La rosa de los vientos

BASIC INFO	LANGUAGE LEVEL	COMPREHENSION-AIDING FEATURES
Book Title La rosa de los vientos (The Compass Rose) Author Christine Tiday Illustrators Images are used with permission of Dreamstime.com, Gabriel Tiday and Luke Tiday. Other Contributors The author gives special thanks to Paula Vicario for her editing of this edition. Published by Self-published ebook Genre Dystopian Fiction; Mystery and Adventures Publication date 3rd Edition, May 23, 2014	From the author/publisher’s website Intermediate Spanish readers Total Word Count From the author/publisher’s website This book is 10,000 words long and uses all of the Spanish tenses and moods. The vocabulary is limited and some of the difficult words are translated within the text itself.	Illustrations YES Glossary NO Guiding Questions NO Context NO Other

IDENTITIES PRESENT IN THE TEXT		SYNOPSIS
Races, Ethnicities, and Nationalities Languages spoken Spanish Sex and Genders Female Male Ages Child: 0-6 Teenager: 13-18 Young Adult: 18-35 Mid-life Adult: 35-65 Social classes Poor Upper class	Sexual Orientation Heterosexual (Dis)Abilities and Neurotypes Non-disabled Non-Impaired Religions, Syncretism, and Spirituality Christian – The author discloses her own religion. Other – Prophecy (Tattoos in the story have prophetic functions.) Relationship and Family Structures Communal/village-based Heteroparental Other – Sibling caretaker Body Descriptions The text describes every character by their attractiveness. See review below for details. Tattoos appear on many of the characters.	From the author/publisher’s website La Rosa de los Vientos, Third Edition Intermediate Spanish readers are swept into a post-apocalyptic world of deception and loyalty. Tattoos are appearing and bringing danger into the lives of Roda and her older brother Nico. When Roda’s best friend disappears, the fate of the four communities is at stake. Join them on their quest as they discover the secret behind “La Rosa de los vientos.” This is book one of the Vientos series. Book 2 is Capitán de los vientos, also available through Amazon.com.

ILLUSTRATIONS	STORY	SOCIAL JUSTICE
To what extent do the illustrations present positive and thoughtful representations of identities? There are some line drawings of the tattoos that appear on the characters throughout the story.	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?* Problems faced by characters with an identity belonging to a marginalized group are resolved through the benevolent intervention of a white person, a male, a straight person, a body-abled person, etc. (saviorism)	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? N/A

LLLAB’s REVIEW
Content warning: This novel includes mature themes including descriptions of suicide, kidnapping, and infanticide. *___________________________________________* This dystopian novel, part one in a series, depicts the experiences of several young people living in a post-apocalyptic biosphere separated into four communities. One day, Poni, the best friend of the main character, wakes up to find a mysterious tattoo on her arm. A few days later, Poni suddenly disappears, and Roda, the main character, looks for answers. Following a dream, Roda and her brother are drawn to the mountains. There, they meet a mysterious older man named Tai, who is preparing for revolution. The book ends on a cliffhanger. The main characters are teens living in a post-apocalyptic world with little to no parental support. They demonstrate self-sufficiency, trust and teamwork. Roda and her brother, Nico, live together in Community B. Roda and Nico work together to financially support themselves: “Nico pasaba todos los días criando cabras para venderlas en el mercado. Era un hermano mayor muy responsable. Las cabras que vendía en el mercado permitían que la familia se quedara con la casa mientras los padres enviaban todo el dinero que podían” / Nico spent every day raising goats to sell at the market. He was a very responsible older brother. The goats he sold in the market allowed the family to keep the house while the parents sent as much money as they could (Capítulo 2). Later, Nico listens to his sister as she describes a dream that she has had. Because of his trust in her, they leave their home to go to the mountains in search of answers. The language used to describe the characters’ physical traits often perpetuates stereotypes about gender and beauty. The repeated descriptions of female characters as “pretty” or “beautiful” and of male characters as “tall” and “attractive” reinforce notions that beauty standards are objective and that appearance is more important to one’s identity than other traits: “Una brisa tocaba el cuerpo casi desnudo de un joven atractivo” / A breeze touched the almost naked body of an attractive young man (Capítulo 11); “Tani vino corriendo desde el fondo con dos amigos, altos y atractivos como él” / Tani came running from the back with two friends, tall and attractive like him (Capítulo 1); “Tani caminaba detrás de Poniente, admirando a la joven bonita y su tatuaje” / Tani walked behind Poniente, admiring the pretty young woman and her tattoo (Capítulo 1). Additionally, the contrasting portrayal of one character with short hair and another with long hair suggests that beauty is tied to traditional feminine norms: “Una tenía el pelo corto y la otra era bonita, de pelo largo y castaño” / One had short hair and the other was pretty, with long brown hair (Capítulo 1). The text also perpetuates stereotypes about gender roles, reinforcing a notion that boys cause trouble and girls are helpless and quick to overreact. “Poniente evadió a Tani, quien iba a tocarle con la cola de su perro mojado. Todas las chicas gritaron” / Poniente evaded Tani, who was going to touch her with the tail of his wet dog. All the girls screamed (Capítulo 1). Teachers may wish to discuss gender-based stereotypes of beauty and behavior present in the book. Throughout the novel, there are instances in which female characters can be perceived as silly or clumsy and needing to be saved or helped by male characters. In Chapter 6, Nico and Roda find a girl, Leva, stuck in a tree. While Nico laughs when he sees her, Roda immediately shows concern. “El escenario era bastante chistoso y mientras Roda la miraba con horror, Nico se reía a carcajadas” / The scene was very funny and while Roda looked at her with horror, Nico roared with laughter” (Capítulo 6). When Leva asks them both for help getting down from the tree, Nico rescues her while Roda just watches. This excerpt, in which a male character rescues a female character in distress, may reinforce harmful gender stereotypes by presenting women and girls as inherently vulnerable and in need of male protection. The teacher may wish to discuss instances in the book that perpetuate stereotypes about roles of men and women. The narrative hints at underlying issues concerning the mistreatment of youth. The teens meet a man named Tai. When they arrive at his residence, he serves them a mysterious pink drink. Tai “les sirvió una bebida rosada” / Tai served them a pink drink (Capítulo 7). This vague reference to a “pink drink” served to young characters raises concerns about potential substance abuse or manipulation on the part of an adult character. Though it seems that Tai turns out to be a helpful friend, the teacher may wish to discuss the potential dangers of accepting a drink from someone they just met. Tai tells the teens a chilling account of mysteriously murdered babies (Ch. 7), particularly targeting twins, which highlights an undercurrent of violence present in the dystopian world. The objectifying descriptions of young characters, and the focus on physical attributes and attractiveness, suggest a problematic emphasis on appearance and a potential disregard for their emotional well-being. Overall, the narrative explores disturbing themes of exploitation, abuse, and societal neglect.

