Caminar, Skila Brown
Caminar, Skila Brown
1 Rating(s)
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Caminar

Author: Skila Brown

Narrator: Christian Barillas

Unabridged: 2 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/02/2014

Synopsis

Set in 1981 Guatemala, a lyrical debut novel tells the powerful tale of a boy who must decide what it means to be a man during a time of war.Carlos knows that when the soldiers arrive with warnings about the Communist rebels, it is time to be a man and defend the village, keep everyone safe. But Mama tells him not yet—he’s still her quiet moonfaced boy. The soldiers laugh at the villagers, and before they move on, a neighbor is found dangling from a tree, a sign on his neck: Communist. Mama tells Carlos to run and hide, then try to find her.... Numb and alone, he must join a band of guerillas as they trek to the top of the mountain where Carlos’s abuela lives. Will he be in time, and brave enough, to warn them about the soldiers? What will he do then? A novel in verse inspired by actual events during Guatemala’s civil war, Caminar is the moving story of a boy who loses nearly everything before discovering who he is.

About Skila Brown

Skila Brown has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is the author of the historical novel in verse To Stay Alive: Mary Ann Graves and the Tragic Journey of the Donner Party. She lives in Indiana with her husband and their three children.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Betsy on October 02, 2014

Survivor’s guilt. Not the most common theme in children’s books these days. Not unheard of certainly, but it definitely doesn’t crop up as often as, say, stories about cupcakes or plucky orphans that have to defeat evil wizards. Serious works of fiction do well when award season comes along, but tha......more

Goodreads review by Wendy on October 18, 2014

I'll say straight off that I was disappointed to find this was a novel in verse, not only because that isn't usually my thing, but because I was looking forward to a really in-depth visit to Guatemala (one of my favorite places). I think that's one of the main frustrations I have with verse novels--......more

Goodreads review by Stephanie on December 05, 2013

Spoiler-free summary: Written entirely in free-verse poetry, Caminar, the debut novel from Skila Brown is the story of Carlos and the remote Guatemalan village he called home. Caught in the midst of the Guatemala’s brutal 36-year civil war, Carlos must learn how to survive after everything he knows i......more

Goodreads review by Emma on September 01, 2016

Set in 1981 during the Guatemalan Civil War, this novel in verse tells the story of Carlos, a village boy who is thrust into the middle of a war that is not his or his people’s. Told from Carlos’s point of view, the poems range from calm and fluid to racing and intense, simulating Carlos’s experienc......more

Goodreads review by Phil on July 22, 2017

Under-read, under appreciated, and under discussed, Caminar describes the changes in a young boy's life during the Guatemalan civil war. Given the number of Guatemalan immigrants in the United States, the topic is necessary, and this book should be in classrooms. The subject matter is honest but not......more

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