llevaré conmigo siempre, están las siguientes:
1. “El tuyo es el problema de los inteligentes: quieres hablar, pero tienes miedo de las cosas que necesitas decir. Tienes miedo de las consecuencias de decir esas cosas. ¿No es así?”. Me identifico mucho con este planteamiento, solía ser muy tímida antes, y creo que tenía mucho que ver con esto. El hecho de solo decir lo necesario cuando lo fuese. Porque si una palabra no iba a aportar no tenía sentido decirla para mí. Sin embargo, esto me cohibía de muchas cosas. He tenido que aprender que debo decir lo que pienso siempre que pueda y de la forma más adecuada posible, sin herir o dañar a nadie en el camino.
2. “No te olvides de las cosas que tienen significado para ti. Son más valiosas que el oro”. Me encantó cuando Doña Celestina le dice esto a Tzunún, le estaba dando una de las claves, desde mi pensar, al empoderamiento de su alma para que se conectara con su cuerpo. Mantenernos al tanto constantemente de eso que nos hace feliz o nos aporta de alguna manera nos ayudará a enfrentar las situaciones de la vida con más fuerza.
3. “Cuídate mucho. Piensa en lo que quieres. Defiéndete en este mundo”. Marcos le dice esto a Tzunún luego de darle una de las lecciones más importante de su vida. Le enseña a ser tiguera (en buen dominicano) y para que no la cojan de pendeja. Habilidad crucial y elemental para sobrevivir en este mundo. Algo con lo que me identifico mucho con Tzunún en principio, porque lo tuve que aprender pasando trabajo por mi ingenuidad e inocencia.
4. “Recuerda: en ti hay resplandor”. Esto me llena, porque me recuerda a todas esas personas que han creído en mí y me lo han dicho, incluso antes de descubrir para qué soy buena. Sentirse especial es importante. El apoyo es importante.
5. “Si tengo que enfrentarme a la muerte no será escondiéndome aquí en mi casa, sino en el camino”. Amalia le demuestra Tzunún la responsabilidad de vivir y lo imprescindible que es levantarse y seguir adelante a pesar de lo que suceda en el camino. Enfrentar lo que venga como venga, de pie.
6. “Una vida es algo grande”. Bajo el contexto en que estaba Tzunún en ese momento, le recuerda y a mí también que lo esencial de la vida está en las pequeñas, bonitas y buenas cosas. En el amor y la solidaridad con los demás. En ser humano y desinteresado. En hacer verdadero bien, porque te llena el alma y al otro también.
Ann Cameron, muchas gracias por el arduo trabajo realizado al escribir este libro. Se nota que hubo una investigación exhaustiva detrás y sobre todo, una gran intención y mensaje, que te aseguro llegó.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2017
Colibri by Ann Cameron was a really exciting, thrilling, adventures book. Rose was left by her mom as a toddler and she was found by a man she didn't know, he mad her call him uncle. Uncle is supposedly blind and needs help with lots of things. Rose is willing to help but what she really wants to do is adventure. She doesn't use names, in the book the only names you'll her is of people of importance, her name, and uncle. If they want to let the reader become familiarized with characters she uses characteristics of the person. Such as the man with the nice smile, the women with the ripped skirt. Rose will break away from her rugged town soon enough.
Let's talk about Rose. Rose is a young lady probably in her teens, she was abandoned at age 2 and a half by her mother. She was left on the street and when she was sleeping a man walked up and offered to take her into his family. That character is Uncle. You might think it's her real uncle and the mom just told him where she was and sent him to take care of her, that's not the case. No, this uncle character is just a random man who happened to see her. Roses real name is in indian and is very hard to pronounce so he just calls her rose.
The main plot of the story is, rose wants to adventure but can’t. Rose wants to leave her broken down town and go into the wild and adventure but she can’t because her uncle needs her, she needs to take care of him. Uncle is blind and he really doesn't know that much so rose has to help gather groceries and collect money. She is also a little afraid of going out to adventure because she would be going alone and no parent with her to protect her. Uncle was a random man who took her in when she was little and had no home so of course she doesn't want anything to happen to him.
