For Ages
10 to 99

A boy and his family must decide whether to remain in Cuba under a repressive government or risk everything for the chance of a new beginning.

"Heartbreaking yet hopeful" —Alan Gratz, bestselling author of Refugee

There are two versions of Héctor: the public and the private. It’s the only way to survive in communist Cuba—especially when your father was exiled to the U.S. and labeled an enemy of the people. Héctor must always be seen as…

An Excerpt fromThe Bluest Sky

1

The palm fronds rustled in the warm tropical breeze as I hunched down to take a sprinter’s stance. My best friends lined up next to me. Our daily race was about to begin.

“Ready?” Teo asked, adjusting his grip on the schoolbooks nestled under his arm.

I nodded and looked over at Isabel, who was poised to take off as soon as I counted to three.

Ahead of us the cracks in the sidewalk fanned out like an intricate spiderweb, providing an extra challenge to our competition. We had to reach the lamppost at the end of the street without stepping on any of the jagged lines that crisscrossed our path.

I untucked my shirt, pushed up my eyeglasses, and waited for a few people to get out of the way.

Maybe this would be the day that I’d finally win, although I wasn’t too optimistic. My wins were usually in math competitions. I’d never been fast like Teo or agile like Isabel, but that didn’t stop me from trying to beat them . . . even if the statistical probability was extremely…

Under the Cover