Scan barcode
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
I'm glad that participating in this year's Mock Pura Belpre Award got me to read this - the verse is evocative and lovely, the themes are timely, and although some of the history might need scaffolding for younger readers, it's still accessible. (Engle does include a timeline at the back, and an author's note that provides a little closure).
azajacks's review against another edition
4.0
I support independent bookstores. You can use this link to find one near you: http://www.indiebound.org
nerfherder86's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful book in verse, a biography of Margarita's childhood as a daughter of a Cuban mother and an American painter father. She spent summers visiting her relatives in Cuba, but after the Cuban revolution the family could no longer travel there, and young Margarita doesn't understand the politics, only the reality of missing her abuelita, and of the whispers of her American neighbors that her parents are spies. The poems portray the vibrant colors, smells, sights and sounds of the "crocodile-shaped" island, where young Margarita feels she is almost another girl entirely, a confident girl and not the shy bookworm with no American friends. Peppered with Spanish vocabulary and descriptions of Cuban culture, as well as a story about a girl caught between two worlds, growing up with an appreciation for all cultures, this charming book ends with the author's heartfelt plea that perhaps someday the travel ban will be lifted so that "an ordinary family" will be united again. And her wishes came true, just as the book was being published, with the thawing of relations with Cuba! Good book for all ages. Winner of the inaugural Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for Teens, 2016. https://www.kent.edu/virginiahamiltonconference/arnold-adoff-poetry-award-recipients
lilly_lo22's review against another edition
5.0
Really eye opening. This book was really good! Read it in one sitting.
falconerreader's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like I should love this book. But, well, I didn't.
katieckb's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book of poems written from the perspective of a young girl / tween whose mom is from Cuba and her Dad is from the US. It is written during the time period of the Cold War and touches on some of the issues / prejudices that the girl grapples with.
jillcd's review against another edition
5.0
A beautifully written memoir regarding the USA and Cuba. It would pair nicely with the historic fic book Countdown. Lovely!