The author used author's craft when she only used characteristics of people to bring them back up later in the story. Such as “ the man with the nice smile “, “ the women with the baby”, “ the man with the big hat .” Ann did great at making this a fun and interesting book that a lot of young readers will love. She explains rose in such detail and her back story. She also explains uncle as “ a middle aged man with no sight, a loving caring man who can’t see.”
I would definitely recommend this book to a lot of young readers. It will keeps you on the edge of your toes just waiting to see whats next. Yes, Ann Cameron is a great author that I would love to read more of. She to me is a great young readers writer that has much potential. I definitely would recommend Colibri.
Let's talk about Rose. Rose is a young lady probably in her teens, she was abandoned at age 2 and a half by her mother. She was left on the street and when she was sleeping a man walked up and offered to take her into his family. That character is Uncle. You might think it's her real uncle and the mom just told him where she was and sent him to take care of her, that's not the case. No, this uncle character is just a random man who happened to see her. Roses real name is in indian and is very hard to pronounce so he just calls her rose.
The main plot of the story is, rose wants to adventure but can’t. Rose wants to leave her broken down town and go into the wild and adventure but she can’t because her uncle needs her, she needs to take care of him. Uncle is blind and he really doesn't know that much so rose has to help gather groceries and collect money. She is also a little afraid of going out to adventure because she would be going alone and no parent with her to protect her. Uncle was a random man who took her in when she was little and had no home so of course she doesn't want anything to happen to him.
The author used author's craft when she only used characteristics of people to bring them back up later in the story. Such as “ the man with the nice smile “, “ the women with the baby”, “ the man with the big hat .” Ann did great at making this a fun and interesting book that a lot of young readers will love. She explains rose in such detail and her back story. She also explains uncle as “ a middle aged man with no sight, a loving caring man who can’t see.”
I would definitely recommend this book to a lot of young readers. It will keeps you on the edge of your toes just waiting to see whats next. Yes, Ann Cameron is a great author that I would love to read more of. She to me is a great young readers writer that has much potential. I definitely would recommend Colibri.
February 22, 2020
3.5*
"My real name, Tzunun, was a secret I had almost forgotten"
I'm honestly surprised this is one of the first books I've read that takes place in Guatemala. But I'm happy I read this because damn were parts of it so good.
The entire premise of the book was promising. A four-year-old is kidnapped from her parents and the story takes place when she's 12. The person that tried to sell her off to an adoption agency fails because she's too old so he results in being her "caretaker" but that only means he uses her to scam people. He's a con-artist and thief that pretends to be blind in order to gain sympathy and money from people. And the only reason he actually keeps her around is because of a fortune-teller once told him that Tzunun (or Rosa as he renamed her) will lead him to treasure.
I think the reason I liked it a lot was because even though it seems like a book of fiction, it actually has historical characteristics of the country. I could only imagine how often these kidnappings occur. And for the first time in a while, I actually enjoyed reading a book about a character that is 12 years old.
While this book was great in some parts, I found that it lacked in others. And that's not to say it should be changed because it shouldn't. I just personally didn't enjoy certain aspects of it as I had wanted to. And maybe it was because I was listening to it as an audiobook. Not a great book but not a horrible book. It was a good book.
"My real name, Tzunun, was a secret I had almost forgotten"
I'm honestly surprised this is one of the first books I've read that takes place in Guatemala. But I'm happy I read this because damn were parts of it so good.
The entire premise of the book was promising. A four-year-old is kidnapped from her parents and the story takes place when she's 12. The person that tried to sell her off to an adoption agency fails because she's too old so he results in being her "caretaker" but that only means he uses her to scam people. He's a con-artist and thief that pretends to be blind in order to gain sympathy and money from people. And the only reason he actually keeps her around is because of a fortune-teller once told him that Tzunun (or Rosa as he renamed her) will lead him to treasure.
