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Tia Lola Stories #1

How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay

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An endearing family story from the international bestselling author of How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies

"This twist on a classic story demonstrates that difficult transitions can be eased by new connections. Or a possibly magical aunt." — The New York Times Book Review

Moving to Vermont after his parents split, Miguel has plenty to worry about! Tía Lola, his quirky, carismática , and maybe magical aunt makes his life even more unpredictable when she arrives from the Dominican Republic to help out his Mami. Like her stories for adults, Julia Alvarez’s first middle-grade book sparkles with magic as it illuminates a child’s experiences living in two cultures.

147 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

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1592 people want to read

About the author

Julia Alvarez

91 books3,873 followers
Julia Alvarez left the Dominican Republic for the United States in 1960 at the age of ten. She is the author of six novels, three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, and eleven books for children and young adults. She has taught and mentored writers in schools and communities across America and, until her retirement in 2016, was a writer-in-residence at Middlebury College. Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine, and inclusion in the New York Public Library’s program “The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, from John Donne to Julia Alvarez.” In the Time of the Butterflies, with over one million copies in print, was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and in 2013 President Obama awarded Alvarez the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling.

Photo copyright by Brandon Cruz González
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5 stars
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41 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews
Profile Image for H.
1,367 reviews12 followers
April 29, 2012
More of a 2-1/2 than a 3. This is the story of 10 year old Miguel, who must cope with a relocation from New York City to Vermont (where his dark skin and Spanish name set him apart), his parents' separation, and the arrival of Tia Lola from the Dominican Republic. Tia Lola is like a wild parrot in the staid town Miguel must now live in, and he swings between loving her stories and food to being acutely embarassed of her exuberant ways, disastrous attempts at English, and santeria influenced beliefs. Through the course of the book, Miguel sees how much Lola's warmth impacts his family and the people in their town, and grows to adjust to his new life. This book is perfectly fine for kids 3rd-5th, and is well written, but.... there was a curious lack of payoff. For instance, Miguel spends many chapters agonizing about making the baseball team, and then we never get an actual scene where he gets the call, or is told he makes it. And then the team falls off the map - we never hear of it again really except how it is used to turn a hard man's heart. Why build that as major tension, then more or less abandon it? I felt the same way about Mami's birthday party. Pages were devoted to it, but the actual scene of Mami's party is curiously rushed and flat. I think this is fine for adults (who Alvarez normally writes for) as we are probably looking more for the emotional resonance from the caracters than for the release of the event, but I think many kids will find this book somewhat flat and without climax. Alvarez writes beautifully, but I don't think this book will catch on well with Blue Stem readers.
Profile Image for Rachel León.
Author 1 book71 followers
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November 3, 2021
A cute middle grade novel about a boy trying to settle in Vermont after his parents' divorce. His tia Lola comes from the Dominican Republic to help the family out and though embarrassing at first, the boy comes to treasure his aunt. Overall it's a cute, heartwarming story.
Profile Image for Sneha Narayan.
70 reviews32 followers
May 15, 2025
I actually started reading How Tía Lola Came to (Visit) Stay for work, alongside Number the Stars. The book follows Miguel, a Dominican American boy whose parents are getting divorced. His mother, his little sister Juanita, and Miguel move to Vermont. To help with settling down, Tía Lola (their mother's aunt) comes over from Dominican Republic. At first, her culturally different way of life annoys Miguel. But soon, the connection with his culture and Tía Lola's warm personality melts his (and the entire town's) heart. Their adventures and misadventures are, well, adorable.

I am sure there are issues with this book. But I feel a little blind to it because 1) I was reading this for work, and tbh, I can only see how much students are to gain from learning about another culture and 2) I never had such books when I was in school. I look back at my own syllabus in elementary school and I'm shocked at how few of them dealt with hard hitting topics.

The book I read last, Number the Stars, dealt with the Holocaust. This book deals with multiple topics that are difficult to write in an emotionally aware, sensitive way: divorce and the effect it has on kids, the struggle to fit into a new place, the experience of children of color in a more or less completely white neighborhood in America, the difficulties of school life, and loneliness in parents.

Yup, there's a lot. And in my opinion, they are all handled very sensitively. As adults, I suppose we do see how some things don't have answers. The book has had the courage to leave it that way for the kids too, more so than I've seen in other books. Sure, there are moral and philosophical takes, emotional blacks and whites, but you can't really blame the story for that, since children who relate to these topics need something concrete to hold on to.

