As a reader, I thought that this book was great. It really brought the reader into the character's world. Even though it takes place in the Dominican Republic, there are things that could relate to many people, or students. Even though this is a children's novel, it deals with very adult issues, such as murder, fighting, losing your home, discovering secrets about your family, and being ruled by a strict government. Even though it deals with adult issues, it does so from the perspective of a child which makes it such a good book for many ages.
As a teacher I would definitly use this book. It not only could be used in a language arts class, but it could also cross over to social studies. It teaches about the culture of the Dominican Republic, and the family dynamics and government influences that exist there. It does a good job of using the young girls perspective and making it relateable to students. There are many relationships within the book, and so mapping them out might be a good activity for students as they read the book. Also mapping out her progress as a writer, where she starts and where she ends up. Each chapter begins with a poem, and so discussing this poem and predicting what might happen in the chapter would be a good way to walk children through this book.
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