Cuba 15

Osa, N. (2003).  Cuba 15. New York, NY:  Delacorte Press.

Conflict is what makes this a good book.  Violeta is struggling with her culture and heritage.  She does not want to have a quinceniera (a ball to show the coming of age for Hispanic girls).  She is trying to learn more about Cuba, but her father doesn’t want to talk about it.  She is struggling to find her heritage and her identity of half Cuban and half polish.  She finally agrees to the quinceniera for her grandma’s sake and gets a little familiar with her Cuban half.  I think a lot of people deal with some issue of who they are.  I know my kids have asked me, and I like how this book goes through personal struggles to find out what she was about.