★ 01/20/2020
Set in the fictional Latin country of Santa Maria, this richly tiered novel is, at its core, wrenchingly real. Maximiliano Córdoba, almost 12, often wonders “about big and bewildering things,” principally why his mother disappeared when he was a baby, but Max’s somber Papá refuses to answer any questions. Newbery Honoree Ryan (Echo) infuses the soccer-loving boy’s story with mystery based on local myth, closely guarded secrets, and a missing birth certificate. As the boy walks with his solitary Papá, ironically a builder of bridges in their small town, a peregrine falcon appears; legend has it that the falcon annually brings “the ghosts of the hidden ones”—refugees who fled a neighboring country’s cruelties with the help of “guardians” who shepherded them to safety through local ruins. The author interlaces this lore with the intricate story of how Max’s family played a key role in the real-life drama, and how the boy bravely steps in to carry on that legacy. Lyrical allusions to the heartbreaking reality of life under repressive regimes and Max’s belief in the promise of tomorrow fuse the title and plot of this compelling novel, which ends on a reassuring note. Ages 8–12. (Mar.)
Praise for Mañanaland:
"Mañanaland is that rare gift of a book. It blends dream and truth into an enthralling fantasy that quietly shows us what it is like to be unwanted, searching for a place to belong. It is a story about choosing the very difficult path of kindness and courage, and about the faith of knowing with all our hearts that this is the path we all must take." -Francisco X. Stork, award-winning author of Disappeared
Awards and Praise for Echo:
A Newbery Honor Book
Kirkus Prize Winner
Américas Award Winner
A New York Times Notable Book
APublishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
An ILA Notable Book for a Global Society
An ALA Notable Children's Book
An Odyssey Honor Audiobook
New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
"Enchanting... Triumphant." The New York Times
"A masterpiece." Christopher Paul Curtis, author of Newbery Medal-winning Bud, Not Buddy
"Daring and beautiful." Linda Sue Park, author of Newbery Medal-winning A Single Shard
* "The story of Otto and the cursed sisters honor timeless and traditional folktales [and] Ryan has created three contemporary characters who, through faith and perseverance, write their own happy endings, inspiring readers to believe they can do the same." School Library Journal, starred review
* "A grand narrative that examines the power of music to inspire beauty in a world overrun with fear and intolerance." Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Each individual story is engaging, but together they harmonize to create a thrilling whole." Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Ryan's ingenious plotting harmonizes as sweetly as the famed mouth harp itself, and her eloquent prose breathes life and energy into likable characters whose stories are individually compelling and historically resonant... A book of special distinction." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, recommended
"Resilient, smart characters refuse to give in to circumstances seemingly beyond their control. Ryan's stories never fail to touch the heart." Voice of Youth Advocates
Awards and Praise for The Dreamer:
Pura Belpré Award Winner
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
A Booklist Editors' Choice
An ALA Notable Children's Book
An ILA Notable Children's Book for a Global Society
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
Pen Center USA Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature
"Ryan's hypnotic text, inspired by the childhood of Pablo Neruda, is brought to life by the extraordinary art of Peter Sís." The New York Times
* "An immaculately crafted and inspiring piece of text and art." Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Rich, resonant and enchanting." Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "The perfect marriages of text and art." School Library Journal, starred review
* "This book has all the feel of a classic, elegant and measured, but deeply rewarding and eminently readable." Booklist, starred review
* "[A] masterful tribute." The Horn Book, starred review
"A phantasmagorical rumination on the childhood of the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda is rooted in a belief that words possess the power to mend the spirit and change the world." SmithsonianNotable List
Awards and Praise for Esperanza Rising:
Pura Belpré Award Winner
An Américas Award Honor Book
Jane Addams Children's Book Award Winner
Willa Cather Award Winner
A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
An IRA Notable Book for a Global Society
An ALA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults
New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
* "Told in a lyrical, fairy tale-like style... Readers will be swept up." Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "This well-written novel belongs in all collections." School Library Journal, starred review
"Ryan writes a moving story in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the book offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support." Booklist
