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Paola Santiago and the River of Tears
Last updated Sunday, October 4, 2026
Author: Tehlor Kay Mejia
Date of Publication: 2020
ISBN: 1368049176
Grade Level: 5th (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Oct. 2026
Synopsis:
Space-obsessed 12-year-old Paola Santiago and her two best friends, Emma and Dante, know the rule: Stay away from the river. It's all they've heard since a schoolmate of theirs drowned a year ago. Paola is embarrassed to admit that she has been told to stay away for even longer than that, because her mother is constantly warning her about La Llorona, the wailing ghost woman who wanders the banks of the Gila at night, looking for young people to drag into its murky depths.
Hating her mother's humiliating superstitions and knowing that she and her friends would never venture into the water, Paola organizes a meet-up to test out her new telescope near the Gila, since it's the best stargazing spot. But when Emma never arrives and Paola sees a shadowy figure in the reeds, it seems like maybe her mom was right...
Paola has always relied on hard science to make sense of the world, but to find her friend she will have to enter the world of her nightmares, which includes unnatural mist, mind-bending monsters, and relentless spirits controlled by a terrifying force that defies both logic and legend.
| Note to readers: |
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Before engaging with the material, reading to the student the summary and reviews on the back of this book can help them get their footing on the story and engage with the material. Discussion questions will follow the summary. The guide is based upon the first three chapters of the book.
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Based on the summary, what do you think is going to happen? How do you think it's going to happen?
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What do you think of the book's reviews? Does it sound like people enjoyed reading the book or that they had other feelings?
Vocabulary
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Discriminate- to treat someone unfairly based on their group or category, or to recognize a difference between things.
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Magnanimous- to be very kind, generous, and forgiving, especially toward a rival, an enemy, or someone you have defeated.
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Fixation- to have an obsessive or unhealthy preoccupation with someone or something, or the physical state of being firmly fastened in place.
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Detritus- waste, debris, or loose fragmented material left behind after something is broken, used, or destroyed.
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Ruminations- the act of thinking carefully and for a long period about something, usually to the point of overthinking.
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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How do you think Paola feels when Emma listens to her interests in science? How have you felt when someone listened to your interests?
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What do you think of Paola's dream where Emma's hand is reaching out of the river? What meaning might it have?
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What do you think of how Paola tells Dante's grandmother that she should be upset about Marisa's drowning because she was a human, not because she was beautiful? (Chapter 3)
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| Craft ideas: |
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Create a God's Eye (Ojo de Dios) by putting together two Popsicle sticks into a cross. After creating the cross yarn should be wrapped around each stick. The color of the yarn can be changed by tying a new yarn to the end of the old. Look Up on YouTube "How to Make a God's Eye | Sophie's World" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBasu24q-xE for specific instructions (1:25). Using the dowel rods create a river by tying blue, green and graying yarn/ribbon/string to the rod. Sway for river-like movements.
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| Special activities: |
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Share ghost stories with the student or ask if they have any for you.
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Ask if they have a favorite monster story.
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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