ADVENTURE IN THE CITY OF STORIES

Bilingual cousins once again travel through time to confront injustice.

Siggy, Camila, and Jorge return for a second adventure, racing to clear their Tía Xía’s name after she’s accused of stealing a rare children’s book and handmade puppets that are historical artifacts. Using their tía’s magical boats, they journey from present-day Miami (where school bully Cooper is eager to get them in trouble) to New York City in the year 1930. Their mission: to return a signed first edition of Perez and Martina, a famous folktale by pioneering Boricua librarian Pura Belpré, to the New York Public Library along with her mouse and cockroach puppets. In the past, they meet Antonia, a child who faces racism from Mrs. Wilson, the wife of her parents’ employer, after she writes an essay celebrating Puerto Rico and critiquing the conditions in Mr. Wilson’s factory. Camila connects deeply with Antonia’s experience, having faced similar bias for bringing Spanish-language books to school. What seems like a simple task grows more complicated as the cousins navigate prejudice and the meddling Mrs. Wilson. Encounters with figures such as Arturo Schomburg, Gabriela Mistral, and Anne Carroll Moore enrich the journey. Bernatene’s dynamic grayscale illustrations draw readers into the action. This fast-paced adventure has depth and cultural relevance, blending Latine history with timely themes about whose stories are valued. Rich, extensive backmatter greatly enhances the book.

A time-travel quest that honors the power of preserving and sharing stories.