I think the reason I liked it a lot was because even though it seems like a book of fiction, it actually has historical characteristics of the country. I could only imagine how often these kidnappings occur. And for the first time in a while, I actually enjoyed reading a book about a character that is 12 years old.
While this book was great in some parts, I found that it lacked in others. And that's not to say it should be changed because it shouldn't. I just personally didn't enjoy certain aspects of it as I had wanted to. And maybe it was because I was listening to it as an audiobook. Not a great book but not a horrible book. It was a good book.
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December 10, 2024El título es colibrí el autor alberto jiménez rioja es fragancia.pues me gusto porque es un libro bonito es espanol y se trata de mi país de guatemala y habla de las personas antiguas.Pues si siento así con respecto al libro porque se trata de las personas antiguas porque la gente de antes no eran interesadas de las cosas comen lo que hay no reclaman la comida y a veces no comen no tienen cosas de lujos ganaban su propio dinero para su comida hasta iban en los barrancos para ir a conseguir leña para juntar fuego.Haga conexiones de lectores aquí:pues yo creo que si a las personas les gusta el libro porque es bonito y de las cosas antiguas podría conectar la vida porque también se trata de la vida antigua pues le daría 5 estrellas porque me encanto leer porque es un libro que cuenta que es de las personas antiguas y lo disfruté leyendo.
November 13, 2018
Audrey is reading this at school and she brought it home to work on some homework questions about it. I read the first few chapters to help her with the worksheets and got all caught up in it. She borrowed it from school again so I could finish it. Very captivating, tragic but also innocent. I was worried with every chapter that the innocence would be shattered, but it is a 6th grade school assigned book and skillfully is able to skirt around situations too hard for young readers to comprehend, while keeping the sense of awfulness and danger that the main character has to go through.
April 15, 2018
Read as part of 6th grade curriculum. Although I loved the setting being in Central America and the descriptions of the land and culture, I thought this book would be more exciting and peak my interest more than it did, especially since it was about a girl who was kidnapped. It did get a little exciting in the end, but especially for 6th graders, I thought some of it dragged along.
April 24, 2022
YA excellent story of a Guatamalan girl, her "uncle" who is using her young cuteness as a ploy in his street cons, and about finding the right people to trust as she reaches adolescence. Leans heavily on a mixture of indigenous beliefs in signs of nature- El Mundo, herbal healing arts, tarot card reading, Catholicism all in a backdrop of the violence done in the recent past civil war.
April 11, 2025
Colibrí se presenta como el relato definitivo de Guatemala, y tal vez de Centroamérica en general. Ann Cameron escribe sobre una niña atormentada por traumas, pero decidida para seguir con su camino al encontrar a sus padres. Mi único problema con este libro es su paso lento. Siento que la autora quiso hacer el libro lo más descriptivo posible, lo que es bueno en algunos casos. Sin embargo, Cameron logra que Colibrí sea descriptivo sacrificando el ritmo, la rapidez, y la brevedad. Las descripciones en el libro son muy vívidas, tanto que llega a un punto donde el lector se aburre ya que nada interesante está pasando en la trama. Pueden llegar a pasar 3 o 4 páginas en donde no hay algo interesante que pasa. La lentitud del libro, su falta de concisión, y el carácter terriblemente largo y aburrido de las descripciones no le hacen muy bien al libro. Si Ann Cameron hubiera balanceado la duración de las descripciones con el paso del libro, Colibrí tendría una puntuación perfecta de mi parte. Sin embargo, este no es el caso. Mi puntaje final para este libro es 4/5 estrellas.
October 21, 2019
Colibri was a great book and was very detailed and had a great story and was a book that opened my mind to a lot of things. The only thing about the book that was hard was the word pronunciation level of the spanish words in the story.
