Cuba in My Pocket

From Pura Belpr Honoree Adrianna Cuevas is a sweeping, emotional 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 authors family history.I dont remember. Tell me everything, Pepito. Tell me about Cuba.When the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 solidifies Castros power in Cuba, twelve-year-old Cumbas family makes the difficult decision to send him to Florida alone. Faced with the prospect of living in another country by himself, Cumba tries to remember the sound of his fathers clarinet, the smell of his mothers lavender perfume.Life in the United States presents a whole new set of challenges. Lost in a sea of English speakers, Cumba has to navigate a new city, a new school, and new freedom all on his own. With each day, Cumba feels more confident in his new surroundings, but he continues to wonder: Will his family ever be whole again? Or will they remain just out of reach, ninety miles across the sea?A Kirkus Best Childrens Book of the Year2024 Middle Grade Read Aloud list...Cuevas latest is a triumph of the heart...A compassionate, emotionally astute portrait of a young Cuban in exile. -Kirkus, STARRED REVIEWCuevas intense and immersive account of a Cuban boys experience after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion brings a specific point in history alive. -Booklist, STARRED REVIEWCuevas 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