A compelling look at the radiant life of La Reina de la Salsa.
A biography of iconic Afro-Cuban musician Celia Cruz that pays special attention to her early years.
Úrsula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso got her start in music when she was tasked with singing lullabies to young relatives at bedtime—Celia’s lullabies were so dynamic that the children stayed awake and demanded more songs instead of drifting off to sleep. With the encouragement of her favorite instructor, she set her plans to become a teacher aside in order to pursue a career in music. Celia’s meteoric rise to stardom was not without difficulty, but her hard work and support from family and fellow musicians kept her on track to becoming one of the most famous Latine singers in history. The book explores topics such as the prejudice Celia faced because of her darker skin, political turmoil in Cuba during the 1950s, and Celia’s painful exile from her home country, all within the context of her career and celebrity. It’s clear that Celia touched those around her with her dynamic talent and innovative musicality and used her status to advocate for others. Engaging illustrations and informative sidebars further enrich the heartfelt informational text. Positive affirmations are sprinkled throughout the book; readers will come away inspired to follow Celia’s positive example. Backmatter includes an author's note from Alexander and a note from the nonprofit organization Hispanic Star, which partnered with the publisher for this series.
A compelling look at the radiant life of La Reina de la Salsa. (facts) (Biography. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-82813-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An authentic and moving time capsule of middle school angst, trauma, and joy.
Through the author’s own childhood diary entries, a seventh grader details her inner life before and after 9/11.
Alyssa’s diary entries start in September 2000, in the first week of her seventh grade year. She’s 11 and dealing with typical preteen concerns—popularity and anxiety about grades—along with other things more particular to her own life. She’s shuffling between Queens and Manhattan to share time between her divorced parents and struggling with thick facial hair and classmates who make her feel like she’s “not a whole person” due to her mixed White and Puerto Rican heritage. Alyssa is endlessly earnest and awkward as she works up the courage to talk to her crush, Alejandro; gushes about her dreams of becoming a shoe designer; and tries to solve her burgeoning unibrow problem. The diaries also have a darker side, as a sense of impending doom builds as the entries approach 9/11, especially because Alyssa’s father works in finance in the World Trade Center. As a number of the diary entries are taken directly from the author’s originals, they effortlessly capture the loud, confusing feelings middle school brings out. The artwork, in its muted but effective periwinkle tones, lends a satisfying layer to the diary’s accessible and delightful format.
An authentic and moving time capsule of middle school angst, trauma, and joy. (author's note) (Graphic memoir. 8-13)Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-77427-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
For every dreaming girl (and boy) with a pencil in hand (or keyboard) and a story to share.
A multiaward–winning author recalls her childhood and the joy of becoming a writer.
Writing in free verse, Woodson starts with her 1963 birth in Ohio during the civil rights movement, when America is “a country caught / / between Black and White.” But while evoking names such as Malcolm, Martin, James, Rosa and Ruby, her story is also one of family: her father’s people in Ohio and her mother’s people in South Carolina. Moving south to live with her maternal grandmother, she is in a world of sweet peas and collards, getting her hair straightened and avoiding segregated stores with her grandmother. As the writer inside slowly grows, she listens to family stories and fills her days and evenings as a Jehovah’s Witness, activities that continue after a move to Brooklyn to reunite with her mother. The gift of a composition notebook, the experience of reading John Steptoe’s Stevieand Langston Hughes’ poetry, and seeing letters turn into words and words into thoughts all reinforce her conviction that “[W]ords are my brilliance.” Woodson cherishes her memories and shares them with a graceful lyricism; her lovingly wrought vignettes of country and city streets will linger long after the page is turned.
For every dreaming girl (and boy) with a pencil in hand (or keyboard) and a story to share. (Memoir/poetry. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-25251-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
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