Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

tropical-secretsFor the month of September, we will continue to explore the topic of Refugees in children’s books. Today I would like to share a book I recently came across on the topic: Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Cuban-American poet Magarita Engle (Henry Holt & Co, 2009). This is the author’s third novel in verse about Cuba (the previous two were the award-winning The Poet Slave of Cuba and The Surrender Tree), and this time her story takes place during WWII, when when the rise of Nazism led to a severe rise in refugees from Germany trying to find safety in other parts of the world.

A historical note at the end (and readers may want to consider reading it before getting started), helps contextualize the story, which is told, mostly, in the alternating voices of Daniel, a 13 year-old German Jewish who escapes Germany in 1939 after being separated from his parents, and whose ship is finally allowed entry in Cuba after being turned away from the U.S. and Canada; and Paloma, a 12 year-old girl who, unbeknownst to her father, is (more…)

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Margarita Engle Presents "Finding the Poetry in History"

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

hispanic heritage month Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with award-winning author Margarita Engle at the annual meeting of ANCA, the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature, located in Fresno, California.

On Friday, September 25, following a reception at 6:00 p.m., Margarita will deliver her presentation “Finding the Poetry in History”. ANCA president Denise Sciandra will then introduce a presentation of Jane Addams Award-winning books by community activist Ellie Bluestein. There is no admission charge for this event but you must make a reservation so click here for details.

Margarita is the Cuban-American author of three novels, written in free verse, for young people:

* The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano, which won the Pura Belpré Award, the Americas Award, and many other national awards;

* The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom, about a freed slave who treated the wounded from both sides in Cuba’s 19th-century struggle for independence; winner of the Pura Belpré Award, the Americas Award and the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and a 2009 Newbery Honor book;

* Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba, published in April 2009, and already winning rave reviews.

Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards are given annually to children’s books published the preceding year that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races, as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence. Margarita’s book The Surrender Tree won this year’s award in the Books for Older Children category.

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