Yara is an eight-grader living in a middle-class neighborhood of 1967 Havana, Cuba. When her parents, who do not share the Communist Party's beliefs, are forced to flee Cuba with their children to Miami, Florida, Yara records in her diaries her family's difficulties in a strange land with foreign customs. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 6-9-It is 1967, and Yara Garcia, 13, receives a blank diary from her father with the inscription, "For my studious daughter." He is leaving Havana for the countryside, where he is forced to work in the fields harvesting coffee since he has applied to emigrate to the U.S. The story unfolds via her entries. As the family waits for permission to leave, readers are told about the rationing of food, neighbors spying on neighbors to report disloyalties to Castro, and the humiliation of being labeled a "gusana"-a worm-a Cuban exile. Arrival in Miami is fraught with a new set of difficulties as language and cultural differences make adjustment painful. Yara's father is convinced that their stay in Florida will be temporary and short, to be endured until such time that they can return to their beloved homeland. In an afterword, Veciana-Suarez describes her firsthand experiences living in exile. Similar to titles in the "Dear America" series (Scholastic), this informative novel incorporates historical facts. The story and characters ring true in their portrayal of loss, longing, and the hope of starting a new life.-Elizabeth Fernandez, Brunswick Middle School, Greenwich, CTCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 6-9. Set during the turbulent late '60s, Veciana-Suarez's first novel for young people is a diary account of 13-year-old Yara's flight from Cuba and of her new life in Miami with her family. Yara hates the communist youth work camps in Havana, the rations, and the prejudice against her anti-Castro family. But life in Miami brings worries, too: her brother left behind in Cuba; her father's involvement in a mysterious political group; a new language and school; and always, family tension. Yet Yara still finds excitement and joy--in her crushes on boys, academic triumphs, her mastery of English, and some new friendships. If not always well integrated into the story, the facts of Cuban American history and culture are clear, and Veciana-Suarez beautifully articulates the pain of exile for young readers while introducing a turbulent era in America. The author's personal afterword provides more history. Another fine entry in the new First Person Fiction series about coming to America. Gillian Engberg. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.