LLLAB’s REVIEW

Content warning: This novel includes mature themes including descriptions of suicide, kidnapping, and infanticide.
___________________________________________

This dystopian novel, part one in a series, depicts the experiences of several young people living in a post-apocalyptic biosphere separated into four communities. One day, Poni, the best friend of the main character, wakes up to find a mysterious tattoo on her arm. A few days later, Poni suddenly disappears, and Roda, the main character, looks for answers. Following a dream, Roda and her brother are drawn to the mountains. There, they meet a mysterious older man named Tai, who is preparing for revolution. The book ends on a cliffhanger.

The main characters are teens living in a post-apocalyptic world with little to no parental support. They demonstrate self-sufficiency, trust and teamwork. Roda and her brother, Nico, live together in Community B. Roda and Nico work together to financially support themselves: “Nico pasaba todos los días criando cabras para venderlas en el mercado. Era un hermano mayor muy responsable. Las cabras que vendía en el mercado permitían que la familia se quedara con la casa mientras los padres enviaban todo el dinero que podían” / Nico spent every day raising goats to sell at the market. He was a very responsible older brother. The goats he sold in the market allowed the family to keep the house while the parents sent as much money as they could (Capítulo 2). Later, Nico listens to his sister as she describes a dream that she has had. Because of his trust in her, they leave their home to go to the mountains in search of answers.

The language used to describe the characters’ physical traits often perpetuates stereotypes about gender and beauty. The repeated descriptions of female characters as “pretty” or “beautiful” and of male characters as “tall” and “attractive” reinforce notions that beauty standards are objective and that appearance is more important to one’s identity than other traits: “Una brisa tocaba el cuerpo casi desnudo de un joven atractivo” / A breeze touched the almost naked body of an attractive young man (Capítulo 11); “Tani vino corriendo desde el fondo con dos amigos, altos y atractivos como él” / Tani came running from the back with two friends, tall and attractive like him (Capítulo 1); “Tani caminaba detrás de Poniente, admirando a la joven bonita y su tatuaje” / Tani walked behind Poniente, admiring the pretty young woman and her tattoo (Capítulo 1). Additionally, the contrasting portrayal of one character with short hair and another with long hair suggests that beauty is tied to traditional feminine norms: “Una tenía el pelo corto y la otra era bonita, de pelo largo y castaño” / One had short hair and the other was pretty, with long brown hair (Capítulo 1).

The text also perpetuates stereotypes about gender roles, reinforcing a notion that boys cause trouble and girls are helpless and quick to overreact. “Poniente evadió a Tani, quien iba a tocarle con la cola de su perro mojado. Todas las chicas gritaron” / Poniente evaded Tani, who was going to touch her with the tail of his wet dog. All the girls screamed (Capítulo 1). Teachers may wish to discuss gender-based stereotypes of beauty and behavior present in the book.

Throughout the novel, there are instances in which female characters can be perceived as silly or clumsy and needing to be saved or helped by male characters. In Chapter 6, Nico and Roda find a girl, Leva, stuck in a tree. While Nico laughs when he sees her, Roda immediately shows concern. “El escenario era bastante chistoso y mientras Roda la miraba con horror, Nico se reía a carcajadas” / The scene was very funny and while Roda looked at her with horror, Nico roared with laughter” (Capítulo 6). When Leva asks them both for help getting down from the tree, Nico rescues her while Roda just watches. This excerpt, in which a male character rescues a female character in distress, may reinforce harmful gender stereotypes by presenting women and girls as inherently vulnerable and in need of male protection. The teacher may wish to discuss instances in the book that perpetuate stereotypes about roles of men and women.

The narrative hints at underlying issues concerning the mistreatment of youth. The teens meet a man named Tai. When they arrive at his residence, he serves them a mysterious pink drink. Tai “les sirvió una bebida rosada” / Tai served them a pink drink (Capítulo 7). This vague reference to a “pink drink” served to young characters raises concerns about potential substance abuse or manipulation on the part of an adult character. Though it seems that Tai turns out to be a helpful friend, the teacher may wish to discuss the potential dangers of accepting a drink from someone they just met.

Tai tells the teens a chilling account of mysteriously murdered babies (Ch. 7), particularly targeting twins, which highlights an undercurrent of violence present in the dystopian world.

The objectifying descriptions of young characters, and the focus on physical attributes and attractiveness, suggest a problematic emphasis on appearance and a potential disregard for their emotional well-being. Overall, the narrative explores disturbing themes of exploitation, abuse, and societal neglect.

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