Absolutely beautiful fictionalized narrative based on the life of the author’s father, Cuba In My Pocket comes to us at an apropos time in our history.

There are so many connections students will be able to make through this book: governments and what happens to people in power (and to those without power), current questions about refugees and immigration, and the adjustment to a new life in a strange place, just to name a few.

I’ve learned quite a bit about Cuba and it’s history through middle grade books, and this one is another that I’d add to a collection that includes - among others - Letters From Cuba, Lucky Broken Girl, Lion Island, Drum Dream Girl, Refugee, and The Red Umbrella.