"Ryan's... style is engaging, her characters appealing, and her story is one that though a deep-rooted part of the history of California, the Depression, and thus the nation is little heard in children's fiction. It bears telling to a wider audience." Kirkus Reviews
"Ryan's novel, inspired by events in the life of her grandmother, deftly weaves social issues into a novel that is first and foremost a compelling story of family and coming of age." Cooperative Children's Book Center, recommended
"Details of existence at the migrant work camp, agricultural strikes and violence, discrimination, and the Mexican repatriation are realistic, based on historical facts in this readable, believable, and inspirational story." Voice of Youth Advocates
"Rich in family, friends and esperanza - the Spanish word for hope." The Horn Book
02/01/2020
Gr 3–6—Eleven-year-old Maximiliano Córdoba lives in Santa Maria village with his father's extended family of stone masons. On the mundane level, he wants to join a fútbol clinic with his friend Chuy, but an abandoned stone tower—La Reina Gigante—makes him wonder about hidden refugees fleeing the neighboring country of Abismo. While Max's father is away, Max encounters a refugee, Isadora, and learns his family are secretly guardians who help people flee to safety. In his father's absence, Max determines to guide Isadora to the next stop with all the dangers that entails, partly to discover information about his long-absent mother. As always, Ryan's strength is in her visually expressive language. Readers can picture the village, the personified tower, and Max's journey through rough country. Poignant, memorable moments are created with just a few sentences. On the other hand, the novel is slow to start. Additionally, the imaginary country construct vies with specific details found in real life such as Catholic churches, fútbol, and a Portuguese water dog. The first half of the novel is an uneasy detente of this paradox. However, as Max and Isadora set out, the imminent danger and their growing friendship will pull readers fully into this world and make Ryan's story feel solid. VERDICT A gem of a story with timely messages whose main audience is educators and contemplative children. Nevertheless, a required purchase.—Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT
★ 2019-11-24
A boy journeys to self-discovery through the power of stories and traditions.
Eleven-year-old Maximiliano Córdoba is ready for an idyllic summer. He plans to work hard as a builder for his father and train for fútbol tryouts. Plus, Max hopes dad will take him to visit the towering ruins of La Reina Gigante, a haunted hideout used in the past by the Guardians to hide refugees as they fled Abismo, a war-torn, neighboring dictatorship. However, when Max must provide his birth certificate to join the team, he feels his dream summer crumble away. The document disappeared years ago, along with his mother, the woman with whom Max shares "leche quemada" eyes. Soon, Papá leaves on a three-week journey to request a new one, and Max finds himself torn between two desires: to know the truth about why his mother left when he was a baby and to make the team. As Max discovers the enchanting stories his grandfather has been telling him for years have an actual foothold in reality, he must choose between his own dreams and those of others. Kirkus Prize winner Ryan (Echo, 2015) beautifully layers thought-provoking topics onto her narrative while keeping readers immersed in the story's world. Although set in the fictional country of Santa Maria, "somewhere in the Américas," the struggles of refugee immigrants and the compassion of those who protect the travelers feel very relevant.
This tightly packed, powerful fantasy contains resonant truths. (Fantasy. 7-14)
Narrator Roxana Ortega’s gentle, measured tone matches the fairy-tale style of this curious middle-grade novel. Her light accent perfectly conjures the Latin American imaginary setting. Maximiliano Córdoba is preoccupied with joining the local youth fútbol team and with the hole left in his family by the departure of his mother, who left before he can remember. When he discovers that Buelo's fantastic stories of “hidden ones” protected by mystical guardians are real, Max finds himself helping a runaway flee cruel servitude. Ortega’s voice moderates some of the darker aspects of immigration and asylum by magnifying the compassion and empathy that are the strength of the story. This work is more sober reality than fantasy, and its lyrical writing and narration add to its message of hope. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Narrator Roxana Ortega’s gentle, measured tone matches the fairy-tale style of this curious middle-grade novel. Her light accent perfectly conjures the Latin American imaginary setting. Maximiliano Córdoba is preoccupied with joining the local youth fútbol team and with the hole left in his family by the departure of his mother, who left before he can remember. When he discovers that Buelo's fantastic stories of “hidden ones” protected by mystical guardians are real, Max finds himself helping a runaway flee cruel servitude. Ortega’s voice moderates some of the darker aspects of immigration and asylum by magnifying the compassion and empathy that are the strength of the story. This work is more sober reality than fantasy, and its lyrical writing and narration add to its message of hope. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine