New Releases by Margarita Engle

In this companion to Bravo!, Margarita Engle's beautiful poetry introduces young readers to lesser-known Latinos from varied backgrounds who have all shown tremendous resilience. Prepare to be inspired by this empowering collection of poetry that tells a larger story about fortitude and community across Hispanic history. From environmental activists such as Christina Figueres to record breaking athletes like Pelé, each role model featured is a legend in their own right. There’s no better time to champion the accomplishments of this remarkable group of unsung heroes from all across Latin America! Those profiled in this collection include Anacaona, Martín de la Cruz and Juan Badiano, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Micaela Bastidas Puyucahua, Simón Bolívar, Mariana Grajales Cuello, Ana Roqué de Duprey, Julio Garavito Armero, Ramón Fonst Segundo, Christiana Figueres, Juano Hernández, Gabriela Mistral, Martín Chambi de Coaza, Marina Núñez del Prado, Noé Canjura, Nicolás García Uriburu, Pelé, and Rigoberta Menchú Tum.

Get ready to be inspired by this biography of one-of-a-kind diplomat and activist, Christiana Figueres, whose fight to protect our planet isn't over yet. Raised in the mountains of Costa Rica surrounded by lush rainforests and vibrant wildlife, Christiana always had a deep love for the natural world. From the shimmering quetzal birds to gleaming golden toads, the biodiversity of Costa Rica was truly a sight to behold. However, with deforestation on the rise and increasing pollution, the dazzling species that defined the rainforest began gradually going extinct as Christiana grew up. Thus began Christiana's journey to becoming a diplomat and eventually one of the most influential voices in the realm of environmental activism on a mission to save the planet from losing any more precious species of wildlife. Christiana Figueres, Friend of the Rainforest is a story of perseverance sure to inspire readers from all over to take a stance in protecting our special planet.

Twelve short stories in verse by bestselling and award-winning authors that explore the highs and lows of love – romantic, platonic, familial, and self-love. Love can be many things – all-consuming, fleeting, vengeful, selfless, toxic, uplifting, and always, a core part of the teen experience that leaves an indelible mark. This enchanting, genre-crossing anthology delivers something for every reader with unique characters, global settings, and a dazzling mixture of myth, historical, speculative, and contemporary fiction. With the turn of a page, get swept away by unexpected love blooming between two princes from enemy Mesoamerican nations in the 15th century, who'd rather make music rather than war; cheer for a timid bearded lady who was shunned by her family and runs away to find belonging and safety at the circus during the 1800s experience the heartbreak of saying goodbye to a beloved pet; breathlessly watch a myth unfold as a siren bound to the water falls in love with a winged forest spirit, their love seemingly impossible from the start. Root for a girl who emerges from grief and battles with chronic pain to discover how to love herself and life again. Love is complicated, and this anthology embraces the messiness and the joy of all kinds of love. Contributors include: Alexandra Alessandri David Bowles Melanie Crowder Margarita Engle Eric Gansworth Robin Gow Mariama J. Lockington Laura Ruby Padma Venkatraman Jasmine Warga Charles Waters Kip Wilson

Inspirado en historias de la infancia de su madre, la célebre autora Margarita Engle y el premiado artista John Parra, han creado un vibrante libro ilustrado sobre como una jovencita y su familia encuentran alegría en la música que entraba por su ventana. Eloísa ama la música, pero como su familia es muy humilde, solo puede escuchar los ritmos y melodías que entran cuando abre su ventana. Pajaritos y gatos, con sus voces, entonan coros a diario, y canciones de la radio del vecino flotan en el aire. En la calle, los niños agitan maracas y producen ritmos con tambores bongós, un laúd, un cencerro y un güiro, en fin, una orquesta. Los sonidos del vecindario es música suficiente para Eloísa, pero cuando su mamá se enferma y a su familia se le dificulta comprar medicinas, ¿podrá la música aliviarla del mismo modo en que consuela a Eloísa?

Longlisted for the National Book Award A Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Honor Book In this stirring young adult novel-in-verse from award-winning author Margarita Engle, love and conservation intertwine as two teens go on a “transformative journey celebrating the power of overcoming personal struggles to make a lasting impact” (Kirkus Reviews). Ana and her mother have been living out of their car ever since her militant father became one of the FBI’s most wanted. Leandro has struggled with debilitating anxiety since his family fled Cuba on a perilous raft. One moonlit night, in a wilderness park in California, Ana and Leandro meet. Their connection is instant—a shared radiance that feels both scientific and magical. Then they discover they are not alone: a huge mountain lion stalks through the trees, one of many wild animals whose habitat has been threatened by humans. Determined to make a difference, Ana and Leandro start a rewilding club at their school, working with scientists to build wildlife crossings that can help mountain lions find one another. If pumas can find their way to a better tomorrow, surely Ana and Leandro can too.

