Calling all Chismosos Everywhere!

New Novel, Fresh Gossip!
Looking to add a little extra drama to your shelves this fall? La vecina chismosa might be just the book. Perfect for Spanish Level 2, this novel blends comedy, creativity, and comprehensibility in all the right ways. It’s an especially fun pick for students who need that gentle push toward the classroom library.

See list of literary partners below!

Cover of the novel 'La vecina chismosa' by A.C. Quintero, featuring an illustration of a woman peering through binoculars at a man outside, with colorful text and graphic elements.

What is this story about?

A man sitting on a couch with cats, looking surprised as he hears a woman on a balcony greeting him. The woman, dressed in pink, waves while additional cats are seen on the balcony and a red car parked nearby.

We’ve all had nosy neighbors, but none quite like Heidi. As the self-appointed neighborhood “watch,” she keeps a close eye on Ernesto—literally, all day. At 70 years old, she refuses to let age slow her down, especially when it comes to her favorite pastime: spying on her downstairs neighbor.

Heidi has a knack for inserting herself into Ernesto’s life, but he has no idea just how involved she truly is—until she breaks into his house during his date. That’s when things go from awkward to absolutely outrageous… fast!

What’s the Reading Level of This Exciting New Novel?

Level: 2 The language is mostly present tense with a smattering of past tense and very few present subjunctive to maintain the natural flow.

Total word count: A little under 5000 words (it’s length is very similar to “La clase de confesiones.”). The book has 8 short chapters.

Unique word count: A little under 300 unique words. See the blurb below about unique words?

What are unique words?

What are “unique words” in a novel?
When we talk about unique words in a comprehensible input novel, we’re simply counting how many different vocabulary words appear in the book. For example, if the word casa (house) shows up 50 times, it still only counts once in the unique word total.

Why does this matter for teachers? The fewer unique words a novel contains, the more often students see the same vocabulary repeated in context. That repetition is what makes CI novels accessible—even for beginners—and helps students truly acquire the words.

So, when you see that a novel has 200 unique words, that means students will encounter those 200 words again and again throughout the story, giving them lots of natural exposure and practice without being overwhelmed by too much new vocabulary at once.

Where can I get this book? My students are going to love it!

Fortunately, this book is offered at several retailers!!!!!

Banner featuring the text 'Literary Partner' and the website 'BRYCEHEDSTROM.COM' with a colorful neon design.

Click here to see La vecina chismosa spilling the tea at Brycehedstrom.com

Graphic announcing 'Literary Partner' with the name 'Command Performance Books' in a modern, futuristic design featuring purple and blue tones.

Click here to see how Heidi turns Ernesto’s life upside down at Command Performance Books

Heidi thinks she’s in the Prime of her life. Click here to get the novel on Amazon.

Imagen de un teclado y un controlador de videojuegos sobre una mesa, con luces de colores brillantes y caramelos dispersos.

The CI Bookshop (Europe)

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Graphic promoting gripping and comprehensible novels for all language learners, featuring the titles Spanish, French, and German.

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