Scan barcode
roseleaf24's review
3.0
I enjoyed seeing the family relationships grow in this book. It was also an interesting picture of a piece of history I knew nothing about. Evelyn is thoughtful enough to not be action-packed, but not thoughtful enough to hit on universals in her experience, so I don't know how broad the appeal of this book would be.
clarag's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
sparklethenpop's review
4.0
Four stars because I wanted more. Yes, it had an element of One Crazy Summer but this story and the character of Evelyn were amazing in and of themselves. I learned about a new part of history, practiced a little Spanish, and the author is Maria of Sesame Street, which she even cleverly plugged with a line about watching that new show. So good.
bookcub's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
jwinchell's review
4.0
I did an hour read on this one and I was hooked by the first chapter! The first pages are especially lovely and authentic--an annoyed 14 year old and her overbearing mother. Short chapters, quick dialogue, Spanish interspersed w/ plenty of context clues, a strong & accessible sense of place. Navigating worlds, cultures, identity… regular teen stuff but in an authentically historical context and important/untold stories about PR activism, twists (Grandpa was a Nationalist). Plus, everyone knows Maria from Sesame Street--instant cred. Her author note put me over the edge: “revolutions come in all shapes and sizes. I’ve always been interested in people’s internal revolutions because those are the ones that govern their everyday actions and, by progression, a community’s life.” This is my #1 choice for 9th grade.
mamagames's review
Previewing books for J's 8th grade year. This one weaves history and culture with a good story, and I think she'll like knowing that the author was Maria on Sesame Street.
hulahoopes's review
4.0
Excellent story of being a teen in 1969 during the time the Young Lords tried to help bring improvements to East Harlem, home of many Puerto Ricans. Manzano's writing is very readable for upper elementary and will resonate for all teens.
lurieta's review
4.0
I stumbled across The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano while browsing through the Young Adult section of my local library looking for a new book to read. As a bilingual fourth grade educator, I love YA and children’s literature and am always looking for the next great novel about Latino/a identidad. When I turned to the About the Author page in the back cover, I found out that the author is Sonia Manzano, who played Maria on Sesame Street. During my childhood, she was the first Latina woman who I watched on television. She meant Latinidad to me. I had to read this book.
The novel centers on the events happening in the Puerto Rican neighborhood of East Harlem in 1969 when the Young Lords, a student activist group, begin public displays to draw attention to the issues of poverty in El Barrio. These events occur from the perspective of Evelyn, a fourteen year old girl living in El Barrio. Evelyn is angry at the poverty she witnesses in her neighborhood, though she blames the people in her life, especially her mother, for their problems. Evelyn’s relationship with her mother is the focus of the novel, as Evelyn attempts to put distance between herself and her mother’s world. As Evelyn says, her mother is always attempting to cover up their problems, “tapando el cielo con la mano.” When Evelyn’s grandmother comes to stay from Puerto Rico, Evelyn’s apathetic attitude towards her mother, towards El Barrio and towards her Puerto Rican identity is overthrown.
Manzano employs some truly beautiful language as Evelyn describes the people and events in her life during that fateful year and gives Evelyn a voice that is both powerful and relatable. Despite places in the novel in which the action moves so quickly as to sometimes be confusing, the development of Evelyn and her mother shows a momentum created by the events in that year which, once begun, create irreparable changes in their lives. The inclusion of Spanish dialogue in the novel adds to the environmental authenticity and is well integrated into the action of the novel without detracting with over translation. The changes that the reader sees Evelyn and her family undergo cut to the root of what Manzano deems the “internal revolution” within us and how one’s history ties them to their present and their future. I highly recommend this book to teachers and anyone who enjoys a novel that explores acceptance of identity. I only wish I had been able to read it sooner. Much like her role as Maria on Sesame Street, Manzano’s debut novel manages to uplift as well as enlighten the reader as to the ways that people can change.
The novel centers on the events happening in the Puerto Rican neighborhood of East Harlem in 1969 when the Young Lords, a student activist group, begin public displays to draw attention to the issues of poverty in El Barrio. These events occur from the perspective of Evelyn, a fourteen year old girl living in El Barrio. Evelyn is angry at the poverty she witnesses in her neighborhood, though she blames the people in her life, especially her mother, for their problems. Evelyn’s relationship with her mother is the focus of the novel, as Evelyn attempts to put distance between herself and her mother’s world. As Evelyn says, her mother is always attempting to cover up their problems, “tapando el cielo con la mano.” When Evelyn’s grandmother comes to stay from Puerto Rico, Evelyn’s apathetic attitude towards her mother, towards El Barrio and towards her Puerto Rican identity is overthrown.
Manzano employs some truly beautiful language as Evelyn describes the people and events in her life during that fateful year and gives Evelyn a voice that is both powerful and relatable. Despite places in the novel in which the action moves so quickly as to sometimes be confusing, the development of Evelyn and her mother shows a momentum created by the events in that year which, once begun, create irreparable changes in their lives. The inclusion of Spanish dialogue in the novel adds to the environmental authenticity and is well integrated into the action of the novel without detracting with over translation. The changes that the reader sees Evelyn and her family undergo cut to the root of what Manzano deems the “internal revolution” within us and how one’s history ties them to their present and their future. I highly recommend this book to teachers and anyone who enjoys a novel that explores acceptance of identity. I only wish I had been able to read it sooner. Much like her role as Maria on Sesame Street, Manzano’s debut novel manages to uplift as well as enlighten the reader as to the ways that people can change.
megatsunami's review against another edition
4.0
So good! Really beautiful character development and interaction between character and setting (though I felt like it dropped off a little as the central historical events started to unfold).
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
So interesting to see the sixties from another set of eyes. Interesting to learn about the Puerto Rican neighborhood and the activism that was taking place there. There is even a mention of the Black Panthers offering advice and assistance. The civil rights movement has so many aspects that are not often mentioned in literature.