"A girl and her community celebrate the arrival of the water man when he comes on his weekly visit to distribute water to a Cuban village. Includes author's note"--

Un alegre libro de la aclamada autora Margarita Engle en el que cuenta cómo una niña y su comunidad celebran la llegada del aguador, que los visita semanalmente para distribuir agua al pueblo. Los días del agua son días atareados, días agradecidos, días risueños, días sedientos. Un pequeño pueblo ya no tiene suficiente suministro de agua, pero una niña y sus vecinos reciben la ayuda del aguador. Cuando él viene al pueblo, el agua fluye como la esperanza para toda la familia, y todos celebran su llegada.

When a hurricane exposes Soleida's family's secret sculpture garden, the Cuban government arrests her artist parents, forcing her to escape alone to Central America where she meets Dariel, a Cuban American boy, and together they work to protect the environment and bring attention to the imprisoned artists in Cuba.

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra finds refuge from his difficult childhood by imagining the adventures of a brave but clumsy knight. This fictionalized first-person biography in verse of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra follows the early years of the child who grows up to pen Don Quixote, the first modern novel. The son of a vagabond barber-surgeon, Miguel looks to his own imagination for an escape from his family's troubles and finds comfort in his colorful daydreams. At a time when access to books is limited and imaginative books are considered evil, Miguel is inspired by storytellers and wandering actors who perform during festivals. He longs to tell stories of his own. When Miguel is nineteen, four of his poems are published, launching the career of one of the greatest writers in the Spanish language. Award-winning author Margarita Engle's distinctive picture book depiction of the childhood of the father of the modern novel, told in a series of free verse poems, is enhanced by Raúl Colón's stunning illustrations. Back matter includes a note from both the author and illustrator as well as additional information on Cervantes and his novel Don Quixote.

"When Destiny was found by the Sloth Institute in Costa Rica, she was sick, thin, and one of her eyes was closed and not working. The Sloth Institute took her in and introduced her to other sloths as she started to recover. She never regained the use of her one eye, but that didn't stop Destiny from hanging out with her new buddies, or getting healthier and stronger. Last August, Destiny was fitted for her tracking collar and released back into the wild. This inspiring story not only encourages kids to be determined like Destiny, but it also shows them the importance of being kind to those who may look different than us"--

De la autora premiada Margarita Engle, una inspiradora novela de formación sobre una niña que se enamora por primera vez mientras encuentra el coraje para protestar por el derecho al voto de las mujeres en la Cuba de 1920. A Rima le encanta montar a caballo con la abuela y las mambisas, las valientes veteranas que lucharon durante las guerras de independencia en Cuba. Feministas de varios orígenes se han reunido en clubes de votación para exigir el sufragio y la igualdad de las mujeres, pero no todos quieren igualdad para todo el mundo… especialmente para alguien como Rima Marín. En los años 1920 en Cuba, los niños “ilegítimos” como ella eran intimidados y rechazados. Rima sueña con un día en que estará libre de miedo y vergüenza, que es como se siente cuando viaja con las mambisas. Mientras busca su camino en la vida, Rima forja amistades inesperadas con otras personas que desean la libertad, especialmente con un apuesto joven artista llamado Maceo. A través de tiempos turbulentos, la esperanza se eleva… y también el amor.

Inspirada por las dificultades de sus propios parientes durante un período oscuro de la historia de Cuba, la aclamada autora Margarita Engle cuenta “un doloroso y conmovedor” (la revista Horn Book) relato de amor en los tiempos del hambre. Verano de 1991 El pueblo de Cuba está en medio del “Período Especial en tiempos de paz”. Así es como insiste el gobierno que sea llamada esta era, pero la realidad detrás de estas palabras es la hambruna. Liana está en aprietos en su empeño de encontrar suficiente para comer. Y, aun así, el hambre también la ha hecho valiente. Encuentra el coraje para no asistir durante el verano al presunto campamento de trabajo voluntario, aunque sabe que se arriesga a las represalias del gobierno. Cerca de ella, Amado, un tranquilo y apuesto muchacho, también se resiste a obedecer y deambula solo mientras intenta encontrar raras fuentes de comida. Un encuentro casual con un perro enigmático reúne a Liana y Amado. Unidos en la esperanza y el hambre, pronto descubren que sus sentimientos mutuos son profundos. El amor puede alimentar sus almas y sus corazones, ¿pero será lo suficiente como para soportar el Período Especial?