This was a fun book, overall. I learnt a lot about Dominican culture and might have even learnt a little Spanish. Un poquito de espagnõl.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
12.2k reviews472 followers
November 22, 2018
Told in first person, which works pretty well actually.
Very concise... the developments progress swiftly (in page count; the story actually takes place over a realistic length of time).
The author's voice is recognizably that of a poet. Which is not to say flowery or even melodic, but there's something special there.
And now I really want some huevos rancheros. And maybe some quipes, though I've never heard of them before (the recipe on Goya's website does look good).

Such a feel-good story; it gets more and more joyful as it goes along. Recommended.
Profile Image for Kara.
199 reviews
June 18, 2008
Julia Alvarez is a good author, but based on this book she isn't suited for writing young adult novels. I felt like she dumbed her book down so that young adults would understand her... but young adults really aren't that dumb! The story could have been a nice story but trying to teach spanish seemed to be more important to the author then developing the story.
Profile Image for Sarah Laurence.
266 reviews26 followers
July 30, 2020
Me encantaba esta novela. He estudiado español por solo un año, así que este libro fue un buen desafío para mí. Leé el libro en español y en inglés. La autora es dominicana pero escribe en inglés porque se mudó a los Estados Unidos cuando tenía ocho años. Lo recomiendo para los niños hispanoparlantes de ocho a doce años también. Tía Lola era muy divertida y amable.
14 reviews
February 5, 2015
Tia Lola is visiting her family in Vermont--Mami, Miguel and Juanita and quickly captures your heart! She will make you wish that she was your aunt. We take a journey with the young boy, Miguel trying to cope with his parents lingering divorce as well as coping with moving from the hustle and bustle of New York to the quieter, slower paced life of Vermont. The author, Julia Alvarez, does a great job documenting Miguel's growing comfort with his aunt.

I love how the book was written in English and had Spanish phrases mixed in. Alvarez would have the Spanish phrase and then the English directly following it. I believe this way of writing added to the authenticity of the plot and made Tia Lola's character more realistic.

I love hoe Alvarez also incorporated real life issues into the text--divorce, moving, making new friends, feeling "different", etc. She did so in a beautiful manner that did not harp on the negative issues facing Miguel and Juanita. I love how the text ends on such a positive note and Miguel grows comfortable with his identity as a young Latin American man. I won't spoil the ending, but I love seeing the intersectionality his identities--being American as well as Dominican!

This would be a great book to use as a read aloud in upper elementary grades. I could even see this text being used to start discussion or starters for writing prompts. Some key messages that teachers could emphasize or turn into further lessons are how Miguel became more comfortable and less embarrassed of his aunt, how it feels when you have to move to a different environment or cope with a divorce. This book could also spark conversation about being comfortable in our own skin and being proud of our stories and the things we go through to make us who we are.
2 reviews1 follower
December 6, 2021
This book is about a family who moved from New York City into a farmhouse. Things were hard for one of the boys in school. There, Tia, who came from Puerto Rico, came to visit. My favorite character from the book was Miguel because he is kinda like me. He is Mexican but does not know a lot of Spanish, he does feel real to me because I relate to him a lot. It didn't really keep me guessing because the book was kind of predictable. My favorite part was the beginning of the book because it was the most relatable. I think that the entire book was written very well. It was more of a fun book to read than mysterious. The book didn't really make me feel any kind of way, just the fact that I relate to it a lot makes me like it. The book was pretty good. There were days when I was really into it and days when it didn't really have my attention. I think it ended perfectly fine. I really enjoyed the ending. I didn't really like the mom because she kinda forced her kids to like their tia in the book. I liked the theme of the book. Sometimes I just wish it had a little more detail. Overall I really enjoyed the book and I think a lot of other people would like this book. I feel like for me it was really relatable and for others it might be too.
Profile Image for Krista the Krazy Kataloguer.
3,873 reviews325 followers
April 10, 2011
I wish I had a aunt like Tia Lola! The story is told in the first person by Miguel, who has just moved from New York City to rural Vermont with his sister and mother after his parents' divorce. Tia Lola, their mother's aunt, comes from the Dominican Republic to look after them. Tia Lola is an irresistibly likeable character, naturally friendly and able to communicate despite knowing no English. In the course of the year in which the story takes place the whole family--in fact, the whole town--grows fond of her. Her ability to solve problems seems magical, and I hated the story to end because I wanted to read more about her. Thank goodness there are 2 more Tia Lola books! Highly recommended as an introduction to Dominican culture, to Spanish, and to a wonderful character!
Profile Image for Jackie.
4,458 reviews46 followers
December 3, 2008
Tia Lola comes to Vermont to visit Linda Guzman and her children, Juanita and Miguel. They've recently moved there from New York after their parent's divorce. Miguel is a slightly embarrassed by his Spanish speaking, flamboyant, eccentric, yet loving and wise aunt. As her visit extends into many months, the whole family comes to rely on Lola for her heart-warming stories, her delicious, spicy food and her magic way with people. Many months later when Christmas rolls around, Miguel can think of only one present he truly wants...that is, for Tia Lola to live with them in Vermont and become part of his extended family forever.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,447 reviews33 followers
September 30, 2010
This is a young young adult book -- probably more appropriate for upper elementary than for middle school. It's a sweet, simple story with a nice message about being happy with what you have and who you are. The protagonist is 10-year-old Miguel, a brown American whose parents are from the Dominican Republic. That, and the descriptions of Tía (Aunt) Lola's antics could make it a good introduction to other cultures; and Miguel's parents are getting a divorce, so students in that situation may find comfort in meeting someone like them who is trying to make the best of the situation.
Profile Image for Amy.
960 reviews
November 4, 2011
Such a great book, happy throughout! Despite the fact that the family in this book is dealing with a divorce, the characters are energized by Tia Lola who comes from the Dominican Republic to help care for the kids in their new home in Vermont. Tia, who knows no English, knows how to have fun and her energy brings love & friendship to the family.
86 reviews
March 22, 2017
This was one of those books that feels safe. I think I would have super enjoyed it as a child, and I did as an adult. It's sweet and optimistic and good and full of love, and Julia Alvarez is a really good writer. I might change the rating to four stars later - we'll see. Depends on how it sticks with me :).
Profile Image for Scottsdale Public Library.
3,491 reviews419 followers
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May 14, 2017
A heart-warming story about Miguel’s adjustment to his new life after his parents’ divorce, with the help of his great-aunt Lola, who arrives from the Dominican Republic with lots of good advice and no ability to speak English.

