(4) K-3 Translated by Gabriela Baeza Ventura. Illustrated by Oscar Ortiz. Juliana, an enthusiastic young artist, grows interested in her new upstairs neighbor, a well-regarded poet "who lived on an island" like Juliana's mami had. The two form a friendship, during which Juliana learns about the nature of creation and collaboration, and that "words can change the world." The Spanish translation of the prosaic English text is enlivened by the tropical-hued illustrations.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Oscar Ortiz. Juliana, an enthusiastic young artist, grows interested in her new upstairs neighbor, a well-regarded poet "who lived on an island" like her mami had. The two form a friendship, during which Juliana learns about the nature of creation and collaboration, and that "words can change the world." The text is surprisingly prosaic given the subject; the tropical-hued illustrations enliven it.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(2) YA Fifteen-year-old Doris's salsa-singer mami, constrained by the New Jersey barrio, returns to Puerto Rico; Doris's fast-talking entrepreneur and musician father is often on the road. Her search for place becomes the heart of this elegantly written novel about growing up and becoming independent. Doris is a relatable character who survives a hard year of learning to find her own way.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2011

(2) YA When Papi moves back to the New York barrio, while Mami stays home in Puerto Rico, María must "decide between parents, languages, climates, futures." In prose, poems, and letters, María tells of her adjustment to life in the barrio. A poet, she weaves English, Spanish, and Spanglish together in verse and prose that is authentically adolescent.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2005

(3) YA Published spring 1998. Composed of stories, poems, and reminiscences, this eloquent volume chiefly focuses on Puerto Rican girls growing up in a New Jersey barrio. As the teenagers become immersed in the counterculture movement of the 1960s, their traditional parents struggle to understand the changes of the modern world. The writing style is excellent, although its adult tone, sometimes tinged with nostalgia, limits the book's audience.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta