Each Tiny Spark
From award-winning author Pablo Cartaya comes a deeply moving middle grade novel about a daughter and father finding their way back to each other in the face of their changing family and community.
Emilia Torres has a wandering mind. It's hard for her to follow along at school, and sometimes she forgets to do what her mom or abuela asks. But she remembers what matters: a time when her family was whole and home made sense. When Dad returns from deployment, Emilia expects that her life will get back to normal. Instead, it unravels.
Dad shuts himself in the back stall of their family's auto shop to work on an old car. Emilia peeks in on him daily, mesmerized by his welder. One day, Dad calls Emilia over. Then, he teaches her how to weld. And over time, flickers of her old dad reappear. But as Emilia finds a way to repair the relationship with her father at home, her community ruptures with some of her classmates, like her best friend, Gus, at the center of the conflict.
Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya is a tender story about asking big questions and being brave enough to reckon with the answers.
# of Pages: 352
Book Binding: Paperback
Year of Publication: 2020
Publisher: Puffin Books
Language: en
ISBN: 9780451479747
Pablo Cartaya is an award-winning author and educator who has written several critically acclaimed books for young readers. Born in Havana, Cuba, Cartaya immigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in Miami, Florida. He draws on his own experiences as a Cuban-American in his writing, exploring themes of identity, family, and culture. In addition to being a writer, Cartaya is also a former professional actor and a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusivity in children's literature. He currently lives in Florida with his wife and two children. Each Tiny Spark is his latest novel, and it has been praised for its powerful storytelling and emotional depth.