Available:*
Library | Audience | Home Location | Material Type | Shelf Number | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Henington-Alief | Teen/Young Adult | Fiction | Teen Book | ENGLE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Henington-Alief | Teen/Young Adult | Fiction | Teen Book | ENGLE | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
In this stirring young adult romance from award-winning author Margarita Engle, love and conservation intertwine as two teens fight to protect wildlife and heal from their troubled pasts.
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.
Author Notes
Margarita Engle is a Cuban-American poet and novelist. Her books include The Wild Book, Tropical Secrets, The Firefly Letters, The Lightning Dreamer, When You Wander, Mountain Dog, and Silver People. She has received several awards including the Jane Addams Children's Book Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Américas Award, and the Claudia Lewis Poetry Award for The Surrender Tree and the Pura Belpré Award and the Américas Award for The Poet Slave of Cuba.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Seventeen-year-old Ana and her mother live in their car in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a rewilded military outpost. Most of her botanist mother's government salary is being allocated to locating Ana's disappeared father. While walking through the park one night, Ana encounters a puma, as well as a Cuban boy named Leandro, whose service dog, Cielo, helps him manage panic attacks, which have become more frequent since his family's dangerous journey to the states via boat. Though Ana leaves before they can exchange numbers, Leandro's transfer to a new high school, and a serendipitous job offer for Ana's mother, ensure that their paths cross again. Distinctive verse by Engle (Wings in the Wild) portrays Ana and Leandro's alternating perspectives to fully immerse readers in this sweetly rendered romance, adding depth to the teens' parallel journeys. Additionally, sections titled "Cielo the singing dog" contribute levity to serious moments. It's a heartwarming and inspiring eco-centric read that addresses timely issues such as conservation of wildlife and emphasizes the importance of people's connecting to nature--and each other. Ages 12--up. Agent: Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency. (Apr.)
Kirkus Review
Traumatized teens find each other and bond over a shared passion for conservation. Ana, a Cuban American 17-year-old, is living in a car with her mother. Her mom's job doesn't pay enough to cover the cost of living in California's Bay Area, especially now that they're hiding from her dangerous father, who's wanted by the FBI for domestic terrorism. A chance meeting with Leandro, a recent refugee from Cuba who's also 17, leads to instant attraction, and a romance grows. Leandro witnessed his father drown during their dangerous journey to Miami from Cuba, and he can't shake the guilt and psychological scars. Service dog Cielo is his constant sidekick, helping with Leandro's panic attacks. Cielo proves to be a wise companion, sharing observations on emotions, nature, and the human condition in chapters written from her perspective, which are interspersed with chapters voiced by each teen. Ana and Leandro care deeply for the natural world around them, and they start a rewilding club at school to help support the work of environmental scientists and wildlife rescuers. The pair become involved with a pregnant puma who needs immediate support, and they work to make changes for the puma population. Verse in various forms, including beautiful concrete poems, effectively conveys this story's themes of sustainability, resilience, and activism. A transformative journey celebrating the power of overcoming personal struggles to make a lasting impact. (author's note) (Verse fiction. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
After making it to the U.S. from Cuba through a whirlwind of trauma, now-teens Ana and Leandro (and Leandro's service dog, Cielo) find each other and bond over their shared interest in environmental rewilding in Northern California. But their troubles are just beginning, as Leandro struggles with panic attacks, and Ana looks over her shoulder for her father, now a domestic terrorist. Weaving in acutely modern references to things like COVID-19 and the January 6 insurrection, Engle (The Lightning Dreamer, 2013) offers a story of hope amid darkness. A novel in verse, the book also touches on themes of homelessness and family, while wrapping the overall narrative in romance with a touch of magic. Engle's signature straight-to-the-heart poetry tours around Ana's, Leandro's, and Cielo's perspectives with ease, bringing an increased sense of empathy for each character. An echo to Engle's previous Wings in the Wild (2023), this will appeal to readers who enjoy environmental stories such as Adrienne Kisner's The Confusion of Laurel Graham (2019).
