I can only dream of making a life long impact on a child this way! Tomas is the child of migrant farm workers who spend part of the year in Texas and part in Iowa. His grandfather is the resident storyteller and Tomas hangs on every story and has all the details memorized. His grandfather encourages him to go to town to the library to learn some new stories.
With the support of the town librarian, Tomas's world is opened by the access to books. She welcomes him, provides water, he reads to her and he teaches her Spanish words. They build a great relationship that makes a huge impact on Tomas and indirectly on his family. Eventually Tomas must return to Texas, but not without warm memories and a gift her will treasure.
The final page has a biographical sketch of Tomas Rivera who this story was based on. He ultimately received his doctorate and has a campus library named after him. What a beautiful story of how one person can make a huge difference in someone's life!
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