After a hurricane uncovers her parents' hidden sculptures of chained birds, leading to their arrest for violating Cuban policies regarding artistic liberty, Soleida is forced to flee alone. The 16-year-old travels through Central America before becoming stranded in a refugee camp in Costa Rica. Meanwhile, 16-year-old California native Dariel, the son of famous actors, enchants with his guitar, all while feeling trapped by his parents' fame and their plans for his life. When his fingertips are burned in a fire, rendering him unable to play his guitar, he joins his abuelo in interviewing a diasporic community called los Cubanos de Costa Rica for a forthcoming book. There, Dariel meets Soleida, and their shared passion for artistic freedom and eco-activism inspires them to start a human rights campaign; they seek to liberate Soleida's parents and other Cuban artists while saving the endangered wildlife and forests in Costa Rica. Employing stunningly immersive verse and distinct alternating perspectives, Engle (Singing with Elephants) sets Soleida and Dariel's developing relationship against a backdrop of advocacy to present a profoundly romantic read that prioritizes topical issues, such as environmental and refugee crises, and political oppression of artists. English- and Spanish-language editions publish simultaneously. Ages 12--up. Agent: Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency. (Apr.)

Pura Belpré winner Engle touches on topical climate and social issues in her newest verse novel, told from two viewpoints during 2018 and 2019. The first belongs to a young Cuban girl named Soleida, whose parents face criminal charges for breaking Ley 349, which censors artists from expressing themselves. She is also concerned about natural disasters occurring in her country. The second viewpoint comes from Dariel, a Cuban American boy from California with celebrity parents. To escape the destruction of wildfires, Dariel's grandfather invites him to Costa Rica to help refugees. Thus, Soleida's and Dariel's paths cross, leading to a bond that builds on trust and trauma recovery. Drawing on their talents for music and art, both teens beautifully and uniquely express themselves as their romance unfolds amid real-world catastrophes. Readers will admire the determination of both young activists as they rebel to make the world a safer place to inhabit. A must-buy for schools and public libraries eager to build on their collection of social issues.

Romance blooms against a backdrop of adversity and environmental conservation efforts. It's 2018, and Soleida, a 16-year-old Cuban girl, lives with her artist parents, who create sculptures protesting government laws that criminalize some forms of artistic expression. When a climate change--fueled hurricane destroys their home and exposes the art in their garden to authorities, her parents are arrested, and Soleida must flee, seeking asylum. Cuban American Dariel, also 16, has traveled to Costa Rica with his Abuelo to help him write the story of los caminantes, Cuban migrants fleeing oppression who have been stranded at the border with Nicaragua, unable to continue their journeys. Dariel comes from a wealthy celebrity family in California and has been affected by climate change in the form of dangerous wildfires that destroyed his home. When the two teens first meet in a refugee camp in the Costa Rican jungle, Soleida is traumatized by her journey, and Dariel is unable to connect with her. But slowly they begin a relationship centered on a mutual reverence for nature and a proclivity for the arts--Soleida is a painter, and Dariel is a musician. Chapters with alternating perspectives move the story forward briskly. Luscious verse and beautiful descriptions of the flora and fauna bring attention to the impacts of the climate crisis and the urgent need for change. Inspiring and hopeful; young love and the call to action resonate. (author's note) (Verse novel. 12-17) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Can a "tocororo-girl" and a "song-boy" find love in the mountains of Costa Rica? In this novel set in 2018, two teens from vastly different worlds tell their stories in free verse poems, alternating points of view. Soleida, a talented painter, must leave Cuba after a catastrophic hurricane destroys her home and her parents are imprisoned when the "art police" discover their unsanctioned sculptures. Her journey is harrowing and mirrors the plight of many present-day "climate migrants." In California, Dariel, a gifted guitarist, flees the mansion he shares with his telenovela-star parents when wildfires destroy it. He accompanies his Cuban American abuelo to Costa Rica. The teens meet and begin to share their gifts of music and art. Dariel slowly uncovers Soleida's horrific story, and she begins to heal and feel empowered to search for her parents and help a cousin with a local reforestation project. Engle (Your Heart, My Sky, rev. 3/21) weaves a compelling love story balanced with an invitation to readers to consider the impact of climate change and the necessity for action now. She populates her poetry with vivid descriptions of many colorful bird species alongside lyrical references to musicians and poets giving us "something magical and scientific / at the same time." An author's note details the story's real-life inspirations. (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.