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Summary
Summary
When Julian's parents make the heartbreaking decision to send him and his two brothers away from Cuba to Miami via the Pedro Pan operation, the boys are thrust into a new world where bullies run rampant and it's not always clear how best to protect themselves.
90 Miles to Havana is a 2011 Pura Belpre Honor Book for Narrative and a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Author Notes
Enrique Flores-Galbis, at age nine, was one of 14,000 children who left Cuba in 1961, without their parents, in a mass exodus called "Operation Pedro Pan." He and his two older brothers spent months in a refugee camp in southern Florida and this historical novel is inspired by that experience. Enrique is the author of RAINING SARDINES and he lives in Forest Hills, NY with his family.
Reviews (4)
Horn Book Review
Julian's parents send him and his brothers away from Havana's violence to Miami as part of Operation Pedro Pan. Unfortunately, there the boys are initiated into a culture of bullies and gangs. In this coming-of-age story based on Flores-Galbis's own experiences, readers get an authentic glimpse of the struggles of children living on their own and far from their homeland. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Drawing on his own experience as a child refugee from Cuba, Flores-Galbis offers a gripping historical novel about children who were evacuated from Cuba to the U.S. during Operation Pedro Pan in 1961. Julian, a young Cuban boy, experiences the violent revolution and watches mobs throw out his family's furniture and move into their home. For his safety, his parents send him to a refugee camp in Miami, but life there is no sweet haven. He tries to avoid the powerful camp bullies ( the big eat the small ) while he waits in anguish for his parents, and in a wrenching parting, his two older brothers are sent away to a harsh orphanage in Denver. The messages get heavy at times about the meaning of democracy, at odds with the political and the camp power games. But this is a seldom-told refugee story that will move readers with the first-person, present-tense rescue narrative, filled with betrayal, kindness, and waiting for what may never come.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Based on Flores-Galbis's experiences, this novel is deeply affecting. In 1961, Julian and his two brothers leave Cuba with 14,000 other children, in what is known as "Operation Pedro Pan." History comes alive through the author's dazzling use of visual imagery and humor, which ranges from light to dark. This book is sophisticated, but can be read on many levels. Most children will be able to relate to the terror and excitement that Julian feels when he is separated from his brothers and all alone in an orphanage in Miami. The writing is poetic, yet clear as glass, and the gorgeous sentences do not slow down the briskly paced plot. Julian emerges as a more endearing, likable character with every page, and readers will be fully absorbed in his journey. The only minor disappointment is toward the end, when the narrator's heroism in helping strangers distracts readers from the more meaningful, long-awaited reunion with his family. Reluctant readers might need some help in early chapters, but once Julian's adventure begins in earnest, it's hard to imagine any child putting this book down.-Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard High School Early College Queens, Long Island City, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
After Castro's takeover, nine-year-old Julian and his older brothers are sent away by their fearful parents via "Operation Pedro Pan" to a camp in Miami for Cuban-exile children. Here he discovers that a ruthless bully has essentially been put in charge. Julian is quicker-witted than his brothers or anyone else ever imagined, though, and with his inherent smarts, developing maturity and the help of child and adult friends, he learns to navigate the dynamics of the camp and surroundings and grows from the former baby of the family to independence and self-confidence. A daring rescue mission at the end of the novel will have readers rooting for Julian even as it opens his family's eyes to his courage and resourcefulness. This autobiographical novel is a well-meaning, fast-paced and often exciting read, though at times the writing feels choppy. It will introduce readers to a not-so-distant period whose echoes are still felt today and inspire admiration for young people who had to be brave despite frightening and lonely odds. (Historical fiction. 9-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
Excerpts