May 11, 2024
I read this with my book club for the last book of the year. It wasn’t a bad book, just not a very interesting book for most of it. Very meh for about 90% of the time. The last 10% was really good, tho. So a mostly forgettable experience but a strong end.
February 1, 2018
that was a good book. I didn't know what to expect for a book assigned to my 6th grader.
October 3, 2018
Read it with my son who read it for school. Same as other reviewers- could not put it down. Ending was a bit out there but I liked it. Hope in the most challenging part of life
January 2, 2019
Well worth reading.
June 1, 2019
i did an entire review on this for my homework....
anyways, i am guatemalan, so it was exiting, but it was not a good interpretation.
anyways, i am guatemalan, so it was exiting, but it was not a good interpretation.
January 6, 2021
Bellísima, el punto de vista de la niña protagonista está super bien construido es muy bello ver esta historia a través de sus ojos.
December 29, 2022
Es triste. Una novela Guatemalteca que narra la historia de una niña de origen étnico maya, Quiché valiente. Sí. Me encantó.
Read
January 14, 2023Loved the story, hard to put the book down.
July 7, 2023
A good book. Enjoyed it.
June 12, 2024
3.5 estrellas ✨️
October 22, 2016
It read like a folk tale. Simple and lovely.
March 20, 2014
With nothing but positive reviews, it’s not surprising that Colibrí was a great read. It’s a well-written and engrossing novel. Told from the point of view of Tzunún, a 12 year-old girl, students will find it easy to connect with the young narrator. It’s not a light read; instead, it offers a coming of age story that shows a young girl forced to make decisions that we would hope only adults might have to confront. Yet this is part of the power of the book. Often our students do have to deal with situations that we wish we could protect them from, but can’t. Tzunún’s journey to find out who she really is may give those students some much needed hope, and a story they can learn from and identify with.
Fear is a theme throughout the novel and a powerful force in Tzunún’s life. Often her fear controls her, but Tzunún must learn to conquer her fear in order to survive and live the life she desires. In our classrooms, we don’t often talk about fear or how to confront it, yet it’s something many children need help with. Colibrí provides a rich opportunity to have this discussion with our students. An important struggle for Tzunún is how to determine what is right or wrong, and how to make the choices that she feels are morally acceptable. Often Uncle asks her to do things that she is not okay with, but out of fear she does anyway. A significant turning point in the story takes place when Tzunún chooses to no longer do Uncle’s bidding. Tzunún makes the choice to confront her fear and risk an unknown future on her own. In doing this, Tzunún sets herself on the path to find out who she really is. Despite the fact that she’s quite young, Tzunún’s choices shape the path her life takes. What we learn is that just because one is young, does not mean that the choices and decisions he or she makes don’t have life-altering ramifications.
Taking place in Guatemala, the setting provides a context that is likely unique and engaging for many of our students. With references to Guatemalan culture woven throughout the story, the novel provides a great way to bring knowledge of Guatemalan foods, terminology, ethnicity, traditions, beliefs and religion into the classroom. It could easily be implemented in a social studies unit on Latin America. Cameron shows important aspects of both Latino and Mayan culture. Through the various characters in Tzunún’s life, Cameron demonstrates not only the ways in which these two cultures have blended, but also the continued oppression of Mayan people and ethnic struggle in Guatemala. While not a significant part of the story, the novel does allude to the military violence of the Guatemalan Civil War, so this historical theme could be expanded upon if appropriate for the teaching context.
Aside from the emotionally moving story of Tzunún, Cameron’s novel also provides an excellent mentor text from which to teach the art of sensuously descriptive writing. Her words paint beautiful pictures of Guatemalan landscapes. She never forgets to describe the smells, tastes, sounds or tactile aspects of Tzunún’s experiences. Colibrí is another novel I’d love to see in our classrooms and libraries. I’d recommend it without hesitation.
