An unusually slight offering from an author whose work is usually so compelling.
This book features the lives of a variety of Latinos who faced life’s challenges with aplomb and in their own ways.
Celebrated Cuban-American author Engle presents the lives of some well-known Latinos such as the musician Tito Puente, labor union organizer César Chávez, and National Baseball Hall of Fame player Roberto Clemente. Others are not as familiar to children today but still left their marks on our country: Father Félix Varela, who became an advocate of equal rights for Irish immigrants; Paulina Pedroso, who openly defied racial segregation; Aída de Acosta, who flew a dirigible six months before the Wright brothers flew the first airplane; and George Meléndez Wright, first chief of the National Parks Wildlife Division and a renowned conservationist. Given his close association with Cuba rather than the United States, the inclusion of poet José Martí is puzzling. Each one of the 18 people presented is awarded a double-page spread. On one page each person is stunningly portrayed in López’s strong and vibrant style; opposite is a first-person biographical poem that provides a glimpse into its subject’s life. At the end of the book the author has included a brief biographical note about each, yet between poem and note readers may find they are left with a large information gap. A further list of other outstanding Latinos is also included.
An unusually slight offering from an author whose work is usually so compelling. (Picture book/biography/poetry. 8-12)Pub Date: March 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9876-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
The theme of recovery after deep trauma shines brightly.
After Ma nearly drowns one fateful night, a North Carolina boy doesn’t go outside.
Everything 11-year-old James Henry needs to do, including taking imaginary trips into the night skies with twin sister Hattie, he can do at home. He endures the stares and gossip of folks as they pass his house. Nobody but he knows what happened that night, but as long as he has the safety of home, as long as nobody touches him, and as long as he can avoid his own guilt, he’s fine. But Hattie is done with James Henry’s being “just fine.” A rare blue moon is coming, and she thinks that it’s time for him to go out and meet it. Everyone knows that things can change and worlds can shift under the blue moon. Using short poems, the tale takes readers on a soul-twisting journey once James Henry, a Black boy living during Jim Crow, leaves home with his sister and her friend Lottie Jean. Together they face off against racists and bullies. Readers also get joyous representations of Black children thriving in the outdoors: swimming, eating well, and using knowledge passed down to them to move forward. This is when these characters start to take full form, but it’s interrupted by the mystery of what really happened to James Henry’s Ma, something that haunts the storyline in confusing and distracting ways.
The theme of recovery after deep trauma shines brightly. (author’s note) (Verse historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9780593480984
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
A serious and relatable tale of everyday life intersecting with and diverging from the realities of war.
One Sinhalese girl’s story set during the late 1990s amid the ongoing Sri Lankan civil war.
Ten-year-old Kavi isn’t happy, and she hasn’t been happy for some time. Her father came home from years of fighting but only because he lost his leg. Then, shortly after Thaththa died, her mother remarried. Kavi’s left with no father and a distracted mother who can’t understand that no one can replace Thaththa. Her one solace is school; in fact, Kavi does so well academically that she wins a scholarship to attend school in the big city of Colombo. She isn’t sure she wants to go live with her maternal aunt who works as a maid in a rich family’s house, but it might be better than staying at home. The city is completely different from Kavi’s village, and even as she struggles to fit in, she finds unexpected friendships and explores new experiences. But ultimately, Kavi’s future will depend on the consequences of one mistake and whether she can remain true to herself. Told in accessible, economical verse, this novel explores Kavi’s day-to-day struggles against a backdrop of civil war and social inequality. Though her problems at times seem insurmountable, this is ultimately a reassuring story of friendship, family, and finding solutions.
A serious and relatable tale of everyday life intersecting with and diverging from the realities of war. (historical notes, glossary) (Verse historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9780823453658
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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