Coming Up Cuban
I am excited to kick the week off by hosting a spot on the COMING UP CUBAN by Sonia Manzano Blog Tour, hosted by Rockstar Book Tours.
Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book
From Pura Belpré Honoree and Emmy-award winning actor Sonia Manzano–best known as “Maria” from Sesame Street–comes the expansive and timeless story of four children who must carve out a path for themselves in the wake of Fidel Castro’s rise to power.
Fifteen-time Emmy Award winner and Pura Belpre honoree Sonia Manzano examines the impact of the 1959 Cuban Revolution on four children from very different walks of life. In the wake of a new regime in Cuba, Ana, Miguel, Zulema, and Juan learn to find a place for themselves in a world forever changed. In a tumultuous moment of history, we see the lasting effects of a revolution in Havana, the countryside, Miami, and New York. Through these snapshot stories, we are reminded that regardless of any tumultuous times, we are all forever connected in our humanity.
Review of Coming Up Cuban
I’m embarrassed to admit I knew nothing of Fidel Castro. What an eye-opening book Coming Up Cuban is. We follow the story of four children with four sides of the story. A family who believed in the cause until they saw people lined up and shot. A child sent to America to grow up in an orphanage, to suffer ridicule, and to work harder than he ever had before. A family that had teachers come to their house for Castro School – until anti-revolutionaries began killing the teachers. Children who are brainwashed and taught to snitch to help themselves, even when their best friend’s parents work for Castro.
The story kept me turning pages. Content had my jaw on the ground. The short chapters encouraged “just one more” too often. Overall, this is a fantastic story – sadly, it’s based on a true story in history!
About the Author
SONIA MANZANO is a groundbreaking Latina educator, executive television producer, and award-winning children’s book author. A first-generation mainland Puerto Rican, she has affected the lives of millions of parents and children since she was offered the opportunity to play “Maria” on Sesame Street (which she continued to do for 44 years, from 1971-2015).
Manzano has received 15 Emmys for writing television scripts, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Award, the Hispanic Heritage Award for Education, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Arts and Sciences. People magazine named Sonia one of America’s most influential Hispanics. Her critically acclaimed children’s books include The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano, which won a Pura Belpré Honor Award, and the stunning young adult memoir Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx. Currently she is working on Alma’s Way, an animated series with Fred Rogers Productions that will air on PBS. Manzano resides in New York City with her husband Richard Reagan, whom she married in 1986, and their daughter Gabriela.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon
Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive a finished copy of COMING UP CUBAN, US Only.
Ends August 9th midnight EST.
Enter the GIVEAWAY and GOOD LUCK to you!
Coming Up Cuban Tour Schedule
Week One:
| 7/18/2022 | The Clever Reader | Excerpt/IG Post |
| 7/19/2022 | What A Nerd Girl Says | Excerpt/IG Post |
| 7/20/2022 | brittreadsalattebooks | IG Post |
| 7/21/2022 | Kait Plus Books | Excerpt/IG Post |
| 7/22/2022 | Ya Books Central | Excerpt/IG Post |
| 7/23/2022 | BookHounds YA | Excerpt/IG Post |
Week Two:
| 7/24/2022 | Author Z. Knight’s Guild | Excerpt |
| 7/25/2022 | Lady Hawkeye | Excerpt/IG Post |
| 7/26/2022 | hodophile_z | IG Review |
| 7/27/2022 | Lisa Loves Literature | Review/IG Post |
| 7/28/2022 | FictionalFey | IG Review |
| 7/29/2022 | Midnightbooklover | IG Post |
| 7/30/2022 | The Underground | Review/IG Post |
Week Three:
| 7/31/2022 | One More Exclamation | Review/IG Post |
| 8/1/2022 | Two Points of Interest | Review |
| 8/2/2022 | The Momma Spot | Review/IG Post |
| 8/3/2022 | Rajiv’s Reviews | Review/IG Post |
| 8/4/2022 | Books and Zebras | Review/IG Post |
| 8/5/2022 | Lifestyle of Me | Review/IG Post |
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