Cuba 15, paperback/nancy osa

For fans of Matt de la Pena and Sandra Cisneros comes a novel about family and identity, where Violet Paz prepares for her quinceanero and learns about her Cuban heritage.

Violet Paz has just turned fifteen, a pivotal birthday in the eyes of her Cuban grandmother.

Fifteen is the age when a girl enters womanhood, traditionally celebrating the occasion with a quinceanero.

But while Violet is half Cuban, shes also half Polish, and more importantly, she feels 100% American.

Except for her zany familys passion for playing dominoes, smoking cigars, and dancing to Latin music, Violet knows little about Cuban culture, nada about quinces, and only tidbits about the history of Cuba.

So when Violet begrudgingly accepts Abuelas plans for a quinceanero-and as she begins to ask questions about her Cuban roots-cultures and feelings collide.

The mere mention of Cuba and Fidel Castro elicits her grandparentssadness and her fathers anger.

Only Violets aunt Luz remains open-minded.

With so many divergent views, its not easy to know what to believe.

All Violet knows is that shes got to form her own opinions, even if this jolts her family into unwanted confrontations.

After all, a quince girl is supposed to embrace responsibility-and to Violet that includes understanding the Cuban heritage that binds her to a homeland shes never seen.

`` Violets hilarious cool first-person narrative veers between farce and tenderness, denial and truth .

``-- Booklist , Starred Review ``This funny and tender chronicle of Violets 15th year.

has] heart and humor.

``- Kirkus Reviews `` Cuba 15 will make readers laugh, whether or not their families are as loco as Violets.

``-- The Horn Book Magazine `` Osas tale about a warmhearted, fun-loving family, a teenagers typical ambivalence about different cultures, the stress of dealing with high school demands and pressures, a budding romance, and how an imaginative, high-spirited young woman handles some thorny issues and does some growing up in the process, rings true and makes for an entertaining story.

``- VOYA `` The characters are so charming that while readers are in their company, the experience is interesting and engaging.

``- SLJ A Pura Belpre Honor Book An ALA Notable Book An ALA Best Book for Young Adults A Booklist Top Ten Youth First Novels From the Hardcover edition.