Alicia: La lista

BASIC INFO	LANGUAGE LEVEL	COMPREHENSION-AIDING FEATURES
Book Title Alicia: La lista (Alicia: The List) Author Cécile Lainé Illustrator Jennifer Nolasco Other Contributors translated and adapted by Claudia Rodriguez with contributions from author’s husband, Stephen DeCastro, whom the author thanks for ensuring the characters sound Costa Rican (p. 1). Published by Toward Proficiency Genre Realistic Fiction Publication date 2019 A review of the French version of this book can be found here.	From the author/publisher’s website Level 2/3 Total Word Count 4,000 words – 300 headwords	Illustrations YES Glossary YES Guiding Questions NO Context YES Other A “pequeño glosario cultural & visual” with photographs and brief cultural notes about places and cultural realia, is included in the book. There are free resources on the author’s site.

IDENTITIES PRESENT IN THE TEXT		SYNOPSIS
Races, Ethnicities, and Nationalities Costa Rican/Tico Nicaraguan Korean (Supporting characters at the taekwondo studio have Korean names.) Languages spoken Spanish Korean: A few terms related to taekwondo Sex and Genders Female Male Ages Child: 6-12 Teenager: 13-18 Mid-life Adult: 35-65 Social classes Working class Middle class	Sexual Orientation Heterosexual (Dis)Abilities and Neurotypes No (dis)abilities or neurotypes mentioned in the text Religions, Syncretism, and Spirituality A church is referenced in the text Relationship and Family Structures Multiparental: Protagonist lives with mother and is moving into the city to live with father and father’s wife Body Descriptions The book focuses on the athletic and physical strength of the protagonist.	From the author/publisher’s website When Alicia, a girl who lives in the town of Liberia, Costa Rica, finds out she and her family are moving to San José in a month, she is far from happy. Her friend suggests she make a list of the most important things she wants to accomplish before she leaves. Alicia writes four items on her list and sets off on a quest to discover what truly matters to her.

ILLUSTRATIONS	STORY	SOCIAL JUSTICE
To what extent do the illustrations present positive and thoughtful representations of identities? The illustrations in the print books appear as black-and-white monochrome line drawings. These are sometimes shaded with grey–for instance, for clothing or hair color–but no shading appears in the printed books to indicate skin tones; all the characters thus appear uniformly white. However, the author has made available supplemental materials for this book on her website which include full-color illustrations; in these illustrations, the skin color of characters is visible and varied. The illustrations depict both curly and straight hair on characters, as well as darker and lighter hair colors, which could represent cultural or ethnic identities.	We understand identities are complex and no single story represents the spectrum of identity-based experiences. Also, a text may address a stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization without relying on it. *Does any stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization affect any positive and thoughtful representations of identities in the text?* Social situations and problems are seen as individual problems, not situated within a societal context. → The story recognizes that racism towards people of Nicaraguan origin exists in Costa Rica. It depicts a stranger insulting a main character for no apparent reason; the character acknowledges that this happens often; and the character mentions a real organization that supports people of Nicaraguan descent living in Costa Rica. Teachers may wish to discuss that racism is not only a matter of actions by bigoted individuals, such as the harassment on pp. 29-30, but also a pervasive system of unjust policies and structures.	This section is for teachers who are working towards sourcing more texts within the four domains of anti-bias education. We are excited about reading all books and we understand that not all books are written for this specific purpose. *Does this text work toward goals within any of the* four domains of anti-bias education as defined by Learning for Justice? Identity: Promote a healthy self-concept and exploration of identity Diversity: Foster intergroup understanding Justice: Raise awareness of prejudice and injustice Action: Motivate students to act by highlighting individual and collective struggles against injustice

