Cuba

The Peanut Man

The story of a Cuban refugee and her joy in an unexpected encounter that connects her beloved home in Havana with her new home in Atlanta. Each evening Coqui waits for the familiar cry of the Peanut Man—”¡Mani! Peanuts!”—and watches for him to appear on the street below her window. They always greet each other in their own special way—Coqui tucks her thumbs in her ears and sticks out her tongue at Emilio. And Emilio, to her great amusement, does the same in return. Night after night, the two friends continue their ritual.

One evening, Coqui sadly announces, “Nos vamos.” She tells him that they have to leave Cuba. They are going to the United States. Emilio tries to assure her that she will like many things about los Estados Unidos, especially beisbol, her favorite sport. “But don’t forget your friend Emilio,” he says as he walks away. “¡Nunca!” she calls out through tears. She could never forget him.

Coqui and her family arrive in Decatur, Georgia, in the dead of winter to snow-covered ground. Her father seals the windows with duct tape and they await the arrival of spring. Coqui watches for the Peanut Man, but he does not appear. Several years pass, she learns wobbly English, and becomes a devoted Atlanta Braves fan. She forgets her beloved Peanut Man. Then one day her father surprises her with the perfect birthday gift—two tickets for a Braves game to see their favorite player Hammerin’ Hank Aaron. As they settle into their seats amid the cheering crowds, Coqui hears a man yelling “Peanuts! Get your peanuts!” The delicious smell of roasted peanuts reaches her and memories of home and Emilio rush into her head.

New Shoes For Leo

William’s Mami and his Tía Ana are busy packing a big box of food, medicine, and clothing to mail to their family living in Cuba. But something important is missing. They have no zapatos, no shoes, to send Cousin Leo!

Wings In The Wild

When a hurricane exposes Soleida’s family’s secret sculpture garden, the Cuban government arrests her artist parents, forcing her to escape alone to Central America where she meets Dariel, a Cuban American boy, and together they work to protect the environment and bring attention to the imprisoned artists in Cuba.

Rima’s Rebellion: Courage In A Time Of Tyranny

In 1920s Cuba, Rima is bullied and shunned for her illegitimacy, but finds solace in riding her horse and forges unexpected friendships with others who share her dreams of freedom and suffrage. Includes historical note.

Isla To Island

Marisol loves her colorful island home. Cuba is vibrant with flowers and food and people…but things are changing. The home Marisol loves is no longer safe, and then it’s no longer her home at all. Her parents are sending her to the United States. Alone.
Nothing about Marisol’s new life in cold, gray Brooklyn feels like home, not the language, school, or even her foster parents. But Marisol starts to realize that home isn’t always a place. And finding her way can be as simple as staying true to herself.

Featured in WOW Review Volume XIV, Issue 4.

Cuba In My Pocket

When the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 solidifies Castro’s power in Cuba, twelve-year-old Cumba’s family makes the difficult decision to send him to Florida alone. Faced with the prospect of living in another country by himself, Cumba tries to remember the sound of his father’s clarinet, the smell of his mother’s lavender perfume.
Life in the United States presents a whole new set of challenges. Lost in a sea of English speakers, Cumba has to navigate a new city, a new school, and new freedom all on his own. With each day, Cumba feels more confident in his new surroundings, but he continues to wonder: Will his family ever be whole again? Or will they remain just out of reach, ninety miles across the sea?

Un Pregón De Frutas (Song Of Frutas) (Spanish Edition)

While visiting her abuelo in Cuba, a young girl helps him sell frutas, singing the name of each fruit as they walk, and after she returns to the United States, they exchange letters made of abrazos–hugs. Includes historical and cultural notes.