Milagros de le Torre hasn’t had an easy life: ever since her father sailed away with pirates she’s been teased at school and there’s the constant struggle for her family to make ends meet. Still, Milagros loves her small island in the Caribbean, and she finds comfort in those who recognize her special gifts. But everything changes when marauders destroy Milagros’s island and with it, most of the inhabitants. Milagros manages to escape in a rowboat where she drifts out to sea with no direction, save for the mysterious manta rays that guide her to land. In stunning prose,Meg Medina creates a fantastical world in which a young girl uncovers the true meaning of family, the significance of identity, and, most important, the power of a mother’s love.

Praise

Praise for Milagros: Girl From Away:

 

"The book is written in accessible, but lively and lyrical language; it is obvious that great care has been taken to choose every word...this is an engaging and compelling tale of a fish out of water, learning to accept the realities of life through the magic of her heart."--School Library Journal, starred review

 

“Medina’s use of magical realism keeps readers tantalizingly off-balance as she navigates among settings. Her language, too, is as changeable as the sea, sometimes lulling readers with gentle alliteration and flowing metaphor, other times jolting them with menacing foreshadowing and sharp dialogue. Milagros is a survivor, and though her strange, haunting tale ends on a hopeful note, a melancholic echo of all that she endured will remain with readers”--The Horn Book Magazine

 

"Give this to readers who are looking for something original, something wishful, and something strange, in a good way."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

 

"Readers will eagerly embrace spirited Milagros, who recognizes both the magic in the everyday world and the limitations of those who are terminally realistic."--Booklist

 

"Milagros's tale is readable and entertaining..."--VOYA

About the Author(s)

Meg Medina

MEG MEDINA has published adult stories about the Latino experience. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her family.

Visit Meg Medina's website

Excerpt

Escape 

Rosa climbed down from the upper branch like a cat, one hand still clamped over her daughter’s mouth. For the first time, Rosa’s face seemed to have lost its inscrutable calm. She looked frightened as she regarded her daughter. Her eyes were red and watery.

“We must get you to the ocean,” she whispered fiercely. “I have no time to explain.

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