Colibrí has received a number of awards and recognitions as a Junior Literary Guild Selection, A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and An American Library Association Notable Book among others. I hope you’ll consider adding it to your classroom library.
Our free Educator’s Guide for using Colibri is available here: http://teachinglatinamericathroughlit...
Fear is a theme throughout the novel and a powerful force in Tzunún’s life. Often her fear controls her, but Tzunún must learn to conquer her fear in order to survive and live the life she desires. In our classrooms, we don’t often talk about fear or how to confront it, yet it’s something many children need help with. Colibrí provides a rich opportunity to have this discussion with our students. An important struggle for Tzunún is how to determine what is right or wrong, and how to make the choices that she feels are morally acceptable. Often Uncle asks her to do things that she is not okay with, but out of fear she does anyway. A significant turning point in the story takes place when Tzunún chooses to no longer do Uncle’s bidding. Tzunún makes the choice to confront her fear and risk an unknown future on her own. In doing this, Tzunún sets herself on the path to find out who she really is. Despite the fact that she’s quite young, Tzunún’s choices shape the path her life takes. What we learn is that just because one is young, does not mean that the choices and decisions he or she makes don’t have life-altering ramifications.
Taking place in Guatemala, the setting provides a context that is likely unique and engaging for many of our students. With references to Guatemalan culture woven throughout the story, the novel provides a great way to bring knowledge of Guatemalan foods, terminology, ethnicity, traditions, beliefs and religion into the classroom. It could easily be implemented in a social studies unit on Latin America. Cameron shows important aspects of both Latino and Mayan culture. Through the various characters in Tzunún’s life, Cameron demonstrates not only the ways in which these two cultures have blended, but also the continued oppression of Mayan people and ethnic struggle in Guatemala. While not a significant part of the story, the novel does allude to the military violence of the Guatemalan Civil War, so this historical theme could be expanded upon if appropriate for the teaching context.
Aside from the emotionally moving story of Tzunún, Cameron’s novel also provides an excellent mentor text from which to teach the art of sensuously descriptive writing. Her words paint beautiful pictures of Guatemalan landscapes. She never forgets to describe the smells, tastes, sounds or tactile aspects of Tzunún’s experiences. Colibrí is another novel I’d love to see in our classrooms and libraries. I’d recommend it without hesitation.
Colibrí has received a number of awards and recognitions as a Junior Literary Guild Selection, A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and An American Library Association Notable Book among others. I hope you’ll consider adding it to your classroom library.
Our free Educator’s Guide for using Colibri is available here: http://teachinglatinamericathroughlit...
August 12, 2015
With nothing but positive reviews, it’s not surprising that Colibrí was a great read. It’s a well-written and engrossing novel. Told from the point of view of Tzunún, a 12 year-old girl, students will find it easy to connect with the young narrator. It’s not a light read; instead, it offers a coming of age story that shows a young girl forced to make decisions that we would hope only adults might have to confront. Yet this is part of the power of the book. Often our students do have to deal with situations that we wish we could protect them from, but can’t. Tzunún’s journey to find out who she really is may give those students some much needed hope, and a story they can learn from and identify with.
Fear is a theme throughout the novel and a powerful force in Tzunún’s life. Often her fear controls her, but Tzunún must learn to conquer her fear in order to survive and live the life she desires. In our classrooms, we don’t often talk about fear or how to confront it, yet it’s something many children need help with. Colibrí provides a rich opportunity to have this discussion with our students. An important struggle for Tzunún is how to determine what is right or wrong, and how to make the choices that she feels are morally acceptable. Often Uncle asks her to do things that she is not okay with, but out of fear she does anyway. A significant turning point in the story takes place when Tzunún chooses to no longer do Uncle’s bidding. Tzunún makes the choice to confront her fear and risk an unknown future on her own. In doing this, Tzunún sets herself on the path to find out who she really is. Despite the fact that she’s quite young, Tzunún’s choices shape the path her life takes. What we learn is that just because one is young, does not mean that the choices and decisions he or she makes don’t have life-altering ramifications.
