As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Gloria Félix.
Dancer Alicia Alonso (1920-2019) grew up in Cuba, where she attended the island's sole, poorly funded ballet school. In 1937 she moved to New York to study at the American Ballet Theatre and was well on her way to becoming a prima ballerina when she began to lose her eyesight. In a well-paced narrative, Viña emphasizes Alonso's resilience and determination--as she contends with a new country and language and later as she recovers from eye surgeries, reenters the dance world, learns to dance with impaired vision, and eventually returns to Cuba to teach. Félix's cartoon-style illustrations focus on movement and emotion. An author's note and bibliography are appended.
(1)
YA
This companion verse memoir to Enchanted Air provides a glimpse into Engle's teen years in Los Angeles and early adulthood. Engle addresses head-on the impact of the Vietnam War; the injustices prevalent in society at the time; the resistance of students and workers; and black and brown solidarity. The poems display Engle's customary sincerity and reflect the parallels and divergences between her two worlds--her Cuban and American heritages.
Reviewer: Sujei Lugo
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2019
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Edel Rodriguez
&
Antonio Martorell.
This valuable collection combines two previously published works (Where the Flame Trees Bloom and Under the Royal Palms) with a new set of stories from Ada's childhood memories of living in Cuba. Focusing on family and friends, the stories encourage readers to take a second look at the people and things in daily life. Black-and-white photos and illustrations are included. Glos.
(2)
YA
Emotionally rich memory poems begin with Margarita's joyful childhood visits to Cuba, her mother's homeland. At first, navigating two cultures is fairly seamless. But then there's the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and suddenly all is different. Margarita struggles to find her American self in a country that views Cuba as the enemy. An intimate view of a complicated time and life. Timeline.
Reviewer: Monica Edinger
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2015
32 pp.
| Holt
| April, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8050-7468-0$16.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Edel Rodriguez.
A girl carrying her favorite Celia Cruz record comes upon a neighborhood dance party. This celebration of the Queen of Salsa lyrically weaves in touches of Cuban history. Sciurba's rhythmic text nicely evokes Cruz's music, and Rodriguez's supple pastel, acrylic, and oil illustrations portray a party atmosphere. Track down a Cruz recording to listen to after reading the book. Glos.
111 pp.
| Chelsea
| July, 2001
|
LibraryISBN 0-7910-5883-2$$19.95
|
PaperISBN 0-7910-5884-0$$9.95
(4)
4-6
Women of Achievement series.
The latest additions to this series of biographies will be useful mainly for those writing reports. Although each offers a detailed account of the subject's life, the writing is pedestrian and the photographs often dreary. Some of the books offer more substance due mainly to the subject herself (e.g., Toni Morrison). Each book contains a chronology. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Women of Achievement titles: Cher, Toni Morrison, Mother Teresa, Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Estefan.]
64 pp.
| Chelsea
| March, 2001
|
LibraryISBN 0-7910-6108-6$$17.95
(4)
4-6
Latinos in the Limelight series.
These formulaic biographies profile well-known Latinos in business, the arts, and sports. After a chapter about the subject's childhood and early years, the books provide basic background information about his or her career. The adulatory texts are accompanied by average-quality photos. A chronology and, where appropriate, lists of accomplishments and awards are appended. Bib., ind.
(4)
YA
A & E Biography series.
Spanning two millennia, this unlikely trio of female notables is featured in volumes that adequately cover their lives in uninspired prose. The texts occasionally detour to include brief information boxes containing background material. The books are illustrated with serviceable photos--in both black and white and color--and reproductions. Cleopatra includes a time line; Estefan has a discography. Bib., ind.
88 pp.
| Atheneum
| November, 1998
|
TradeISBN 0-689-80631-0$$15.00
(3)
4-6
Black-and-white snapshots illustrate this companion to Where the Flame Trees Bloom. Stories and remembrances--some gentle, some sad or humorous--flesh out the author's childhood in a small Cuban town and demonstrate the importance of family, friends, neighbors, and teachers to a young girl. An epilogue urges readers to recognize the stories around and within themselves.