Tag: Definitely Dominguita

Posted in Adventure, Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Sherlock Dom is on the case in the new Definitely Dominguita story!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Definitely Dominguita: Sherlock Dom, by Terry Catasús Jennings/Illustrated by Fatima Anaya, (Nov. 2021, Aladdin), $6.99, ISBN: 9781534465084

Ages 6-10

The newest Definitely Dominguita book has to be my favorite one yet: Dom leaves Mundytown for greener pastures when she joins Steph for a trip to Steph’s grandmother’s home in Virginia, and walks right into a mystery that only Sherlock Dom – inspired, naturally, by her current read, the Sherlock Holmes’s adventure, The Hound of the Baskervilles – can solve! Gram’s neighbor is missing Esther, her goat, and Dom and Steph are determined to help crack the case. With Pancho on Facetime acting as Inspector Lestrade, Sherlock Dom and Steph Watson track down the clues and put the pieces together to solve the mystery and bring Esther home safely.

The Definitely Dominguita books are so much fun for so many reasons: the fun, light writing and swiftly moving action; the lovable characters and their vivid imaginations that encourages kids to embrace creative play; the introduction of classic books to kids, in relatable settings and situations, and the front-and-center spotlighting of Latino/a characters, being kids and having a great adventure. I love these stories, I love the way Terry Catasús Jennings re-envisions classic books, and I love Fatima Anaya’s black and white illustrations. While this book doesn’t provide any hints as to the next book in the series, I can only hope… after all, summer’s coming and there’s always a chance Dom will pick up a copy of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, right?

Back matter includes a note on Dom’s latest inspiration, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous character, Sherlock Holmes. Have some Sherlock Holmes coloring sheets handy, thanks to Education.com; or a fun drawing page, also through Education.com. The Mutually Inclusive blog has a great author spotlight on author Terry Catasús Jennings,

Posted in Fiction, Intermediate

A new Definitely Dominguita book!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Definitely Dominguita: All for One, by Terry Catasús Jennings/Illustrated by Fátima Anaya, (August 2021, Aladdin), $6.99, ISBN: 9781534465114

Ages 6-9

I raved about the Definitely Dominguita series earlier this year, and received the nicest note from author Terry Catasús Jennings, along with a signed copy of Dominguita’s newest adventure, All for One. After I finished squealing, I dove right in. Thank you, Ms. Jennings!

This is the third adventure for Dom and her friends, Pancho and Steph (and their noble steed, Roco), all inspired by the classics that she and her abuela love. This time out, the kids are Musketeers, influenced by Alexandra Dumas’s The Three Musketeers, and it’s perfect timing: there’s a Bublassi plot underfoot to ruin a quinceañera, and Dom, Pancho, and Steph have to stay one step ahead to make sure things go as planned. The story follows Dumas’s classic in great – and often hilarious – fashion, including the spurned love interest side story and a fight scene with hoses rather than swords. There’s a massive hint as to the next book included in the storyline here, too: one of my favorites ever, so you know I’ll be waiting patiently for mid-November to arrive.

I love this series. It’s fun, prizes brains, family, and ingenuity, and not only prizes a love of classic literature, but makes it accessible to all readers, in the most fun and creative of ways. Fátima Anaya’s illustrations keep readers engaged and give them even more ideas for dressing up and creating their own Dominguita-like adventures.

You know? I may just have to start creating some Dom grab-and-go bags. Let me go mull this over. In the meantime, go read All for One, and visit Terry Catasús Jennings’s author website for more information about her books.

 

 

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Meet Dominguita!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Dominguita Melendez is a third grader who loves books! When her abuela (grandmother) has to move to Florida to live with her sister, Dominguita comes up with a way to share their mutual loves of books with one another: by finding adventures in all the books her abuela left her. Definitely Dominguita is a great intermediate series for kids – there’s an adventure that introduces them to classics titles in every book, and sets those stories on city streets, where kids can see themselves and even think about recreating their own favorite books.

Knight of the Cape (Definitely Dominguita #1), by Terry Catasús Jennings/Illustrated by Fátima Anaya, (March 2021, Aladdin), $17.99, ISBN: 9781534465039

Ages 6-9

Dominguita misses her abuela and her best friend, both of whom have moved away. She spends her recess time reading in the schoolyard until the school bully makes fun of her, her choice of reading – Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes – and tells her girls can’t be knights. Incensed, Dominguita is determined to become a knight AND have her brother Rafi write about her adventures to share with Abuela! She and Rafi put together an outfit worthy of a knight, and transforms into Dom Capote: Knight of the Cape! Along her travels, she gains a steed (the local stray dog, Roco) and a companion, Pancho Sanchez, who sees through her grand plans to keep things real. In this wonderful re-imagining of Don Quixote, a young girl uses her creativity and her love of books to see herself in her own stories, based on the classics. Dom is fun, likable, and smart; all of the characters receive backgrounds with a foundation to build future adventures, and black and white illustrations add visual reference for readers. A great new series to introduce to intermediate readers.

 

Captain Dom’s Treasure (Definitely Dominguita #2), by Terry Catasús Jennings/Illustrated by Fátima Anaya, (March 2021, Aladdin), $17.99, ISBN: 9781534465060

Ages 6-9

Dominguita and her friends, Pancho and Sarah, are back in their second adventure! This time, inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Dom goes from Dom Capote to Captain Dom and discovers a treasure map on a trip to the library! After some quick research, Dom and her friends discover that the map is linked to a robbery that happened in her neighborhood back in 1967 – a mystery that she and her friends need to solve and put things to rights! But a boy Pancho refers to as “Juan Largo” (Long John) has been following them around, saying he’s there to be a babysitter… a story that the group finds a lot of holes in. Can Dom and her friends find the treasure and save the day, or will Long John beat them to it? While it’s not necessary to read these books in order, it’s much more fun to see the progression of the characters from the first story to the second. The action unfolds with parallels to Treasure Island, and gives us an idea as to what the next adventure will be. Kids are going to love getting to know these characters and figuring out the mysteries with them. How much fun would a kids’ book club be, using Dom’s adventure as a jumping-off point for young reader versions of the featured classics?

Psst… All for One is due in August and Sherlock Dom is coming in November. You may want to start booktalking The Three Musketeers and Sherlock Holmes now.