-Lynn H.-
Profile Image for Sivan.
270 reviews1 follower
May 31, 2024
4.5 stars
Really cute slice of life story. A bit of telling instead of showing but I think that's alright for a children's book. The "plot" is so sweet <3
Profile Image for Jon.
1,424 reviews
October 27, 2020
The intended audience for this series of episodes is nine- to twelve-year-olds. I don't think I would have enjoyed it at that age. I would have found it too nicey-nice and preachy. It tells the story of ten-year-old Miguel Guzman and his family, who move from New York City to small-town Vermont when his mother and father separate. Tia Lola comes from the Dominican Republic to help Mami look after Miguel and his little sister (from whom he'd like to get a divorce). Tia Lola is a force of nature, and Alvarez does a wonderful job of describing how she manages to communicate with Vermonters, even though she knows no English. Part of the purpose of the book is to introduce young readers to Spanish--all of which gets instantly translated. Some surprising hard edges when in the last pages the family goes to the Dominican Republic to visit, and the children are introduced for the first time to real, grinding poverty. I will be reading some of Julia Alvarez's grown-up books soon.
Profile Image for Elisabeth Bialosky.
131 reviews11 followers
August 18, 2020
Julia Alvarez is one of my all time favorite authors. However, maybe it's just that young adult isn't her genre, nor is it mine, but this book just lacked an actual plot. The writing itself is still lovely as well as Tia Lola as a character, in theory. I still love Julia Alvarez but I think this book is lacking in actual content.
22 reviews1 follower
December 5, 2015
Title: How Tía Lola Came to (Visit) Stay
Author: Julia Alvarez
Genre: Chapter book, contemporary fiction
Theme(s): Acceptance, family, heritage, multicultural
Opening line/sentence:
"Why can't we just call her Aunt Lola?" Miguel asks his mother.

Brief Book Summary:
Miguel is a young boy who has just moved to Vermont from New York City with his younger sister and his mother. Things are hard enough for Miguel-adjusting to a new neighborhood, trying to make new friends- until his Tía comes into town from the Dominican Republic to help his mother around the house. Miguel's journey of self-identity and acceptance is detailed and he learns more about his heritage and how to be proud of his family.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Marie Salvadore (Parents Guide, Fall 2001 (Vol. 4, No. 1))
Tía Lola comes from the Dominican Republic when Miguel and his sister have moved with their mother from New York City after his parents' divorce. Miguel's discomfort with Tía Lola, his new life in Vermont, and the fear that he, too, has been divorced gradually dissolve as he comes to appreciate Tía Lola's verve and flamboyance. The boy's conflicting emotions, growing understanding and acceptance are revealed effectively in this simply told, often humorous novel, naturally integrating Spanish words and bits of Caribbean culture. 2001, Knopf, $17.99 and $15.95 Ages 10 to 12.
(PUBLISHER: Knopf:Distributed by Random House (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2001.)

Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Feb. 15, 2001 (Vol. 97, No. 12))
When Tía Lola first comes from the Dominican Republic to visit Miguel, 10, and his family in their new home in Vermont, Miguel is wary, especially when Lola paints the house purple and wears bright flowered dresses on which parrots fly towards palm trees. All he needs is for his new classmates to find out he has a nutcase for a relative. But he soon succumbs to her love and her "visit" becomes a long stay. She's something of a santera, and she does seem to work magic on everybody with her friendliness, enthusiasm, stories, and surprise parties. What she can't do is bring his divorced parents back together. But she does go with Miguel and his sister to visit their dad in New York, and she takes the kids back "home" to meet the extended family on the island. Alvarez's first book for young readers sometimes reads like a docu-novel, but the warmth of the individual characters and the simple music of the narrative will appeal to middle-graders. So will the play with language. Tia Lola teaches Miguel and Juanita Spanish as she talks, so the English translation is right there in the text. They teach her English, which she practices on everyone in town with hilarious effect. Category: Books for Middle Readers--Fiction. 2001, Knopf, $15.95, $17.99. Gr. 4-7.
(PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2001.(Alfred A. Knopf (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2001.))

Response to Two Professional Reviews:
I agree with the reviews that Alvarez creatively integrated a few Spanish words and phrases into the book, giving readers some brief knowledge of the Spanish language. The story is simply told, without a focus on dialogue, which does make it seem like a docu-novel. However, this works to create a story that occurs over several months, allowing readers to fully glimpse how each character has changed and grown.

Evaluation of Literary Elements:
What I enjoyed most about Alvarez's story is the characters. Each character seemed to represent how different people cope with difficult situations- divorce, moving, missing family/friends, meeting new people, etc. The plot was a little fast-paced, but I thought it was appropriate nonetheless because it allowed the audience to see how each character grew over the course of several months. I also enjoyed the use of Spanish words/phrases and the accuracy of portraying the Dominican culture.

Consideration of Instructional Application:
This book would be a good starting point for an Identity project for older learners. After reading the book (either as a whole class or individually) students can be encouraged to learn more about their background/heritage and then complete a project that reflects where they come from. Students can either write a short book or create some sort of art project to show their own individual culture.
Profile Image for Cocodras.
551 reviews9 followers
February 25, 2021
Cuando Tía Lola vino de visita a quedarse tiene un personaje carismático y adorable (Tía Lola). Es cierto que la autora le podría haber sacado más partido, pero eso lo podría haber hecho con toda la historia y a pesar de todo la tía enamora. También toca temas interesantes como lo que supone un divorcio para los hijos, las dificultades para integrarse, el sentimiento de desarraigo, pero también el amor de los que nos rodean y la amistad. Un poco superficialmente, pero están ahí, cosa que no pasa con muchas historias que simplemente están vacías.

Por otro, y aquí viene lo negativo, todo es tan suave que no aporta mucho. Este tendría que haber sido un libro al estilo de Ana de las Tejas Verdes o Una temporada para silbar, libros con niños que pasan aventuras divertidas y emocionantes. Las de este libro pueden ser divertidas, pero les falta cierto punto de intriga, de tensión, de que los personajes estén en ese punto que no sabes si se va a fastidiar todo o no, como cuando Ana emborracha a Diana. Curiosamente, tiene momentos que serían ideales para esto, como cuando tía Lola pinta la casa o la fiesta de cumpleaños, pero siento que se queda a medio camino.

Es agradable de leer, ligero, corto, ideal probablemente para leer entre lecturas intensas y dramáticas, y aunque no remueve las tripas en ningún sentido, es uno de los que me está ayudando a retomar el ritmo lector y a pesar de todo, lo he disfrutado.
1 review
March 8, 2017
The book is a very heartwarming story about love and finding home. I’m a hispanic 16 year old young man who has been raised in the U.S. I know a decent amount of Spanish, but often I am not able to hold a conversation for long withy my relatives in Mexico. I was assigned to read this book for my Spanish class, and it was at just the right level for me to learn more Spanish while still understanding a strong majority of the story. My Spanish has improved through reading this book. Since I am Mexican, it was very interesting to learn about the cultures and traditions of the D.R. and it’s people. It really helped that the story was a very entertaining story, with realistic situations that one can relate too, especially if you’re hispanic american. The story was very very heartwarming, and I began to support Miguel like Tia Lola did, and come to love Tia Lola like Miguel did. The story was very believable, and as I mentioned before, the situations were very relatable. There was nothing too epic or too drastic or dramatic that occurred, so if you’re looking for an enjoyable, realistic, relatable, and thoroughly entertaining story, then this book is a perfect read for you.
Profile Image for Kris.
1,281 reviews12 followers
September 16, 2008
Recommended for gr. 4-8. Julia Alvarez will be visiting Henrico County in October, so I thought I would read her books that we have here in our library. Most of this story takes place in Vermont, where Miguel, his sister and mother have moved after his parents divorce. His mother's aunt, Tia Lola, comes to visit from the Dominican Republic. She is very unusual and Miguel worries that his new friends will think she is weird. But Tia Lola has her own way of making friends even though she speaks very little English, and Miguel learns that unusual is not necessarily a bad thing.
58 reviews2 followers
November 19, 2008
In this book i like the character Tia Lola, i think Tia Lola is a very creative person. I like the idea which she painting the white farmhouse purple. I think she is different from the other adult. At first Tia Lola's nephew, Miguel didn't like her and didn't want his to friends to meet her. But then, Miguel and his sister started to like her aunt. Also she was Popular the entire town! At this point, you must wondering what attractive that Tia Lola has to make her became so popular. What i suggest is to read the book and find out the answer yourself.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
433 reviews12 followers
October 17, 2009
I am loving this book. It's got so much going on! Parents divorcing, moving to a new place, trying to fit in, trying to be true to who you are...

Miguel, his mother, and sister have moved from NYC up to a small town in Vermont, and boy is it a culture shock! Add that his parents are getting divorced and that an aunt he's never met is coming from the Dominican Republic to stay with them... He's struggling with all kinds of feelings, and it's so easy to relate to him.

Can't wait to see how it all ends.
Profile Image for Kathy.
55 reviews
Read
October 29, 2009
this book is very good. This book is basicly about a kid named miguel and his sister juanita get a visit from their aunt they never knew!

miguel wonders who this certain tia lola is and why is she coming to visit now. miguel thinks that tia lola and her dominican traditions are stupid, But miguel loves her stories. he feels like he is floating on air when he hears them.

When disaster strucks tia lola visit turns into a stay becuase they need help. tia lola helps them with everything they need and they make it . does tia lola stay forever?
Profile Image for StorySnoops.
478 reviews3 followers
May 23, 2011
How Tia Lola Came to Stay is the first of four books in the Tia Lola series and introduces the reader to this wonderful and loving character. Miguel and Juanita struggle with their new circumstances after their parents' split and Tia Lola's presence is just what they need to come together as siblings. The divorce seems amicable, but the kids do see their Mami feeling sad, and they wonder why their Papi can't be with them more often...(see full review here: )
Profile Image for Tracie.
1,689 reviews39 followers
February 27, 2012
After their parents divorce, Miguel and his younger sister Juanita move from New York City to Vermont with their mother. Tia Lola, their mother's Spanish-speaking aunt, comes from the Dominican Republic to help care for them. With her outrageous and flamboyant island ways, Tia Lola embarrasses Miguel. But as her visit becomes a stay, Tia Lola touches the lives of everyone in town and helps Juanita and Miguel learn that it is possible to stand out and fit in at the same time. A tender and funny middle-grade novel; first in a series.
Profile Image for Paige.
16 reviews1 follower
June 13, 2014
An amazing read-aloud book for my 4/5 class. It taught them so many things, and opened students to new perspectives outside of their daily life. Allowed for great discussions using quotes such as "What does a real American look like?" This question tied thematically to a research project we did on Japanese-American Internment during WWII, and to units of inquiry related to early American history.

If you are a teacher who believes in culturally responsive teaching practices, this book is a gem!
Profile Image for Perla.
24 reviews1 follower
June 18, 2014
This was a book I related to completely. I quickly got attached to all the characters.
In this book, Tia Lola comes to visit from Dominican Republic. Miguel isn't as excited as his younger sister about this since he isn't proud of his culture. While in Vermont, Tia Lola teaches Miguel and his sister about their Dominican culture. Many of the minor characters in the book are affected by Tia Lola's way of expressing her culture. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about Dominican History.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews

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