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The Girl from Chimel
An American Library Association Notable Books List selection
Nobel Peace Prize winner and noted Maya activist Rigoberta Menchu Tum brings the world of her childhood vividly alive in The Girl from Chimel.
Before the thirty-six year war in Guatemala, despite the hardships the Maya people had endured since the time of the Conquest, life in their highland villages had a beauty and integrity that were changed forever by the conflict and brutal genocide that were to come. Menchu's stories of her grandparents and parents, of the natural world that surrounded her as a young girl, and her retelling of the stories that she was told present a rich, humorous and engaging picture of that lost world.
Marvelous illustrations by Domi draw on the Maya landscape and the rich visual vocabulary that can be found in the weavings and crafts for which the Maya are world-renowned.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and noted Maya activist Rigoberta Menchu Tum brings the world of her childhood vividly alive in The Girl from Chimel.
Before the thirty-six year war in Guatemala, despite the hardships the Maya people had endured since the time of the Conquest, life in their highland villages had a beauty and integrity that were changed forever by the conflict and brutal genocide that were to come. Menchu's stories of her grandparents and parents, of the natural world that surrounded her as a young girl, and her retelling of the stories that she was told present a rich, humorous and engaging picture of that lost world.
Marvelous illustrations by Domi draw on the Maya landscape and the rich visual vocabulary that can be found in the weavings and crafts for which the Maya are world-renowned.
56 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
3 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Rigoberta Menchú
34 books88 followersRigoberta Menchú Tum (Spanish pronunciation: [riɣoˈβerta menˈtʃu], born 9 January 1959) is an indigenous Guatemalan woman, of the K'iche' ethnic group. Menchú has dedicated her life to publicizing the plight of Guatemala's indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War (1960–1996), and to promoting indigenous rights in the country. She received the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize and Prince of Asturias Award in 1998. She is the subject of the testimonial biography I, Rigoberta Menchú (1983) and the author of the autobiographical work, Crossing Borders.
Menchú is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. She has also become a figure in indigenous political parties and ran for President of Guatemala in 2007 and 2011.
(from Wikipedia)
Menchú is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. She has also become a figure in indigenous political parties and ran for President of Guatemala in 2007 and 2011.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 25, 2019
"My name is Rigoberta. And the name of my village is Chimel. Well, that is what we called it during the good times, when there was plenty of honey and the maize-plants were straining under the weight of the cobs of corn, and the orchids where in flower, then my village was a lively, happy place and we called it Chimel."
Rigoberta Menchu is a Native American from Guatemala. She was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for publicizing the rights of Guatemala's indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War (1960–1996), and for promoting indigenous rights internationally.
This is a lovely little book about her family history, her childhood and fables descended from Maya culture. It's suitable for children, except
I find the indigenous tribes' adoption of Christianity and how it co-exists with what remains of Maya culture interesting.
Rigoberta Menchu is a Native American from Guatemala. She was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for publicizing the rights of Guatemala's indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War (1960–1996), and for promoting indigenous rights internationally.
This is a lovely little book about her family history, her childhood and fables descended from Maya culture. It's suitable for children, except
I find the indigenous tribes' adoption of Christianity and how it co-exists with what remains of Maya culture interesting.
January 31, 2015
Each time I read Menchu's moving memoir, I find new wonders! Such an evocation of the world of her indigenous culture and the richness we have lost in the oppression and degradation of First Peoples we are erasing everywhere as we merrily colonize the planet - this is always a poignant paen as well to the value and importance of storytelling and storytellers
Jan/15
Just finished teaching this book with Baba Diakite's Gift from Childhood - love both Menchu's lyrical evocation of her childhood and the richness of her storytelling but also have a deep appreciation of what she is trying to capture - the world beyond the trauma of being indigenous in a country that persecuted its indigenous people; it is a lovely rich and sweet book indeed!
Jan/15
Just finished teaching this book with Baba Diakite's Gift from Childhood - love both Menchu's lyrical evocation of her childhood and the richness of her storytelling but also have a deep appreciation of what she is trying to capture - the world beyond the trauma of being indigenous in a country that persecuted its indigenous people; it is a lovely rich and sweet book indeed!
May 7, 2019
Rigoberta Menchu is a K'iche speaker, Native American from Guatemala. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the 1990s for telling her story of the extermination of the Indians by the Guatemalan government. This book is for older elementary children and tells in several stories, her grandmother's life and hers in the mountains of Guatemala where the K'iche live. Her stories are of how her grandparents helped settle the village they lived in and stories of her life there as a little girl. It's very interesting, not difficult to read and is likely to be engaging for many of my students who are Native Americans from Guatemala. Some are K'iche like Rogoberta others are Mam. This is highly engaging reading for them.
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August 18, 2021Iga kord, kui sünnib inimene, sünnib samal ajal üks loomake. See loomake on täpselt nagu meie. Kui me aevastame, aevastab ka tema seal metsades, kus ta elab. Kui me laulame, laulab temagi oma loomakeeles. Kui vigastame sõrme, teeb ka tema oma käpale viga, kus iganes ta on. Kõik, mis toimub meiega, toimub ka temaga. Kõik, mis toimub temaga, toimub ka meiega. Teinekord on see loomake meist targem, ta tunneb halba ja ohte, mis meid varitsevad, ning kaitseb meid otsekohe nii, nagu ta kaitseb iseennast. Sellepärast tuleb loomi eriliselt austada. Chimelis on selle loomakese nimeks naual. Iga kord, kui sünnib uus laps, paluvad tema vanemad küla tarkadel, keda kutsutakse Tšutš Kahau, nimetada selle lapse naual. Mina tean, milline on minu oma, aga see on saladus, mida ma ei avalda.