A lyrical and unifying picture book that “will inspire young readers” and “magnificently showcases the immigrant experience” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) in America from Newbery Honoree Margarita Engle and award-winning illustrator Raúl Colón. Discover the myriad contributions that all immigrants have made as they come to join family or start their own lives together in a new country they call home. Coming with their hopes, dreams, and determination, generations of immigrants have made the fabric of this country diverse, vivid, and welcoming. This vibrant and timely celebration demonstrates the thousands of immigrants who built America and the importance of having acceptance and light for everyone.

From Pura Belpré Award–winning author Margarita Engle comes a lively, rhythmic picture book about a little girl visiting her grandfather who is a pregonero—a singing street vendor in Cuba—and helping him sell his frutas. When we visit mi abuelo, I help him sell frutas, singing the names of each fruit as we walk, our footsteps like drumbeats, our hands like maracas, shaking… The little girl loves visiting her grandfather in Cuba and singing his special songs to sell all kinds of fruit: mango, limón, naranja, piña, and more! Even when they’re apart, grandfather and granddaughter can share rhymes between their countries like un abrazo—a hug—made of words carried on letters that soar across the distance like songbirds.

Una edición española ¡Si ese hombre puede volar, yo también puedo! En una animada calle en la encantadora ciudad de París, una joven llamada Aída miró hacia el cielo y se quedó maravillada ante la vista de un dirigible. ¡Cuánto le gustaría surcar el cielo de esa manera! El inventor del aparato, Alberto, la invitó a dar un paseo en su dirigible, pero Aída no quería viajar como pasajera. Ella quería ser el piloto. Aída era apenas una adolescente, y ninguna mujer o joven había volado antes. Pero eso no la detuvo. Todo lo que ella necesitaba eran algunas clases y una oportunidad. Con elocuentes palabras y expresivas ilustraciones, Margarita Engle y Sara Palacios nos narran la inspiradora historia de Aída de Acosta, la primera mujer que voló en una aeronave motorizada.

Acclaimed author Margarita Engle tells a “deeply felt and engrossing” (Horn Book Magazine) story of love in a time of hunger inspired by her own family’s struggles during a dark period in Cuba’s history. The people of Cuba are living in el período especial en tiempos de paz—the special period in times of peace. That’s what the government insists that this era must be called, but the reality behind these words is starvation. Liana is struggling to find enough to eat. Yet hunger has also made her brave: she finds the courage to skip a summer of so-called volunteer farm labor, even though she risks government retribution. Nearby, a quiet, handsome boy named Amado also refuses to comply, so he wanders alone, trying to discover rare sources of food. A chance encounter with an enigmatic dog brings Liana and Amado together. United in hope and hunger, they soon discover that their feelings for each other run deep. Love can feed their souls and hearts—but is it enough to withstand el período especial?

It's the Festival of Lights in Nepal, and today is the day to honor dogs! Brothers Alu and Bhalu wander the streets of Kathmandu, passing by twirling kites and bamboo swings, looking for a dog to feed. But as night falls, their task begins to feel hopeless, until they spot a small black dog who is in need of a friend. This sweet story presents an important Hindu holiday through the eyes of two young boys, making it relatable for both those familiar with the holiday and those reading about it for the first time.

In this beautiful picture book filled with soaring words and buoyant illustrations, award-winners Margarita Engle and Sara Palacios tell the inspiring true story of Aída de Acosta, the first woman to fly a motorized aircraft. On a lively street in the lovely city of Paris, a girl named Aída glanced up and was dazzled by the sight of an airship. Oh, how she wished she could soar through the sky like that! The inventor of the airship, Alberto, invited Aída to ride with him, but she didn’t want to be a passenger. She wanted to be the pilot. Aída was just a teenager, and no woman or girl had ever flown before. She didn’t let that stop her, though. All she needed was courage and a chance to try.

In early 1940s Los Angeles, Mexican Americans Marisela and Lorena work in canneries all day then jitterbug with sailors all night with their zoot suit wearing younger brother Ray, as escort until the night racial violence leads to murder. Told in verse format.

Gorgeous illustrations surround a collection of poetry written for children about the magic, beauty, and promise of sea voyages.