Taking place in Guatemala, the setting provides a context that is likely unique and engaging for many of our students. With references to Guatemalan culture woven throughout the story, the novel provides a great way to bring knowledge of Guatemalan foods, terminology, ethnicity, traditions, beliefs and religion into the classroom. It could easily be implemented in a social studies unit on Latin America. Cameron shows important aspects of both Latino and Mayan culture. Through the various characters in Tzunún’s life, Cameron demonstrates not only the ways in which these two cultures have blended, but also the continued oppression of Mayan people and ethnic struggle in Guatemala. While not a significant part of the story, the novel does allude to the military violence of the Guatemalan Civil War, so this historical theme could be expanded upon if appropriate for the teaching context.
Aside from the emotionally moving story of Tzunún, Cameron’s novel also provides an excellent mentor text from which to teach the art of sensuously descriptive writing. Her words paint beautiful pictures of Guatemalan landscapes. She never forgets to describe the smells, tastes, sounds or tactile aspects of Tzunún’s experiences. Colibrí is another novel I’d love to see in our classrooms and libraries. I’d recommend it without hesitation.
Colibrí has received a number of awards and recognitions as a Junior Literary Guild Selection, A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and An American Library Association Notable Book among others. I hope you’ll consider adding it to your classroom library. Click here to be taken to our Educator’s Guide for the book.
Our free Educator’s Guide for using Colibri is available at our wordpress blog Vamos a Leer at https://teachinglatinamericathroughli....
Fear is a theme throughout the novel and a powerful force in Tzunún’s life. Often her fear controls her, but Tzunún must learn to conquer her fear in order to survive and live the life she desires. In our classrooms, we don’t often talk about fear or how to confront it, yet it’s something many children need help with. Colibrí provides a rich opportunity to have this discussion with our students. An important struggle for Tzunún is how to determine what is right or wrong, and how to make the choices that she feels are morally acceptable. Often Uncle asks her to do things that she is not okay with, but out of fear she does anyway. A significant turning point in the story takes place when Tzunún chooses to no longer do Uncle’s bidding. Tzunún makes the choice to confront her fear and risk an unknown future on her own. In doing this, Tzunún sets herself on the path to find out who she really is. Despite the fact that she’s quite young, Tzunún’s choices shape the path her life takes. What we learn is that just because one is young, does not mean that the choices and decisions he or she makes don’t have life-altering ramifications.
Taking place in Guatemala, the setting provides a context that is likely unique and engaging for many of our students. With references to Guatemalan culture woven throughout the story, the novel provides a great way to bring knowledge of Guatemalan foods, terminology, ethnicity, traditions, beliefs and religion into the classroom. It could easily be implemented in a social studies unit on Latin America. Cameron shows important aspects of both Latino and Mayan culture. Through the various characters in Tzunún’s life, Cameron demonstrates not only the ways in which these two cultures have blended, but also the continued oppression of Mayan people and ethnic struggle in Guatemala. While not a significant part of the story, the novel does allude to the military violence of the Guatemalan Civil War, so this historical theme could be expanded upon if appropriate for the teaching context.
Aside from the emotionally moving story of Tzunún, Cameron’s novel also provides an excellent mentor text from which to teach the art of sensuously descriptive writing. Her words paint beautiful pictures of Guatemalan landscapes. She never forgets to describe the smells, tastes, sounds or tactile aspects of Tzunún’s experiences. Colibrí is another novel I’d love to see in our classrooms and libraries. I’d recommend it without hesitation.
Colibrí has received a number of awards and recognitions as a Junior Literary Guild Selection, A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and An American Library Association Notable Book among others. I hope you’ll consider adding it to your classroom library. Click here to be taken to our Educator’s Guide for the book.
Our free Educator’s Guide for using Colibri is available at our wordpress blog Vamos a Leer at https://teachinglatinamericathroughli....
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