BIG FISH We're .ishing at the edge of the Gulf Stream two miles north of Havana. From this far out, the city looks like it's about to be swallowed by the waves. "Havana is sinking," I say to Bebo, standing behind the wheel. "I guess Columbus was right. The earth is round," Bebo says without a hint of a smile on his face. He hands me a nautical chart of the north coast of Cuba. "Check the compass, and the chartâ€"tell me exactly where we are. " I run my finger across a dark gray band marking the Gulf Stream then up to the last little island in a chain of islands hooking south from the tip of Florida. "Key West is eighty-five miles north-northeast of us," I say, checking the big brass compass. "Havana is five miles due south. " "You're getting the hang of it," Bebo says. When my father yawns, Bebo nods toward the stern of the boat. "I think he's had enough for the day." Papi's been sitting in the fighting chair almost the whole day waiting for a bite, but he hasn't gotten as much as a nibble. He's not too happy about the possibility that we might be going home empty-handed. My father thinks that if we catch a big fish on December 31st we'll have good luck every day of the coming year. My two brothers and I always go fishing with him on that day. We usually have a few big ones to show my mother and the Garcias, our next-door neighbors when they meet us at the dock. After the fish are cleaned and put away, we eat dinner and celebrate New Year's eve on the boat, with the carnival music and revelers playing and dancing on the streets above us. Papi stretches, then yawns even louder. Bebo whispers, "Hurry, he's going to get up." I'm standing next to Papi smiling, when he starts to unclip the rod from the chair. The fighting chair is made out of steel and wood, swivels and tilts just like the ones at the barbershop, but it has no cushions. It does have straps and the hardware to clip the rod to the chair so you don't get pulled into the water when you're fighting a big fiish. "Of all the years to go home empty-handed," he says, looking over my head at the horizon behind me. "Papi, can I take a turn on the chair?" I ask and look around for my brothers. I can hear Gordo and Alquilino, the oldest, buzzing around our next-door neighbor Angelita, too busy to notice that Papi has gotten up. "I'm a lot bigger than I was last year," I add, squaring my shoulders and standing up as straight as I can. "I don't know, Julian. The fish out here are huge," he says. "A flick of their tail and they'll pull you in!" "Yeah, but I'm stronger now," I say. "I know what to do, Bebo explained the whole thing to me." "Bebo explained the whole thing to you?" he asks as the ends of his mustache start to rise. "From beginning to end," I say. "And you know how good Bebo is at explaining things." Papi looks at me, sizing me up as if he's never seen me before. "So, does Bebo think you can handle a big fish?" "I know exactly what to do!" I say with as much confidence as I can muster. "OK, Julian, I guess I owe you one for this morning," he says and squints at the setting sun. "It's getting late but I guess we have time for one more pass." I jump into the chair as fast as I can, before my brothers can claim it, or Papi can change his mind again. He changed his mind this morning and let Gordo steer the boat out of the harbor instead of me. I was already waiting at the wheel when I saw Gordo coming. "Papi, you said last night that I could take her out," I yelled at him, then gripped the wheel real tight. "It's late, Julian. Next time," he said as Gordo started to wedge himself in between the wheel and me. "What if there is no next time?" I grunted, then pushed back. Papi stopped and stared at me. He looked angry. "I heard you talking to Mr. Garcia on the phone this morning," I blurted out. "You said everything is changing and this could be our last fishing trip." Papi kept looking at me. "Not yet, Julian," he said, sounding more sad than angry, then Gordo started pushing really hard. I could have hung on longer, but I could tell by the sad-mad tone of my father's voice, that it was hopeless. Besides, Gordo is bigger and stronger than I am, and he always has to win. "This is your big chance," my father says as he helps me fit the end of the rod into the metal cup in between my knees. He clips the rod to the brass fittings on the arm of the chair. "There. Now if a big fish wants to pull you in, it'll have to take the chair, too," he says as he double-checks the clips. I grip the rod tight and set my feet. "I'm ready," I say confidently. My father smiles at me. "Good. You know the rule, right?" Excerpted from 90 Miles to Havana by Enrique Flores-Galbis. Copyright © 2010 by Enrique Flores-Galbis. Published in August 2010 by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher. Excerpted from 90 Miles to Havana by Enrique Flores-Galbis All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
