El Ekeko: Un misterio boliviano, by Katie Baker
Culture-based Mystery, written in present tense.
Paco is disappointed when his mother suggests that he replace his worn out shoes with his grandfather’s old boots. He reluctantly goes to the closet and gradually realizes that the closet holds much more than his grandfather’s old boots and a box of letters. Hidden among his grandfather’s possessions is a gift that has potential to bring some startling surprises and unexpected consequences.
The low unique word count and high frequency factor (the number of times core structures are embedded in the text) make this an ideal read for beginning Spanish students. Each page is loaded with cognates (words that are similar in English and Spanish), recycled vocabulary, and illustrations.
