A middle grade historical novel about a twelve-year-old boy who leaves his family in Cuba to immigrate to the U.S. by himself, based on the author's family history.
Adrianna Cuevas is the author of The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez (FSG BYR, 2020). She is a first-generation Cuban-American originally from Miami, Florida. After teaching Spanish and ESOL for sixteen years, she decided to pursue her passion for storytelling. Adrianna currently resides outside of Austin, TX with her husband and son where they enjoy hiking, traveling, and cooking lots of Cuban food. adriannacuevas.com
A Kirkus Best Children's Book of the Year
SCBWI Golden Kite Award Finalist
"Cuba in My Pocket is an authentic and moving portrayal of a tragic
era in Cuban history, told with empathy and hope." -- Margarita
Engle, Newbery Honor-winning author and Young People's Poet
Laureate Emeritus
"Adrianna Cuevas has written a book that is a beautiful gift to the
memory of her father, filled with love and a great respect for the
culture and folklore of Cuba. The travails of Cumba Fernandez, a
young Cuban wrenched into exile, will make all readers want to root
for him, as he finds courage he didn't know he had, dares to be
hopeful when his heart is broken, and learns to always carry Cuba
in his pocket."
-- Ruth Behar, author of Pura Belpré Award-Winning book, Lucky
Broken Girl, and Sydney Taylor Notable book, Letters from Cuba
"A harrowing and important read. Cuevas explores an often-hidden
moment in Cuban American history with heart, compassion, and
authenticity." -- Ernesto Cisneros, author of Pura Belpré
Award-Winning book Efrén Divided
"Cuba in My Pocket is beautifully told and vividly realized. Cuevas
thoughtfully explores the agonizing loss of home and family and
what it means to try and hold onto both from across the sea.
Cumba's journey is specific, deeply personal, and a love letter to
the freedom to dream. Heartbreaking but stubbornly hopeful, I will
carry this story with me forever." -- Nina Moreno, author of Don't
Date Rosa Santos "From the riveting glimpse into 1960s Cuba, to
narrator Cumba--beautifully drawn in all his bravery, wit, and
spirit--this story is a triumph." -- Laura Taylor Namey, New York
Times bestselling author of A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and
Tomorrow "Cuba in My Pocket is an expertly written, emotional
roller coaster you don't want to miss." -- Saadia Faruqi, author of
Yusuf Azeem Is Not A Hero "Inspired by stories from her father's
childhood, Cuevas' latest is a triumph of the heart...A
compassionate, emotionally astute portrait of a young Cuban in
exile." -- Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW "Cuevas' intense and immersive
account of a Cuban boy's experience after the failed Bay of Pigs
Invasion brings a specific point in history alive ... Drawing from
her father's boyhood experiences, Cuevas does an outstanding job of
eliciting the confusing array of emotions Cumba feels as he is
thrown into life in a new country." -- Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
"Cuevas packs this sophomore novel with palpable emotions and
themes of friendship, love, longing, and trauma, attentively
conveying tumultuous historical events from the lens of one young
refugee." -- Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW Praise for The Total
Eclipse of Nestor Lopez:
2021 Pura Belpré Honor Book
NYPL Best Book of 2020
2020 Evanston Public Library Great Books for Kids
Recipient of the Sunshine State Young Reader Award "A marvelous,
magical mystery that deftly blends family, friends and folklore."
-- David Bowles, author of Pura Belpré Honor Book and Walter Dean
Myers Honor Book They Call Me Güero
"Mystery, adventure, humor, friendship, and...talking animals--The
Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez has it all! Readers will love this
funny, fast-paced, heartwarming story." -- Celia C. Pérez, author
of the Pura Belpre Honor book The First Rule of Punk "A charming
and vibrant debut fantasy." -- Kirkus Reviews "Readers will devour
this fast-paced adventure as they root for Nestor and his ragtag
bunch of friends and animal allies . . . In a unique take on South
and Central American folklore, Cuevas brings to life an earthly
type of twisted magic that transcends spells and transfiguration,
extending into the feelings of belonging and finding a true home."
-- Booklist
"With this heartwarming debut, Cuevas draws upon Central American
legends and her Cuban heritage to flesh out Nestor's experiences .
. . crafting a tense, satisfying tale of magic, family, and finding
one's true home." --Publisher's Weekly "Cuevas crafts a riveting
story based on folktales from Panama and Costa Rica." -- School
Library Journal
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