New Releases by Margarita Engle

As the Panama Canal turns one hundred, Newbery Honor winner Margarita Engle tells the story of its creation in this powerful new YA historical novel in verse.

Tiny Rabbit wants more than anything to be big--until he discovers that he is just the right size for the most important thing of all.

When Tony''s mother is sent to jail, he is sent to stay with a great uncle he has never met in Sierra Nevada. It is a daunting move—Tony''s new world bears no semblance to his previous one. But slowly, against a remote and remarkable backdrop, the scars from Tony''s troubled past begin to heal. With his Tió and a search-and-rescue dog named Gabe by his side, he learns how to track wild animals, is welcomed to the Cowboy Church, and makes new friends at the Mountain School. Most importantly though, it is through Gabe that Tony discovers unconditional love for the first time, in Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2013

When you wander down a leafy path I can smell your invisible trail . . . This cozy story gently teaches children what to do if they lose their way, and reassures them that a search-and-rescue dog can find them wherever they are. And once a child is found, the dog will bring people to make sure that everyone gets home safe and sound. Full of interesting facts about search-and-rescue dogs and tips for young children in case they get lost, Margarita Engle''s When You Wander is a fascinating peek into the world of these amazing dogs and the children they save.

Newbery Honor-winner Margarita Engle tells the story of Cuban folk hero, abolitionist, and women''s rights pioneer Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda in this powerful YA historical novel in verse.

In early twentieth-century Cuba, bandits terrorize the countryside as a young farm girl struggles with dyslexia. Based on the life of the author''s grandmother.

Juan Francisco Manzano was born in 1797 into the household of wealthy slave owners in Cuba. He spent his early years at the side of his owner''s wife, entertaining her friends. His poetry was his outlet, reflecting the beauty and cruelty of his world.

The story of a young girl living in the Middle Ages who took the time to observe the life cycle of butteflies--and in so doing disproved a theory that went all the way back to ancient Greece. Includes historical note.

The freedom to roam is something that women and girls in Cuba do not have. Yet when Fredrika Bremer visits from Sweden in 1851 to learn about the people of this magical island, she is accompanied by Cecilia, a young slave who longs for her lost home in Africa. Soon Elena, the wealthy daughter of the house, sneaks out to join them. As the three women explore the lush countryside, they form a bond that breaks the barriers of language and culture. In this quietly powerful new book, award-winning poet Margarita Engle paints a portrait of early women''s rights pioneer Fredrika Bremer and the journey to Cuba that transformed her life. The Firefly Letters is a 2011 Pura Belpre Honor Book for Narrative and a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children''s Book of the Year.

Acclaimed poet Engle has created a breathtaking portrait of Cuba in this story told in verse. For the first time, both English and Spanish translations of this Newbery Honor and ALA Notable Book are presented separately in one edition.

Daniel has escaped Nazi Germany with nothing but a desperate dream that he might one day find his parents again. But that golden land called New York has turned away his ship full of refugees, and Daniel finds himself in Cuba. As the tropical island begins to work its magic on him, the young refugee befriends a local girl with some painful secrets of her own. Yet even in Cuba, the Nazi darkness is never far away . . .

Cuba has fought three wars for independence, and still she is not free. This history in verse creates a lyrical portrait of Cuba.

The heroine is Carmen Peregrin, daughter of an assassinated Cuban revolutionary. Brought up in the U.S., she goes to Cuba to meet her half-brother, Camilo, who tries the next day to escape to the U.S. by raft. He is captured and jailed, and the novel follows Carmen''s efforts to obtain his release by a bribe, money for which she raises among rich relatives in Spain.

"A journey into the past reveals the terrifying truth that destroyed a family. A California farm wife leaves her husband and children to search for the truth about family members caught up in the turmoil of the Castro revolution. She encounters much more than she expected, as her family''s tragedy becomes her own personal drama, cast in a modern mystery play of good versus evil, angels versus demons." "An account of the imprisonment of her great uncle Gabriel, once a Castro supporter, swept away by the so-called "Secret War" against the Cuban peasants early in the revolution, sets the mood for this lyrical novel told in the Latin American style of magical realism. The magic, but all too real paradox, is a Cuba where the splendor of natural beauty coexists with moral evil."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved