Hispanic Heritage Month: Sandra Cisneros

Sandra Cisneros is a famed Mexican-American writer and teacher, the first prominent Latina in her field. Her literature is read by students of all backgrounds.The House on Mango Street was her first and most well-known book. Her poetry is also included in ELA curriculum across the country.

Here is a poem she wrote that I shared with a group of upper elementary students in an RTI level 3 program. They loved it. Of course, we then wrote out own poems about food, friends or siblings.

Good Hot Dogs

for Kiki

Fifty cents apiece

To eat our lunch

We’d run

Straight from school

Instead of home

Two blocks

Then the store

That smelled like steam

You ordered

Because you had the

money

Two hot dogs and two

pops for here

Everything on the hot dogs

Except pickle lily

Dash those hot dogs

Into buns and splash on

All that good stuff

Yellow mustard and onions

And french fries piled on

top all

Rolled up in a piece of wax

Paper for us to hold hot

In our hands

Quarters on the counter

Sit down

Good hot dogs

We’d eat

Fast till there was nothing

left

But salt and poppy seeds

even

The little burnt tips

Of french fries

We’d eat

You humming

And me swinging my legs

—Sandra Cisneros 

Sandra has a website site, and answers questions posed to her in letters, including from children.  Here is the link: just in case you have questions.

 Sandra Cisneros http://www.sandracisneros.com/

Here are many details about her professional career, literature and family background:

Sandra Cisneros

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Cisneros