Island Treasures: Growing Up in Cuba

Gr 4–6—In this memoir collection, Ada vividly recounts childhood stories, painting pictures with words that allow readers to almost taste Cuban foods, smell her grandmother's talcum, and feel the red clay used to make pottery. Ada presents five original vignettes in the section "Days at La Quinta Simoni," which is sandwiched between her classic Where the Flame Trees Bloom (1994) and her award-winning Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba (1998, both S. & S.). Ada adopts the tone of an older adult fondly sharing childhood memories with a beloved child—the reader. She weaves life lessons and Cuban customs and values throughout her recollections of eccentric relatives and community members and incorporates descriptions of childhood joys, tragedies, and humorous anecdotes. Although most Spanish terms are translated or defined within the text, a glossary aids those new to the language.