This book is about two Jose's who have a love for reading. One of the Jose's is young and the other Jose collects garbage while searching for books. When he finds books on his route, he shares them with the children in the community including little Jose. The book also contains words and phrases in Spanish. I would definitely recommend this book because it demonstrates the impact books can have. This is a good book for 2nd and 3rd graders to read and a read aloud for 3rd graders. ( )

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is about a garbage man who searches for books in the trash in order to take them to a building where children can look at them, creating his own library for the children in La Nueva Gloria barrio. This would be a good book for primary students, though maybe upper primary or in a dual language class because there are some words in the book that are in Spanish, so it may be confusing for younger students.

The story is probably more appealing to the adult reading it aloud than to the child (and that is okay). The illustrations are beautiful and can engage the child for many minutes. ( )

This book tells the real story of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogotá, Colombia, who spent over two decades beginning in 1997 rescuing discarded books and creating a free lending service for the poor in his community. He gained the nickname “The Lord of the Books,” calling his library (located in his own home) “The Strength of Words.” By some accounts he has helped more than 22,000 Colombians in vulnerable, mainly rural areas across the country to open their horizons to other worlds.

This book juxtaposes Gutiérrez’s story with that of a little boy, also named José, who counts the days until it is Saturday, when he and the other children in the neighborhood can visit Gutiérrez’s library.

Bogotá illustrator Paola Escobar has created animation-like depictions of the faraway times and places José is now able to visit through stories because of the library. The author writes of each book in the library:

“It opens to a place beyond the barrio, a place José cannot ride his bicicleta to. With each turn of the page, both Josés see something new - something different from the same streets and the same hills.”

The book concludes with an Author’s Note providing more background on Gutiérrez. We learn that he no longer collects garbage, but now runs a foundation he established, The Strength of Words, and addresses global audiences on the importance of literacy. Also included in the back matter is a description of the books featured in the illustrations that were particularly meaningful to Gutiérrez, and a selection of online resources.

Evaluation: This wonderful story has so many lessons. Even if you or those around you think your job may not mean much, you can still make a huge difference in the lives of others with a little vision and perseverance. ( )

This is a heartwarming story about Jose, who as a child wanted to read books on a Saturday. When he's older, he collects enough books and treasures as a garbage collector and is able to make his childhood dreams come true. I love how the overall theme is implemented, even if it is not direct. I recommend this book for all ages! ( )