Caminar

by Skila Brown

Overview

Set in 1981 Guatemala, a lyrical debut novel tells the powerful tale of a boy who must decide what it means to be a man during a time of war.

Carlos knows that when the soldiers arrive with warnings about the Communist rebels, it is time to be a man and defend the village, keep everyone safe. But Mama tells him not yet — he’s still her quiet moonfaced boy. The soldiers laugh at the villagers, and before they move on, a neighbor is found dangling from a tree, a sign on his neck: Communist. Mama tells Carlos to run and hide, then try to find her. . . . Numb and alone, he must join a band of guerillas as they trek to the top of the mountain where Carlos’s abuela lives. Will he be in time, and brave enough, to warn them about the soldiers? What will he do then? A novel in verse inspired by actual events during Guatemala’s civil war, Caminar is the moving story of a boy who loses nearly everything before discovering who he really is.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763690946
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	08/23/2016
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	637,839
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	NP (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Skila Brown has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has visited Guatemala numerous times in the last decade. She lives in Indiana with her husband and their three children.

Editorial Reviews

Exquisitely crafted poems are the basis of an unusually fine verse novel set in 1981, in the middle of the Guatemalan Civil War. ... The poems, all written from Carlos’s point of view, are emotional, visceral, and lyrical. Layered and varied, some are shape poems; some can be read in more than one way, as if written from two perspectives; and all are accessible to young readers. ... All combine to give us a chillingly memorable portrait of one child surviving violence and loss in a time of war.
—The Horn Book (starred review)

'Caminar' contributes poetry that elevates the genre. ... Readers will encounter a range of imagery, repetition, rhythms, and visual effects that bring to life the psychological experience of Carlos, a young boy caught in the violent clash between the government’s army and the people’s rebels. ... This is a much-needed addition to Latin American-themed middle grade fiction.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

The Guatemalan Civil War is powerfully fictionalized through the eyes of a young boy on the verge of becoming a man in this debut novel. ... This is a welcome way to increase the diversity of any collection while providing a glimpse into a period of history unknown to most American kids. A glossary of Spanish words is included.
—Booklist

Brown uses concrete poetry to excellent effect, skillfully playing with spacing, structure, and repetition. ... Brown offers some historical context in an opening note and a Q&A (a glossary of Spanish words is also included), but the ambiguities and uncertainties within the story itself help align readers with Carlos and his fellow villagers, caught in a conflict they don’t understand.
—Publishers Weekly

The free-verse poetry in this verse novel is tightly crafted to evoke Carlos’ confusion and emotional turmoil both prior to and after the massacre, employing both shape and resonant language to pull readers into his hesitations, sadness, and terror. ... The accessible imagery in the poetry will engage readers on a visceral level, ably communicating the limitations of Carlos’ understanding, both in terms of his youth and his inability to comprehend the full scope of the conflict.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Part historical novel, part concrete poem, this debut work artfully explores the journey of this young man. ... Brown uses concrete poetic form effectively to record Carlos’ journey.
—Library Media Connection

Brown’s sparse story ... would be a solid choice for a teen poetry or world conflict school unit. The free-verse format makes it a quick read, and ... Brown’s poetry ... shares rich details, like the sounds of helicopter blades or the feel of marbles in Carlos’s hand. Brown conveys the fear and violence of Carlos’s experiences without overwhelming readers, making it appropriate for most middle schoolers.
—VOYA

A beautifully wrought, delicately written novel that makes the unthinkable palatable to the young.
—A Fuse #8 Production

From the Publisher

01/13/2014
Writing in verse, Brown debuts with a tense coming-of-age story set amid the Guatemalan Civil War. Opening in 1981, it follows a timid boy named Carlos as he wrestles with what it means to be a man after his fictional village, Chopán, is visited by government soldiers and, later, by a band of guerillas. Brown uses concrete poetry to excellent effect, skillfully playing with spacing, structure, and repetition. One poem is a jumble of quotations as villagers discuss the passing rebels (“ ‘We must protect our village.’ ‘They have guns.’ ‘Dios mío.’ ”). In another, Carlos argues with himself as he trudges through the forest after disaster strikes Chopán, his thoughts (“ ‘Mama told me to run’ ‘Only boys run’ ”) appearing on both sides of a column of text that repeats “I walked.” Brown offers some historical context in an opening note and a Q&A (a glossary of Spanish words is also included), but the ambiguities and uncertainties within the story itself help align readers with Carlos and his fellow villagers, caught in a conflict they don’t understand. Ages 10–up. Agent: Tina Wexler, ICM. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 03/01/2014
Gr 6 Up—Unlike many novels in verse, which can read like conventional narratives with line breaks, Caminarcontributes poetry that elevates the genre. In this story of a decimated Guatemalan village in 1981, readers will encounter a range of imagery, repetition, rhythms, and visual effects that bring to life the psychological experience of Carlos, a young boy caught in the violent clash between the government's army and the people's rebels. Like most small villagers, Carlos feels far removed from the conflict and is unsure which side to trust. Still, the army emerges as the clear villain after publicly hanging an innocent man and, weeks later, massacring the village while Carlos collects mushrooms in the forest. Now the boy attempts to survive on his own, stay ahead of the army, and warn his grandmother's mountaintop community of the coming threat. Only when he meets a band of rebels does he realize the extent of the carnage he has escaped. Caminar is a good classroom choice for either social studies or English units. Unfortunately, Brown's introductory note lacks clarity, so educators should provide some brief historical context for students. This is a much-needed addition to Latin American-themed middle grade fiction.—Denise Ryan, Middlesex Middle School, Darien, CT

School Library Journal

2013-12-24
The horrors of the Guatemalan civil war are filtered through the eyes of a boy coming of age. Set in Chopán in 1981, this verse novel follows the life of Carlos, old enough to feed the chickens but not old enough to wring their necks as the story opens. Carlos' family and other villagers are introduced in early poems, including Santiago Luc who remembers "a time when there were no soldiers / driving up in jeeps, holding / meetings, making / laws, scattering / bullets into the trees, / hunting guerillas." On an errand for his mother when soldiers attack, Carlos makes a series of decisions that ultimately save his life but leave him doubting his manliness and bravery. An epilogue of sorts helps tie the main narrative to the present, and the book ends on a hopeful note. In her debut, Brown has chosen an excellent form for exploring the violence and loss of war, but at times, stylistic decisions (most notably attempts at concrete poetry) appear to trump content. While some of the individual poems may be difficult for readers to follow and the frequent references to traditional masculinity may strike some as patriarchal, the use of Spanish is thoughtful, as are references to local flora and fauna. The overall effect is a moving introduction to a subject seldom covered in fiction for youth. A promising debut. (glossary, author Q&A) (Verse/historical fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews