2008 Belpre Award WINNER for Text

The Poet Slave of Cuba
A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano
By Margarita Engle
This book would be an asset to explore with middle school students during Hispanic Heritage Month. It is the story of the poet Juan Francisco Manzano, who lived in slavery in Cuba. His story is told in verse, allowing readers to see the horrors of slavery and the injustice committed against Juan. Engle provides the Spaniard role in the slave trade and allows us to attempt to understand the cultural mixture that makes up Cuba today and other Latin American Countries. I think this story also provides a view of other cultures who were slaves in addition to Africans and descendants of Africans in America. This is truly a deep read of cruelty, despair and suffering, as well as provides history, culture, hope, and inspiration.