Her island neighbors call her “Darkfright” because she is so afraid of the night. As darkness comes on, Darkfright does anything in her power to keep it away–she turns on all the lights and bustles around the house as if it were day. Then one night a fallen star crashed through her door, a star that needs care and mending, and ultimately to be replaced in the night sky. The broken star helped her see things differently.
Caribbean
Puerto Rico
This book explores the geography, history, government, economy, people, and culture of Puerto Rico.
Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa
Celia Cruz is the Queen of Salsa. She enjoyed singing and sings songs to her siblings when she was younger. In high school, she sang Afro-Cuban rhythms in local clubs. Then she was hired as lead singer for Cuba’s most popular band, La Sonora Matancera, and together they created a new style of Latin dance music. She left Cuba and started her singing career in the United States. She continues to sing over 49 years.creat
Hue Boy
Everybody talks about little Hue Boy’s size. He gets teased by his friends at school, his mother worries day and night, and his grandma sews up clothes for him to grow into. Buy he does not change at all, even though just about everyone in the village offers advice. Yet in time Hue Boy grows to understand what it really means to stand tall, no matter what his height.
How the Sea Began
The gourd containing the bow and arrow of the great departed hunter, Yayael, produces a torrent of water that becomes the world’s ocean.
Puerto Rico
This book examines the history, geography, society, economy, and culture of Puerto Rico.
The Dog Who Loved the Moon
When her dog becomes lovesick for the moon, a young Cuban girl and her uncle call the moon down to give the dog a kiss, with surprising results.
Sambalena Show-Off
A lazy boy gets his head stuck in a pot, and only with the wise advice of his grandmother does he get it out.
The Penalty
Paul Faustino, known as the best soccer journalist in the business, reluctantly investigates the disappearance of 18-year-old Ricardo, a soccer prodigy known as “El Brujito,” while in alternate chapters a slave in old San Juan becomes a powerful voodoo priest.
Thumbelina Of Toulaba
This retelling of the H. C. Andersen fairy tale is set on an imaginary island in the Carribean. A tiny girl is stolen from her loving mother and many siblings, has adventures with a wise caiman, an injured bird of paradise, and other exotic creatures, and learns how to say no while fending off suitors. Includes a glossary of plants and animals.