- 2017 Copyright
- Genre: Historical Fiction/Immigrants from Cuba/Coming of Age
- Grade Level: 5th and up
- Reading Level: 4th grade
- Length: 256 pages
- Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books (April 11, 2017)
- My Rating: 4 out of 4
- Readability: Couldn't put it down, lots of spanish sprinkled throughout which I didn't know what it meant but didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.
- Division 2
- Summary: In 1960s New York, fifth-grader Ruthie, a Cuban-Jewish immigrant, must rely on books, art, her family, and friends in her multicultural neighborhood when an accident puts her in a body cast.
This book is based on the life and experiences of the author
growing up as a refugee from Cuba and living in New York City. The story starts
with Ruthie being able to go to a regular classroom when her English is good
enough. Later, her father brings home a
dream car and they have an accident with a drunk driver. Ruthie ends up with a
broken leg and put into a body cast and bedridden for a year. Despite such a
terrible situation, she finds friendship, love of literature, art, and
storytelling. She struggles with forgiveness, God, boredom, fear, but overcomes
despite all her struggles. It is really
an amazing story.
I hope teachers assign this as a book to read or for a book
club. I think there are a lot of discussion points. I did wonder why she struggled so much with
God when her family is Jewish. Perhaps they didn't pass on their faith to her.
The story does show how kids do think about such things and find comfort in
prayer in difficult situations. And even though this is a book about a
struggle, there is joy in the story and Ruth has a turning point in her life in
this year as she looks to what she wants to do in the future which will include
art and writing.
I read this book quickly and was surprised and how connected
I became to this book.
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