Mexican Ghost Tales of the Southwest: Stories and Illustration...

Traditional Mexican stories tell of ghosts, evil spirits, devils, curses, and supernatural forces

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-Hacked and badly translated from Mexican legends, these stories do not hold up when compared with classics in the genre. They are ridiculously flat and predictable. In "La Llorona," a woman drowns her children because they annoy her by crying for food. She is condemned to wander for eternity searching for their bones. In "Devil Dog," a drunk walks across railroad tracks and sees two red eyes following him and then disappears, never to be seen again. How many times have we heard that one? Better choices for nighttime campfires and slumber parties would be Alvin Schwartz's "Scary Stories" books (HarperCollins) or Gretchen Mayo's Star Tales (Walker, 1987). Those well-told tales will continue to entertain young readers.Julie Halverstadt, Douglas Public Library District, Castle Rock, COCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Alfred Avila was raised in Los Angeles, California, mainly in the area known to the locals as "Flats," just below Boyle Heights. He attended El Monte Union High School and Rosemead High School, and after graduation joined the U.S. Navy where he served for many years including the Korean War and Vietnam War. He passed away on February 1, 2001, and is buried at Riverside National Cemetery in California.

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