Childrens Book Review: Caminar by Skila Brown

Summary-

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.

 

Review-

This book written entirely verse form tells the story of Carlos caught in the midst of the Guatemala’s brutal 36-year civil war. The story is told from Carlos  and is the story of him growing up in Guatemala in the war torn times. This book is easy to follow. The verses are easy to read. The story is well told. The story is told with a lot of emotion. This book is aimed at 10-14 year olds and easily they will be able to associate with the characters. Highly recommend anyone wanting a verse story that flows nicely. I really enjoyed this book.

 

Publisher-Candlewick

Reviewers Rating: 5 STARS!!!

Reviewed by~Lora

Thank you to Rachel Johnstone of Candlewick Press for the donation of this book to the Read for your Future book program in exchange for a honest review!