LLLAB’s REVIEW
Content Warning: Teachers may wish to provide a disclaimer to students regarding a part of the text that presents a racial slur towards the character Rafa, which may cause discomfort for some students. Note that the racial slur is bold in the text to indicate that it’s defined at the bottom of the page and in the glossary; the bold text may create a heightened emotional impact on top of the offensive comment (p. 29). Alicia: La lista centers on Alicia, a teenage girl in Costa Rica, who in preparation for an upcoming move to San José sets goals for herself to attain, which include relational as well as athletic goals. The book centers on Alicia’s empowerment, in the context of her relationships with friends and family, as she overcomes obstacles while striving to realize these goals. Alicia: la lista portrays a female character, Alicia, who is physically and socially strong. She can empathize with her friends, while also being self reflective with how she plays a role in creating conflict with them. She displays her honesty about her own needs and desires, despite confrontation. “Hoy prefiero estar con Rafa. Prefiero empezar una relación con Rafa en lugar de consolidar mi relación con mis mejores amigas” / Today I prefer to be with Rafa. I prefer to begin a relationship with Rafa instead of strengthening my relationship with my best friends (p. 26). Alicia discovers that her goals are in conflict, and she makes a choice that damages her relationship with her friends. “Pero hay un problema… ¿Qué hago? Le cancelo a Marcela y a Sonia o le pido otra cita a Rafael? Ir al Café Liberia con mis dos mejores amigas está en mi lista… Es muy importante. Pero, una cita con Rafael, también está en mi lista” / But there’s a problem. What do I do? I cancel with Marcela and Sonia or I ask Rafa for another date? Going to Cafe Liberia with my two best friends is on my list… It’s very important. But a date with Rafa is also on my list! (p. 18). In the end, she cancels on her friends to go on the date with Rafael. Not only does Alicia cancel her gathering with her friends, but she doesn’t tell them why. While Alicia’s inner monologue shows that she understands her mistake, there is never a moment in the book when she reaches out to Marcela or Sonia to try to repair the relationship. The protagonist refers to “la esposa de mi papá” / my father’s wife (p. 3) instead of “my stepmother.” This reflects her agency in deciding how to refer to her relationship with family members. The story shows a closeness among Alicia’s family and friends. For instance, her little brother encourages her: “Hermana, usted es súper fuerte / Sister, you are really strong” (p. 38). This support is reciprocal as she says, “Estoy feliz de que haya venido Marcela, es importante para mí” / I’m happy that Marcela has come, it’s important to me (p. 38). Her family and friends share in this reciprocal support as they show up to her taekwondo competition, and those who don’t come are texting her even despite relational conflict. This shows a set of community values in contrast with the hyper-individualism found in some cultures. The story shares local colloquial expressions and sayings throughout: “Pura Vida”; “Tuanis” / Everything is cool; Awesome (pp. 18, 20). Regional expressions differ depending on social class and status, which could be why these young characters use them often. The story also contains Korean expressions related to taekwondo. The book acknowledges racism. Alicia has a crush on a boy named Rafa, whose family is of Nicaraguan origin. As he and Alicia are walking down the street, a man shouts racist insults at Rafa. Alicia wants to fight the man, but Rafa has experienced this before, and Rafa chooses to walk away. “No me voy a enojar con ese racista. Sí, nací en Costa Rica, soy tico y me siento tico. Pero también soy nicaragüense. Ese hombre quería una pelea. –¿Este tipo de incidentes pasa a menudo?” / ‘I’m not going to get mad at this racist. Yes, I was born in Costa Rica, I’m Costa Rican and I feel Costa Rican. But I’m also Nicaraguan. That man wanted a fight.’ ‘Do these types of incidents happen often?’ (pp. 29-30). This incident acknowledges that acts of racism exist as a pervasive social issue, and models one way to respond. It is worth noting that racism does not only manifest as acts of hatred towards groups of people, but also consists of systemic and institutional structures and policies that serve to keep some people disenfranchised. In addition, racism is not always as extreme or obvious as the incident in the text; for example, microaggressions also do harm. Rafa also tells Alicia about an organization called Cenderos (p. 34). Cenderos: El Centro de Derechos Sociales del Migrante / Cenderos: The Center of Social Rights of the Migrant is a real organization that has been active for many years and maintains an online presence. Cenderos seems to be a locally-led organization, as mentioned by Rafa: “Es por eso que las organizaciones como Cenderos son tan importantes: trabajan por la defensa de los derechos humanos de los migrantes refugiados” / It’s because of this that the organizations like Cenderos are so important: they work for the defense of the human rights of the refugee migrants (p. 20). It is helpful for readers to see an organization that is established by locals for migrants in the country. A teacher may wish to incorporate primary source documents from Cenderos or other sources that document migration in Costa Rica. When the character Rafa, who is Nicaraguan, is racially harassed in the park by an unknown man, there is no indication in the illustrations or text of how the harasser would have been able to identify Rafa as Nicaraguan (p. 28). Teachers may wish to supplement the text with primary source resources as part of a discussion about racialized dynamics within various regional contexts. The newer version of the book (2019) begins with a preface that notes that the story was originally written in French and set in a French setting, then later transposed to a Costa Rican setting. The preface also notes that the author (who is French) and the person who adapted the story (who is Mexican) originally intended to place the Spanish-language version of this story in Mexico, but they decided that a Mexican setting did not work for the story, so they placed it in Costa Rica (p. iii), with the assistance of the author’s Costa Rican husband (p. i). Readers may wonder about the extent to which French or Mexican cultural systems may have been transposed onto the Costa Rican characters. The story presents a confrontation between two friends that brings about strong language when Sonia (Rafa’s sister) says, “Usted no es más que una cochina traidora” / You are nothing more than a traitor pig (p. 25). In some varieties of Spanish, this phrase can be interpreted more harshly than the translation provided in the book and the language has potential to be offensive. Update 1/15/2023: This review has been updated by the Board on the basis of feedback provided by the author. A previous version of this review stated incorrectly that Wild Soul Project was not a Costa Rican organization. Update 4/8/2025: This review has been updated by the Board to parallel our review of the French version.

LLLAB’s REVIEW

Content Warning: Teachers may wish to provide a disclaimer to students regarding a part of the text that presents a racial slur towards the character Rafa, which may cause discomfort for some students. Note that the racial slur is bold in the text to indicate that it’s defined at the bottom of the page and in the glossary; the bold text may create a heightened emotional impact on top of the offensive comment (p. 29).

Alicia: La lista centers on Alicia, a teenage girl in Costa Rica, who in preparation for an upcoming move to San José sets goals for herself to attain, which include relational as well as athletic goals. The book centers on Alicia’s empowerment, in the context of her relationships with friends and family, as she overcomes obstacles while striving to realize these goals.

Alicia: la lista portrays a female character, Alicia, who is physically and socially strong. She can empathize with her friends, while also being self reflective with how she plays a role in creating conflict with them. She displays her honesty about her own needs and desires, despite confrontation. “Hoy prefiero estar con Rafa. Prefiero empezar una relación con Rafa en lugar de consolidar mi relación con mis mejores amigas” / Today I prefer to be with Rafa. I prefer to begin a relationship with Rafa instead of strengthening my relationship with my best friends (p. 26).

Alicia discovers that her goals are in conflict, and she makes a choice that damages her relationship with her friends. “Pero hay un problema… ¿Qué hago? Le cancelo a Marcela y a Sonia o le pido otra cita a Rafael? Ir al Café Liberia con mis dos mejores amigas está en mi lista… Es muy importante. Pero, una cita con Rafael, también está en mi lista” / But there’s a problem. What do I do? I cancel with Marcela and Sonia or I ask Rafa for another date? Going to Cafe Liberia with my two best friends is on my list… It’s very important. But a date with Rafa is also on my list! (p. 18). In the end, she cancels on her friends to go on the date with Rafael. Not only does Alicia cancel her gathering with her friends, but she doesn’t tell them why. While Alicia’s inner monologue shows that she understands her mistake, there is never a moment in the book when she reaches out to Marcela or Sonia to try to repair the relationship.

The protagonist refers to “la esposa de mi papá” / my father’s wife (p. 3) instead of “my stepmother.” This reflects her agency in deciding how to refer to her relationship with family members.

The story shows a closeness among Alicia’s family and friends. For instance, her little brother encourages her: “Hermana, usted es súper fuerte / Sister, you are really strong” (p. 38). This support is reciprocal as she says, “Estoy feliz de que haya venido Marcela, es importante para mí” / I’m happy that Marcela has come, it’s important to me (p. 38). Her family and friends share in this reciprocal support as they show up to her taekwondo competition, and those who don’t come are texting her even despite relational conflict. This shows a set of community values in contrast with the hyper-individualism found in some cultures.

The story shares local colloquial expressions and sayings throughout: “Pura Vida”; “Tuanis” / Everything is cool; Awesome (pp. 18, 20). Regional expressions differ depending on social class and status, which could be why these young characters use them often. The story also contains Korean expressions related to taekwondo.

The book acknowledges racism. Alicia has a crush on a boy named Rafa, whose family is of Nicaraguan origin. As he and Alicia are walking down the street, a man shouts racist insults at Rafa. Alicia wants to fight the man, but Rafa has experienced this before, and Rafa chooses to walk away. “No me voy a enojar con ese racista. Sí, nací en Costa Rica, soy tico y me siento tico. Pero también soy nicaragüense. Ese hombre quería una pelea. –¿Este tipo de incidentes pasa a menudo?” / ‘I’m not going to get mad at this racist. Yes, I was born in Costa Rica, I’m Costa Rican and I feel Costa Rican. But I’m also Nicaraguan. That man wanted a fight.’ ‘Do these types of incidents happen often?’ (pp. 29-30). This incident acknowledges that acts of racism exist as a pervasive social issue, and models one way to respond.

It is worth noting that racism does not only manifest as acts of hatred towards groups of people, but also consists of systemic and institutional structures and policies that serve to keep some people disenfranchised. In addition, racism is not always as extreme or obvious as the incident in the text; for example, microaggressions also do harm.

Rafa also tells Alicia about an organization called Cenderos (p. 34). Cenderos: El Centro de Derechos Sociales del Migrante / Cenderos: The Center of Social Rights of the Migrant is a real organization that has been active for many years and maintains an online presence. Cenderos seems to be a locally-led organization, as mentioned by Rafa: “Es por eso que las organizaciones como Cenderos son tan importantes: trabajan por la defensa de los derechos humanos de los migrantes refugiados” / It’s because of this that the organizations like Cenderos are so important: they work for the defense of the human rights of the refugee migrants (p. 20). It is helpful for readers to see an organization that is established by locals for migrants in the country. A teacher may wish to incorporate primary source documents from Cenderos or other sources that document migration in Costa Rica.

When the character Rafa, who is Nicaraguan, is racially harassed in the park by an unknown man, there is no indication in the illustrations or text of how the harasser would have been able to identify Rafa as Nicaraguan (p. 28). Teachers may wish to supplement the text with primary source resources as part of a discussion about racialized dynamics within various regional contexts.

The newer version of the book (2019) begins with a preface that notes that the story was originally written in French and set in a French setting, then later transposed to a Costa Rican setting. The preface also notes that the author (who is French) and the person who adapted the story (who is Mexican) originally intended to place the Spanish-language version of this story in Mexico, but they decided that a Mexican setting did not work for the story, so they placed it in Costa Rica (p. iii), with the assistance of the author’s Costa Rican husband (p. i). Readers may wonder about the extent to which French or Mexican cultural systems may have been transposed onto the Costa Rican characters.

The story presents a confrontation between two friends that brings about strong language when Sonia (Rafa’s sister) says, “Usted no es más que una cochina traidora” / You are nothing more than a traitor pig (p. 25). In some varieties of Spanish, this phrase can be interpreted more harshly than the translation provided in the book and the language has potential to be offensive.

Update 1/15/2023: This review has been updated by the Board on the basis of feedback provided by the author. A previous version of this review stated incorrectly that Wild Soul Project was not a Costa Rican organization.

Update 4/8/2025: This review has been updated by the Board to parallel our review of the French version.

Alicia: La lista

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