Book Review: Cuba 15

Cuba 15 by Nancy Osa. Delacorte (Random House) 2003
Genre: family
Cultural designation: Cuban-Americans, Hispanics
Grade levels: 7th and up
Found browsing the children’s/YA section of the college’s library

Synopsis: Coming of age story of fifteen year old Violet Paz, who spends the school year planning for her quinceañero, a celebration insisted on by her abuela, but which Violet at first doesn’t understand. She spends the year learning about and coming to terms with her Cuban heritage, and competing with her Original Comedy act about her crazy family.

Ideas for teaching:
As an independent read: I would probably recommend this mostly to girls, but to anyone who likes or doesn’t like to read. I think everyone can relate to the themes of family and growing up, and it’s interesting and funny in a way that I think would draw reluctant readers in. Also good to recommend to Hispanic students so they can see that there are books written about their culture.
It could also work as a lit circle read; I think there’s enough meat to discuss in groups.

Journal question: Violet creates her Original Comedy piece around her wacky family. Even though they’re crazy, she loves them. Do you have any crazy family stories of your own? Creative writing—turn this story into a crafted work.

Look up the Spanish words that you don’t know. What do they mean? The teacher can point out that even in books all in English there may be words or phrases that we need to look up to understand, and we should get in the habit of doing so.

Look up some information about the history of Cuba and the U.S.’s current political ties (or lack thereof) with it. Have any restrictions been lifted since this book was published?

Synergistic texts:
Before We Were Free. Julia Alverez. About a teenage girl growing up the 1960’s dictatorship in the Dominican Republic.
The House on Mango Street. Sandra Cisneros.
Y no se lo tragó la Tierra / and the Earth Did Not Devour Him. Tomas Rivera, Evangelina Vigil (Translator). Story of Mexican immigrants trying to survive as migrant workers.