(lk 44)
(lk 44)
April 10, 2024
Read Around the World: Guatemala
This was magnificent. There are more in this series and if I can find them, I will be adding them to my library. I highly recommend them!
This was magnificent. There are more in this series and if I can find them, I will be adding them to my library. I highly recommend them!
January 31, 2022
This was a beautiful folk tales, and funny too. I felt little again, and it brought back my own memories of listening to my gran gran under moonlight telling tales too.
Love the graphics/illustrations. The descriptions of the Maya community and how they lived was beautiful to read about and moving too
Love the graphics/illustrations. The descriptions of the Maya community and how they lived was beautiful to read about and moving too
March 15, 2020
This book brings out the most beautiful aspects of nature. From rainbows of corn in the cornfields and the tips of the Sierra Madre mountain range to crystal clear rivers and forests full of trees and animals. This book is a memoir of Li Mi'n (also knows as Rigoberta) as a child in Chimel along with stories she was told of her family and village that have been passed down. I learned all about their Maya culture from reading this book. I enjoyed reading about how the village was created by her grandfather, the story of how her mother bravely saved a pig's life, and so many more! The author decided to write about Chimel because she wanted to share the beauty of her town she grew up in before the war in Guatemala. My favorite part was when Li Mi'n and her brother would go into the field to pick and eat blackberries with chunks of sugar even though they were told not to. I think people ages 9-13 would enjoy this book the most but I also think everyone would love to read about the girl from Chimel.
June 11, 2018
These are the childhood stories of Rigoberta Menchu. These are stories about life, about nature, about her village. All told with lovely illustrations .
October 24, 2018
A poem of a biography remembrances of a girlhood in Guatemala. Lovely words and lively pictures.
January 5, 2021
Hermoso regalo de mi madre para mis 10 años. Releer las fábulas mayas me lleva directamente a ese momento.
July 27, 2022
3.5*
August 29, 2022
Schattige, mooie en interessante korte verhaaltjes. Per hoofdstuk leer je weer iets nieuws
June 22, 2016
Even though this looks like a "children's book," The Girl From Chimel" should be read by anyone who wants to appreciate and learn about Indigenous peoples. The memoir is particularly poignant in light of the subsequent torture and murder of the people you meet in the stories - and the role the United States and the CIA played in the overthrow of Arbenz and the destabilization of Guatemala should certainly be taught. As another reader pointed out, what destroyed Chimel and other villages is colonialism - the violent destruction of the "commons" which allows Indigenous people to lead autonomous lives. This way of life is beautifully described by Menchu, who talks neither up nor down to her readers.
I hope folks are inspired to do some research into why there is violence in Latin America - for starters, watch the excellent online documentary "Banana Land" http://bananalandmovie.org/ ... then substitute "coffee" or "mahogany" or "sweatshops" for bananas and you'll get the picture.
I hope folks are inspired to do some research into why there is violence in Latin America - for starters, watch the excellent online documentary "Banana Land" http://bananalandmovie.org/ ... then substitute "coffee" or "mahogany" or "sweatshops" for bananas and you'll get the picture.
Want to read
November 26, 2014The Girl from Chimel is a lexile level 860 which translates to a reading level of S. In my 5th grade classroom the target reading level is T, U and V at the end of the year.My students could read this book in groups and then meet with me after each chapter to discuss the jist and check for understanding. This book lends itself well to discussions about human rights and they are often violated in other countries and we are fortunate to live in the country that we do. This book is a memoir so it is also good to talk about memoirs and how they are different than biographies.
NYS Standard: Students Will Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
NYS Standard: Students Will Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
April 18, 2012
Testimonio literature for children of the highest caliber. Rigoberta Menchu' tells the story of her family and village with dignity and love but no sappiness or embellishments. There is no idyllic past to glorify, but there are gems of events that serve as hooks for deeper truth. A perfect blend of testimonio and myth.
April 2, 2016
Toredad lood kaugest Guatemalast nii lastele kui ka täiskasvanutele, ja millised vapustavad illustratsioonid! Mulle meeldis eriti mee kinkimise koht (lk. 48), kus on kirjas, et "mee kinkimine on nagu lillede kinkimine. See on nii, nagu öelda kellelegi midagi ilusat, mõni hea sõna või kiitus. Sellest lähevad kõrvad magusaks. /.../ Me kõik igatseme mett."
Want to read
November 24, 2008jacqui got in madison
illustrated by Domi, Mexican artist
illustrated by Domi, Mexican artist
April 2, 2009
Cute.
August 9, 2011
What a DELIGHTFUL book!--not only the stories, but also the illustrations. I checked this book out from the library but I may want to get my own copy--maybe in Spanish.
January 29, 2015
A bit dry, but a valuable perspective.
Read
November 7, 2019Great illustrations, lots of folks tales, fun to read.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews