Culca longs to dive, but girls on her native island take care of the men. The divers are essential to the survival of the village as the pearls and shells they gather are used for trading. All is not well, however. When Spanish ships full of gold sink in a storm, the village divers are taken to recover the treasure, and Culca must use her nimble wits and unflagging bravery to save her brother’s life. Culca comes through as a strong female voice.

Related: Americas, Historical Fiction, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Mexico

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• ISBN: 9780590446204
• Author: Strasser, Todd
• Published: 1992, Scholastic
• Themes: bravery, colonization, Indigenous, invention
• Descriptors: Americas, Historical Fiction, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Mexico
• No. of pages: 159