Definitely Dominguita: Activity Kit for Early Chapter Own Voices Series

DEFINITELY DOMINGUITA: EARLY CHAPTER ACTIVITY KIT

Best Users: Educators, School Librarians, Book Clubs, Public Libraries, Home Learners, ELL Educators
Best Audience: Children Grades 01-04

Kirkus Starred Review!

ABOUT DOMINGUITA’S GUIDE TO KNIGHTHOOD

When Cuban American Dominguita Melendez is teased for spending recess reading her Abuela’s Spanish copy of Don Quixote, she makes a rash statement. Dom claims to be in training to be a knight. When her tormentor says, “girls cannot be knights,” Dom’s resolves to prove him wrong. This Activity Kit shares all of Dom’s lessons in knighthood including:


Outfitting Yourself
Invite your readers to explore the 940s section of your library to look for books on knights. What kind of armor did they wear? Dipping into the recycling bin, what sort of armor could be created at home, in the classroom, or in a book club setting?

Knight Naming

Dominguita creates the perfect name for her knighthood. With a paper craft, your readers can build a Knight Name Generator.

Selecting Squires

Your readers are forming new and independent friendships and may welcome the reminder to seek and maintain the squire-ish ones and to never assume friends are damsels in distress.

Random Acts of Kindness & Knight-ness
Dominguita both asks people what deeds need to be done and looks for random opportunities for kindness. This activity gives examples of random acts, but also prompts them to work together to interview their community to uncover needs and solutions.

Abuela Book Club

Dominguita’s relationship with her abuela can be the inspiration for readers to use their newfound reading skills to read in person, over the phone, or in a video chat to their abuelas or other elders.

DOWNLOAD Definitely Dominguita: Activity Kit (PDF)

KNIGHT OF THE CAPE: EDUCATORS GUIDE

Author Terry Catasus Jennings shares ways to explore Language Arts with Dominguita.
DOWNLOAD Definitely Dominguita: Educators Guide (PDF)

Images © Fatima Anaya

ABOUT THE SERIES

Definitely Dominguita is an own-voices early chapter book series about a Cuban-American girl who loves the classics her Abuela read her as bedtime stories and loves to pretend. With two newly-found friends, Pancho Sanchez and Steph Williams, Dom Melendez has contemporary adventures while pretending to be characters from books like Don Quixote, Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers, and Sherlock Holmes. EXPLORE the other books in the series.
 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Knight of the Cape
Series: Definitely Dominguita (Book 1)
By Terry Catasus Jennings
Illustrated by Fatima Anaya
Published by Aladdin
Paperback ISBN-13: 9781534465022
Hardcover ISBN-13: 9781534465039
Age Range: 6 – 9 Years

All Dominguita wants to do is read. Especially the books in Spanish that Abuela gave to her just before she moved away. They were classics that Abuela and Dominguita read together, classics her abuela brought with her all the way from Cuba when she was a young girl. It helps Dominguita feel like Abuela’s still there with her.

One of her favorites, Don Quixote, tells of a brave knight errant who tries to do good deeds. Dominguita decides that she, too, will become a knight and do good deeds around her community, creating a grand adventure for her to share with her abuela. And when the class bully tells Dominguita that girls can’t be knights, Dom is determined to prove him wrong. With a team of new friends, can Dominguita learn how to be the hero of her own story?

“While the plot is carried by Dom’s search for knightly deeds, the focus is on the relationships in her vibrant Cuban American community. It’s heartwarming to see adults take a young girl’s knightly play seriously. Even better are the friendships she builds with her squire, Pancho Sanchez, and her master of the cookies, Steph, who walks with a brace….A charming adventure that will encourage kids to become knights in their own communities as well.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

THE GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Curious City gave away 20 individual hardcover copies of Knight of the Cape: Definitely Dominguita (Book 1) to educators and librarians. Our thanks to Simon & Schuster for the generous donation!