Barrio: Jose's Neighborhood

Barrio: Jose's Neighborhood     By George Ancona    Published in 1998   44 pages

Great San Francisco book that explores the Mission neighborhood. It even has pictures of Chavez Elementary when its iconic murals were new. There are other great shots of murals in the neighborhood. Carnival in the Mission is also shown in glorious photos. There are shots of 24th street as well.

The central thread that connects everything is Jose Luis, a real SF kid who was attending Chavez at the time. Through Jose Luis, we get a great glimpse of his life, and how his neighborhood is an integral part of his identity.

Great read aloud. For those who know the neighborhood, it is a celebration of the familiar. For those who don't, it is a great introduction.