Cincodemayo 113

The defeat of President Benito Pablo Juárez García´s government arrives after a defeat on cinco de mayo in the Battle of Puebla. Now the whole family is worried about Pablo and Saul surviving. President Benito Pablo Juárez García has a new mission to get to Paso del Norte to try to secure weapons for his fight against the French and their leader President José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori. Eva witnesses the events that transpire in the hacienda as the important government representatives from both conservative and liberal sides show up to talk to her father Colonel Abraham. Eva is the smartest child of Colonel Abraham. She has to deal with the problems that occur on her father´s hacienda since her father does not make the best decisions in life. Colonel Abraham trusts Eva to help him out as he asks her for advice. Eva´s favorite pastime is spying on her parents conversations. Eva discovers the secrets that her father is hiding. Eva has a crush on one of her neighbors named Viernes. The problem is that Viernes does not seem to notice or care for her since he is in love with Dulce María. Her older sister Dulce María has all of the men in her life competing for her love. Eva cannot believe that Dulce María can be so lucky. Now she has to prepare for her older sister Dulce María´s wedding to Francisco. Dulce María´s best friend Flor is in love with Francisco and is giving Dulce María bad advice to get rid of her. Eva is trying her best to make sure that Dulce María will not go through with her threats of killing herself to avoid her forced marriage to Francisco. Will Viernes love Eva as much as she loves him? (Word Count 67,356)

“David Hayes-Bautista’s fascinating study finds new sources that illuminate the California roots of Cinco de Mayo celebrations. But more than just uncovering the holiday’s true origins, El Cinco de Mayo offers a striking interpretation of the making of a Mexican-American culture in Civil War-Era North America.”—Stephen Aron, author of American Confluence: The Missouri Frontier from Borderland to Border State. “In this well-written and thoroughly-researched study, Hayes-Bautista reminds us that Cinco de Mayo is not really a Mexican holiday, but rather a celebration created in California during the American Civil War by native-born Latinos and immigrants from Mexico and Latin America. Hayes-Bautista has reconstructed the rich social and political world of these California Latinos in painstaking detail, and his analysis of their widespread political engagement reveals an activism hitherto not fully recognized. This is an original and revealing book that changes the way we think about nineteenth century California.”—Richard Griswold del Castillo, author of The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: A Legacy of Conflict.

The Battle of Puebla on 5-5-1862 known as Cinco de Mayo was a Mexican military victory against the French led forces of King Napoleon III. The French had not lost a single battle since Napoleon Bonaparte lost the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Meanwhile in a parallel universe the French lead forces are able to defeat Mexico on 5-5-1862 leading to the eventual downfall of the Mexican government of President Benito Pablo Juárez García. A new rising star in the Mexican Army earns the title of President of Mexico in the newest colony of France. King Napoleon III has plans for a new alliance with the Confederate States of America, Britain, and Spain. A new war to recuperate Mexico’s lost lands from the Mexican American War of 1846 soon follows to distract the attention of the Mexicans. A group of characters now must deal with the consequences of the defeat on 5-5-1862. Each of them will struggle to adjust to the news. Dulce María discovers a secret that her father Colonel Abraham is hiding in a hole in the wall. Cortez hides in the mountains of Queretaro, Mexico with the rest of the conservative rebels waiting to attack a nearby town to gather supplies for their lost cause. Eva saves the life of a thief by convincing her father that sometimes business comes before revenge. Major José intervenes to help a friend in a tough situation. Francisco earns the title of Mexican Supreme Court Justice after a killing. Enriqueta has a secret plan to preserve her family’s power in Mexico City. Captain Pablo finds a mysterious letter that promises an opportunity to enjoy one last prank before his retirement. Ophelia works as a nurse for the Confederate States of America during the time when the medical field does not accept women. Lyra helps to run a cotton and tobacco smuggling operation out of San Antonio, Texas into the port of Bagdad, Mexico to fool the naval blockade of the United States of America. (Word Count 62, 509)

Learning and fun go hand-in-hand with these thematically organized story time programs that are linked to adorable, edible crafts. There are kids' cookbooks and there are books with story time suggestions, but no book has combined the two—until now. Story Times Good Enough to Eat!: Thematic Programs with Edible Story Crafts brings these elements together in programs that will engage kids and make every story time special. Both a manual and a recipe book, Story Times Good Enough to Eat! offers thematic programs for major holidays and seasons and includes programs on popular animals and other themes as well. It is designed to educate children by having them listen to the story, then reinforcing the lessons of the story by creating an edible craft to go along with it. Every theme in the book includes a suggested titles list, a brief overview of the program, and a complete recipe and instructions for making the corresponding snack/craft, from yummy school bus cupcakes to mouth-watering sugar cookie sombreros for Cinco de Mayo.

Though relatively small in number until the latter decades of the nineteenth century, Houston'sHispanic population possesses a rich and varied history that has previously not been readily associated in the popular imagination with Houston. However, in 1989, the first edition of Thomas H. Kreneck’s Del Pueblo vividly captured the depth and breadth of Houston’s Hispanic people, illustrating both the obstacles and the triumphs that characterized this vital community’s rise to prominence during the twentieth century. This new, revised edition of Del Pueblo: A History of Houston’s Hispanic Community updates that vibrant history, incorporating research on trends and changes through the beginning of the new millennium. Especially important in this new edition are Kreneck’s historical contextualization of the 1980s as the “Decade of the Hispanic” and his documentation of other significant developments taking place since the publication of the original edition. Illustrated with seventy-five photographs of significant people, places, and events, this new edition of Del Pueblo: A History of Houston’s Hispanic Community updates the unfolding story of one of the nation’s most influential and dynamic ethnic groups. Students and scholars of Mexican American and Hispanic issues and culture, as well as general readers interested in this important aspect of Houston and regional history, will not want to be without this important book.