Island Creatures - by Margarita Engle

Book Synopsis

From award-winning author Margarita Engle comes a "[f]anciful, hopeful, and heartfelt" (Kirkus Reviews) love story told in verse about childhood friends, once lost and now reconnected, and their fight to protect endangered animals.

Every day, Vida reads to the creatures at the wildlife rescue center and dreams of her childhood in Cuba, where she and her best friend Adán adventured through the island rescuing animals from harm. Unbeknownst to her, Adán has also moved to Florida and is feeling trapped in his new home, buffeted by the stormy fights between his abuelo and papi. When a chance encounter with a captive fox leads to their reunion, Vida and Adán are able to find refuge from the cruelty that surrounds them in their soaring, rekindled romance.

Their love reaches new heights as they work together at the zoo that rescues rare species, but soon they realize that this peace is only temporary. Much like the wildlife they want to protect, Vida and Adán are caught in a cycle of distrust and heartlessness. As old family grudges and painful memories come to light, can they and their families learn to heal and forgive each other for a brighter, kinder future?

Review Quotes

"Engle illuminates the unintended effects of past events on future generations in a moving love story rooted in two teens' devotion to wildlife and the dangers of climate change."--Publishers Weekly

"Engle's verse narrative boasts rich language steeped in nature's spiritual beauty and the reciprocal connection between humans and animals. A sweet slow-burner with tight, evocative poems, this tale of adolescent love glows."--Kirkus Reviews

"Lush yet careful language packs intentionality into few words without sacrificing nuance or character complexity. Many endangered animals, discussions of best zoological practices, and meticulously detailed science juxtapose playful layouts and creative poetic form."--Booklist

About the Author

Margarita Engle is the Cuban American author of many books including the verse novels Rima's Rebellion; Your Heart, My Sky; With a Star in My Hand; The Surrender Tree, a Newbery Honor winner; The Lightning Dreamer; and Wild Dreamers, a Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Honor book. Her verse memoirs include Soaring Earth and Enchanted Air, which received the Pura Belpré Award, a Walter Dean Myers Award Honor, and was a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, among others. Her picture books include Drum Dream Girl, Dancing Hands, and The Flying Girl. Visit her at MargaritaEngle.com.