Fifteen years ago, I published my first comprehension based reader, La hija del sastre, with Fluency Matters. Using readers in the classroom has been important to me and addressing topics I want to teach has led to the publication of both novice and intermediate texts. Do you use any of my titles in your classroom? Which are your favorites and why!?

This new book is a door opening to a new world for Somewhere to Share. It is the company’s first published reader! I am so excited to tell you more about Xoli, his book, and his support materials.

I really, REALLY love the Julio Cortázar story, El ajolote. (Keep an eye out for an intermediate unit that incorporates a similar tale coming soon.) I wanted to write a good axolotl story… but I wanted it to be accessible to early learners (and Cortázar’s story is not).

As I started doing the research, I found that axolotls are linked to Aztec mythology. The god Xólotl turned himself into several animals as he tried to hide from the other gods… one of which was the axolotl.

In this story, Xoli feels different from his friends and resists playing with them. A wise old turtle named don Guil helps Xoli begin a quest to find out what makes him special.

From dangerous frogs to a water spirit, Xoli finds his way to the wise axolotl who will help him understand his origin story.

Can’t wait for you to meet my little guy (art done by Juan Torres, my amazing graphic designer) and share his story with you.

The teacher’s guide is a whole new style as well. Built like our Huellas units, it leads you through teaching the reader in 14 class periods. Students will have pre-reading, post reading, and assessments at your fingertips through this resource. Thank you to Dylan for formatting this big guy! 152 pages including some awesome coloring pages from Juan Torres!

The audio book is in production and coming soon!!

Can’t wait to hear your feedback on Xoli.