From Young People’s Poet Laureate and award-winning author Margarita Engle comes a lively middle grade novel in verse that tells the story of a Cuban-American boy who visits his family’s village in Cuba for the first time—and meets a sister he didn’t know he had. Edver isn’t happy about being shipped off to Cuba to visit the father he barely knows. Why would he want to visit a place that no one in Miami ever mentions without a sigh? Yet now that travel laws have changed and it’s a lot easier for divided families to be reunited, his mom thinks it's time for some father-son bonding. Edver doesn’t know what this summer has in store, but he’s definitely expecting to meet a sister he didn’t know existed! Luza is a year older and excited to see her little brother, until she realizes how different their lives have been. Looking for anything they might have in common, they sneak onto the internet—and accidentally catch the interest of a dangerous wildlife poacher. Edver has fought plenty of villains in video games. Now, to save the Cuban jungle they love, he and Luza are going to have to find a way to conquer a real villain!

Con poemas traducidos por Margarita Engle, ¡Bravo! brilla en esta versión al español. Músico, botánico, jugador de béisbol, piloto—los Latinos incluidos en esta colección provienen de muchos países diferentes y de muchos backgrounds diferentes. ¡Celebre sus logros y sus contribuciones a la historia colectiva y a una comunidad la cual continúa evolucionando y prospera el día de hoy! ¡Bravo! incluye poemas biográficos sobre: Aida de Acosta, Arnold Rojas, Baruj Benacerraf, César Chávez, Fabiola Cabeza de Baca, Félix Varela, George Meléndez, José Martí, Juan de Miralles, Juana Briones, Julia de Burgos, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Paulina Pedroso, Pura Belpré, Roberto Clemente, Tito Puente, Ynes Mexia, Tomás Rivera ¡Bravo! is also available in English-language editions. Musician, botanist, baseball player, pilot—the Latinos featured in Bravo!, by author Margarita Engle and illustrator Rafael López, come from many different countries and from many different backgrounds. Celebrate their accomplishments and their contributions to a collective history and a community that continues to evolve and thrive today!

"When Mamacita chose to call me Estrellita, / it was her way of imagining a little bit / of starlight, deep down in that cavern / where only rare streaks of day or night / could reach--now, Lucero and I will be / Morning Star and Little Star, / a lit-from-within racing team " A young girl stricken with rickets and her mother face the aftermath of the Spanish-American War, the challenges of a new century and innovative teachers. Dreams realized and dreams crushed exploring the freedoms only a magical horse can offer. Award winning author Margarita Engle brings a tale of history mixed with a touch of fantasy. "Cuando Mamacita decidiO nombrarme Estrellita / fue su modo de imaginar un poco / la luz de las estrellas, en el fondo de esa cueva / a la que solo llegaban / escasas luces del dIa o de la noche. / Ahora Lucero y yo seremos / el caballo del alba y la pequeNa estrella: / un equipo de carreras iluminado por dentro " Una chica joven lisiado con ricketts y su madre enfrentan las secuelas de la Guerra Hispano-Americana, los desafIos de un nuevo siglo y profesores innovadores. SueNos Realidad y sueNos aplastados explorando las libertades sOlo pueAden ofrecer un caballo mAgico. Autor galardonado Margarita Engle trae un cuento de historia mezclada con un toque de fantasIa.

In this poetic memoir, which won the Pura Belpré Author Award, was a YALSA Nonfiction Finalist, and was named a Walter Dean Myers Award Honoree, acclaimed author Margarita Engle tells of growing up as a child of two cultures during the Cold War. Margarita is a girl from two worlds. Her heart lies in Cuba, her mother’s tropical island country, a place so lush with vibrant life that it seems like a fairy tale kingdom. But most of the time she lives in Los Angeles, lonely in the noisy city and dreaming of the summers when she can take a plane through the enchanted air to her beloved island. Words and images are her constant companions, friendly and comforting when the children at school are not. Then a revolution breaks out in Cuba. Margarita fears for her far-away family. When the hostility between Cuba and the United States erupts at the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Margarita’s worlds collide in the worst way possible. How can the two countries she loves hate each other so much? And will she ever get to visit her beautiful island again?

A collection of poems that explore the life of Louis Fuertes and his sense of wonder when he painted living, flying birds in their natural habitats.

Quebrado, used as a slave by pirates for many years, escapes during a hurricane and is befriended by villagers who teach him to live on his own, until one day he is faced with his former captors and he must decide their fate.

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.

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 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.